Celebrate the 2015 Hay Creek Festival. Bring the whole family to Historic Joanna Furnace in southern Berks County the weekend after Labor Day. The entire 26-acre Joanna Furnace historic site, an 18th and 19th century ironmaking community, will be teeming with history, food, crafts, music and excitement for everyone. Join the 1500 volunteers, interpreters and crafts-people in celebrating the 160-year life span of the iron making community 1791 to 1950.
Set for Sept. 11, 12 and 13, the Hay Creek Festival runs each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free, continuously running shuttle buses carry visitors from the nearby parking area to the main entrance all day 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Hay Creek Valley Historical Association’s Joanna Furnace site is located three miles north of Morgantown along Route 10, with close access to both the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Route I-176.
The 39th Annual Hay Creek Festival is once again an extraordinary historic adventure. The scope of family-friendly things to see, do, learn and savor include traditional early crafts, the Home Crafts and Antique Market, living history presentations complete with interpreters in authentic garb, vintage working equipment and machinery, classic steam and gas engines, children’s hands-on activities, a four-square herb garden, military encampments and interpretations, antique vehicles and tractors, traditional folk music presentations and homemade festive foods, and that is just for starters.
New in 2015To commemorate the ending of the Civil War (1865), both Union and Confederate units will be camped at Joanna Furnace. In addition to seeing and talking with the camped soldiers, visitors will be able to experience camp life and mock firing demonstrations. Visitors will also be able to learn about Civil War military medicine from both Union and Confederate military surgeons. For those interested in weaponry and munitions, a new display of Civil War era rifles, pistols and ammunition will also be on site.
In the Home Craft and Antique Market, several new vendors will join more than 30 of attendees’ old favorites they look for each year. In addition to the usual historic interpretations, visitors will learn about the latest research and restoration projects, which include the major program to preserve the original bosch (the smelting chamber inside the furnace stack). Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours of the historic complex with the guidance of newly installed educational signage.
Displays, Exhibits and Interpretations
The Early American Crafts area consists of more than 75 juried, period-authentic artisans representing 48 different period crafts, including domestic crafts (spinning and fabric dying, basket making, candle-making, knitting, open-fire cooking, rug braiding, tinsel painting and more) and village industry (blacksmith, broom-maker, leather bookbinding, gunsmith, pin stripping, pottery, woodworking, pit saw, Windsor chairs, pipe drilling, glass blowing and more).
The Open Hearth Cooking Interpretation area will demonstrate the preparation of authentic local 18th and 19th century dishes including onion pie, seasonal vegetable dishes and roasted meats. Open Hearth Cooking’s famous apple fritters, apple pot pie, Irish fried potatoes and “chomp” will be available as samples daily.
This year’s Home Craft and Antique Market is destined to be the finest yet. To date, many returning favorites will be on hand. Among the unique offerings will be handmade redware pottery, horseshoe art, gourd birdhouses, soaps and hand lotions, wooden toys and bowls, handbags from vintage fabrics, quilted items, dog treats and unique jewelry. Weaver’s Orchard will also be at the event selling apples, peaches, pears, plums, honey, jam and salsa.
In the Mechanical Technology arena, visitors will see a vast assortment of exhibits and presentations including early gas and steam engines/models, running sawmill and threshing demonstrations, the operating shingle mill, water ram exhibit and registered antique cars. See early 19th century manufacturing machines operating by pulleys and belts from a 19th century overhead line shaft. Also, visitors will see a display of washing machines throughout 19th and 20th centuries.
The Historic Iron Making Complex of the Joanna Furnace Community
Five buildings of the historic Joanna Furnace complex (blacksmith shop, blowing engine, casting house, office/store and charcoal barn/museum with garbed interpreters) will be open to visitors as part of self-guided tours.
Casting demonstrations will take place daily in the recently restored casting house. See how molds were made and products were cast during the 19th century.
The Charcoal Barn will continue to be one of the exhibit highlights at Joanna Furnace this year. Visitors will be able to see the restored, scaled down diorama of a charcoal pit campsite as one part of the enhanced museum and education center. Displays reveal the story of the people, products and the community around Joanna Furnace. New this year are two historic charcoal buggies that were used to fuel the charcoal furnace. The continuing saga of research and authentic restoration of the historic site’s buildings adds to the non-commercial and educational value of the festival.
Student DayFriday, Sept. 11 is the annual Hay Creek Festival Student Day. As many as 1,500 public, private and home school students are expected this year to participate in Student Day activities. Regional public school, private school and home school groups are invited to participate in this fun, educational and historic experience. All student groups will be admitted free on that day, along with discounted admissions for their teachers and chaperones. Unless student groups arrive by bus or van, all others shall park on the event lot and take the shuttle bus to the site. To help assist student groups at the festival entrance area, teachers should pre-register for the event by going to www.haycreek.org to download a Student Day registration form. Further Student Day information is available by emailing education@haycreek.org.
Children’s engaging, hands-on activities include an archaeology digging adventure, candle making, paper making, scavenger hunts, meeting Civil War soldiers, learning basic military drills, seeing a magician and ventriloquist Marian Gehman and performer Steve Courtney on stage and more. All these events will be available for children Saturday and Sunday as well.
Entertainment on stage and throughout the grounds
During all three days, entertainment will be plentiful with music and other stage performances. The array of weekend performers will include Marian & Friends (ventriloquist and puppeteer); Matt Miskie (folk singer/songwriter); Karen Terry Ludwig (folk songs and ballads); Randini the Remarkable (juggler, magician); Damien Drego (folk songs); Keith Brintzenhoff (PA German music & storyteller); Cousin Jake and Friends (Bluegrass); Maggie Spike (folk songs); Steven Courtney (children’s music & family entertainment); Chris Ivey (theatrical character juggler); and the Celtic Martins (Irish music).
Hay Creek Food This is truly a feasting paradise for festival-goers! The wide menu is prepared and served by Hay Creek volunteers and numerous community non-profit organizations and includes chicken pot pie, hamburgers, hot dogs, festival-favorite Mabel’s open fire cooked soups, breads and baked goods, hand-dipped ice cream, funnel cakes, fries and more.
Breakfast anyone? The Hay Creek Pancake and Country Sausage Breakfast is served both Saturday and Sunday, from 8 to 11 a.m.
Attending the Hay Creek Festival
This event is truly a community and regional partnership event. The Hay Creek Festival benefits the local Tri-County economy by financial returns to various participating non-profit organizations throughout the area. Over the past 10 years, the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association is proud to have contributed more than $250,000 to those local participating groups and organizations.
Family-friendly admission prices
Admission is $10 for adults, $2 for children ages six to 12 and free for children five and under. Free parking is available on the large easy access lot, and free shuttle buses run directly to the main entrance,
For more general festival information, visit www.haycreek.org.
