The first day of the 66th annual Kutztown Folk Festival got off to a slow start after steady rains dampened attendance Saturday, June 29.
Beth Gruppo, Pinnacle Ridge Winery in Kutztown, said they were still busy despite the rain. Pinnacle Ridge is one of five wineries in a walking trail throughout the Folk Festival as one of three new attractions this year.
The Kutztown Folk Festival is located on the Kutztown Fairgrounds and runs from June 27 to July 5. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 27, 28, July 3 and 4. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 29, 30, July 1, 2, and 5.
“This is the first year they’re doing it,” said Gruppo. “Last year there was only two wineries and years past we were the only winery. Everybody has great wine and it makes that a great variety for people to try.”
According to information from the Festival’s website, the wineries participating in the festival were spread out about the Festival grounds for a tour like experience.
Pinnacle Ridge led the Festival Wine Tour and offered its special edition, Fest-Wein, complete with its 2015 festival label. Pinnacle Ridge will also have several of its numerous award-winning wines available for Festival visitors to sample.
Back for another year is southeastern Pennsylvania’s Paradocx Vineyard. Paradocx features a colorful booth display and simulated paint cans that act as wine bottles creating a take-home souvenir.
Long Trout Winery in Auburn, new to the Festival, is known for their blends and eccentric 1970’s motifs.
Frecon Farms, Boyertown, also new to the Festival, brought a unique selection of hard ciders. Wine and hard cider, or cider twice, were some of the early Pennsylvania Dutch country’s economic staples.
Necture On the Vine returned to this year’s festival with its ever-popular wine frapes and wine slushy mixes. Samples of a watermelon and pomegranate slushy were available.
The construction of a Chinese Moon Gate was one of the three new featured attractions.
“”It’s a really nice historic structure made out of stone,” said Ken Saul, Sr., Kutztown.”
Saul said it was built for several thousand years in China for the wealthy. It was the entrance gate to their gardens. The British got the idea from Japanese traders and brought it to Bermuda so now there are these moon gates all around Bermuda. They are found at hotels and the patios and gardens of the wealthy.
Jarad Luckenbill, 15, Kutztown, comes from a family of mason’s. Although he doesn’t have any current plans to go into masonry, he worked as Saul’s assistant in the construction of the moon gate.
The third new feature was right next to the construction of the Chinese Moon Gate, where a variety of tasks were at hand with tools used to build America. It was the exhibit for The National Museum of Industrial History, Bethlehem. The NMIH had partnered with the Smithsonian and acquired all of its historical pieces from America’s industrial movement from the 1800’s up to today.
Machines chugged with puffs of smoke rising and coal fires heated iron metal till they glowed orange. Two men worked with hand tools and steam engines to shape the pieces they were crafting.
“We are the National Museum of Industrial History. It’s a brand new museum going in at the original plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and this really showcases the industrial revolution,” said Chris Opresko, Walnutport.
He said this shows that blacksmithing didn’t die in the 1800s. It was used all the way up until the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and even today.
“This showcases a little bit more of what the industrial revolution was with the invention of steam engines and the hit miss engine. When the shop is finished in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the full Industrial Quarters will be run entirely by steam,” said Opresko.
There will be laithes and huge power hammers. They will be forging railroad parts for steam engines and more. 97 percent of the blacksmithing tools on display at the Festival were from personal collection. The Museum contributed some of the machines for the display.
“About four years ago, the Smithsonian took down their industrial quarters. It was an exhibit of all their industrial steam engines and stuff and it went in storage. Well our Museum tied in with them and they actually put on hold all those artifacts and they are now in our possession for our Museum,” said Opresko. “We have the original steam hammer that was the first one in America originally from Sheffield, England.”
Opresko aid they also have a pumping engine from York, Pennsylvania, with a 14 point diameter flywheel that takes up half of their Museum.
“This is not going to be like a normal boring museum. You’re gonna smell, you’re gonna hear, you’re going to see everything moving and that’s what really excites me as a historical enactor,” said Opresko. “I hate when things are just on static display; you don’t see them move. You want to see them move; you want to see what they do from back in the day and that’s what I love about this Museum. It’s going to be an amazing site.”
“Another thing,” said Noah Smith, Dallas, me being a WWII and Civil War reenactor, people always think when they think of history they think of the wars and all of the veterans. People need to realize… these men need to be remembered, too, the industrialists, the welder, the steel worker, the blacksmith; they’re truly the men that built America. This is something we do so that people don’t forget.”
A table of assorted tools and gadgets drew the attention of Stephen Carr, Walnutport. Carr works with his hands as a carpenter and woodworker. Although he had never done blacksmithing or metalwork, he enjoyed seeing the handcrafting demonstration at the NMIH’s stand. He was looking at a metal piece from the table.
“It’s a repurposed railroad spike. They took something that was existing and turned it into something that is useful,” said Carr.
It was funny, but I couldn’t see what was useful from a bent piece of metal so I asked Carr what is useful about it?
“They will drill holes in it so that you can screw it to the wall and use it as a coat hook or whatever hook,” said Carr.
I got one of the bent railroad spikes and plan to have my husband drill two holes in it so I can hang something among the black and white canvas portraits in my home. The spike came from railroad ties in the coal region and having grown up in coal country, the spike had more meaning to me.
“My parents took me here since I was a little girl so it’s become a family tradition. We love it,” said Linda Ferreira. Her father learned about the festival through a German club he belonged to years and year ago.
Dorothy Vidota Chow, New Jersey, said they have been coming every year since her kids were little. When she comes to the festival she feels like she is with her family.
Over the years the Chows have purchased five quilts and have them displayed throughout their home. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, but each quilt they picked each year was made by Mabel Brubaker.
Dorothy Chow said they downsized last year and when she took all the quilts down, she was going to sell them, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. A designer helping them furnish their new apartment took one of the quilts and hung it floor to ceiling.
“She goes, ‘Dorothy, it’s perfect’. Those quilts were meant to be with me for whatever reason I don’t understand, but they’re meant to be with me,” said Dorothy Chow. “It’s funny how life draws you to things and how you just pay attention it shows you a very clear path.”
“I come here and I feel my heritage. I feel a sense of belonging,” said Dorothy Chow.
To learn more about the Kutztown Folk Festival, go to http://www.kutztownfestival.com.
