Harvest Festival features antique apple cider mill
An antique apple cider mill will be a new main attraction for Greene County Historical Society’s 45 annual Harvest Festival Oct. 15 and 16.
An antique apple cider mill will be a new main attraction for the Greene County Historical Society’s 45 annual Harvest Festival Oct. 15 and 16. The mill was donated to the Historical Society Museum in 2012.
WAYNESBURG – Apple will be the flavor of choice for the Greene County Historical Society’s 45th annual Harvest festival later this month.
The Historical Society Museum has its antique cider mill functioning again and workers there will be passing out samples of fresh apple cider during the two-day festival Oct. 15 and 16.
“Who doesn’t love cider and to see the old fashioned machine running?” said Eben Williams, administrator and curator of the museum.
The mill was donated to the museum in 2012 by a family from Prosperity.
“They were cleaning out their barn and had a bunch of antique farm equipment they donated to the museum,” Williams said. “Some of the wood was missing and it needed some rebuild, but we’ll be demonstrating how it works at the festival.”
The mill has a grinder that chunks up the apples. Then, the press squeezes the juice out, Williams said. The machine is made for apples, but Williams said it could probably be used to make peach or cherry cider as well.
“Most farmers would take whatever’s left after the juice is removed and use it as compost or to feed the pigs,” Williams said.
Also at the festival this year, the Historical Society will be bringing back Civil War re-enactors for more than just a 3 p.m. skirmish both days. Williams said they also will be re-enacting Civil War recruitment drives for both sides of the war.
“We want them to interact with the crowd a little more throughout the day,” he said.
The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the museum, 918 Rolling Meadows Road in Franklin Township, and also will include weaving and blacksmithing demonstrations, along with fall food such as homemade soups and apple dumplings.
“A lot of it is the celebration of Greene County history and the heritage and industry for the area,” Williams said.
He said they usually have between 1,500 and 2,000 people attend the festival to participate in the Greene County nostalgia, to see the museum and what’s changed, and to enjoy the fall weather. Admission is $5 and children under 6 years old are free.
“This is our largest fundraising event that helps us cover the bills and operations of the museum for most of the year,” Williams said.