Fall is just around the corner and the recent cool nights have been reminding us all of this. Traditionally, fall is a bountiful time to harvest and store what has grown over the summer. To keep those traditions alive, the Ozark Folk Center State Park is holding our annual Fall Harvest Festival in the Craft Village from October 20 through October 31. We have many great events on the schedule and will be adding more as the season progresses.
While you’re here, cast your vote for the best decorated Shop in the village as our crafters compete for the prized parking spot. Come see the glory of the Heritage Herb Gardens in all their fall colors.
October 21 – Cider pressing – Windfall apples didn’t store well, so they had to be made into something useful right away. Cider pressed from those apples is a sweet treat that no one can resist. Come watch and taste for yourself as John Perry uses the press to make gallons of delicious cider.
October 22 – Angora goat shearing – Mohair from angora goats was a valuable cash crop to some early Ozark settlers. In 1911 you could get forty cents a pound for a nice fleece. Come watch our angora goats get their fall shearing and learn more about this amazing fiber.
Oct. 23-24 – Sign up for the Farmstead Cheesemaking class, taught by Jeanette Larson. Learn to make simple cheeses from fresh milk or store-bought. You’ll get to eat and take home what you make. You must pre-register for this class and there is a fee.
October 24 – Second Annual Sheep to Shawl Competition – Ozark Fiber Folk teams from around the region will compete to go from a fleece to a finished shawl while the sheep join the people in watching the fun. Spinners will line the walks treadling away to get yarn to their team’s weaver. The competition gets intense as the day goes on and teams try to create the most beautiful piece.
October 24 – Hominy making – come watch Lisa Ray use old-fashioned chemistry to turn hard corn into yummy hominy. It’s a tedious process that takes timing and skill. The result is very tasty.
October 24-25 – Sorghum making – We’ve got the old mill greased up and the tractor ready to go. Under the direction of Benson Hardaway, sorghum maker from Strawberry, Arkansas, we’ll be crushing the sorghum plants and cooking the juice into the delicious syrup that is a unique Ozark treat.
October 28 - Cider pressing – Windfall apples didn’t store well, so they had to be made into something useful right away. Cider pressed from those apples is a sweet treat that no one can resist. Come watch and taste for yourself as John Perry uses the press to make gallons of delicious cider.
October 29 – Angora goat shearing – Angora goats do a wonderful job of clearing brush, and while they’re performing that service they grow the most amazingly beautiful fiber, called mohair. Come watch as some of our angora goats get their fall haircuts and learn more about this wonderful animal.
October 30-31 – Rope making – Did you ever think about how important rope was to the settlers? They couldn’t go to the store and buy it either, they had to make their own. Join us these two days to learn how to get all twisted up and make your own rope. Cranky Bob will direct you in using his amazing rope twisting machine while he shares the history of rope making.
October 31 – Hominy making – come watch Lisa Ray use old-fashioned chemistry to turn hard corn into yummy hominy. It’s a tedious process that takes timing and skill. The result is very tasty.
Events are subject to change, please call before coming for a specific event. There is an admission fee to the Craft Village. Admission is $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children.
Click on document for a printable calendar of events.