Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Festival

Old-time fun for everyone!

Join us Saturday, October 19 for a day to celebrate the history and heritage of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley! This special open house event on our campus will run from 9 am to 2 pm, and will include:

• Horse-drawn buggy rides
• A singing school reenactment and shape note hymn singing
• Heritage skill demonstrations:
  • Old-fashioned sorghum molasses making
  • Corn meal grinding
  • Cider press
  • Crosscut log sawing
  • Blacksmithing
  • Spinning and knitting
  • Basket weaving

• Fun, hands-on children’s activities:
  • Old-fashioned toys
  • Carpentry with hand tools
  • Tin punch
  • Butter churning
  • Laundry scrubbing in the wash house
  • Corn shelling

• Civil War storytelling
• A petting zoo
• Interpretive guides in our historic buildings

These activities will take place throughout the day from 9 am to 2 pm, so come when it suits and stay as long as you like! A lunch of homemade soup and pie will be available (for a freewill donation), as well as complimentary kettle-cooked popcorn.

At this year’s event we’re excited to offer FREE ADMISSION! Many thanks to the business sponsors below who helped to make this possible!