Press apples at the History Center of Olmsted County's Harvest Moon Fall Festival. An annual event, the fest is designed to get families outdoors and into fun.
"The event is the first day (Thursday) of MEA weekend," said Aaron Saterdalen, education and programs coordinator, History Center of Olmsted County. "We've held this event for several years and always get a really good turnout. Our hope is that we'll attract a lot of families again this year."
In addition to pressing apples (to make apple juice the old fashioned way), families will enjoy hayrides, pumpkin painting, broom tying, scarecrow decorating, and more.
"There's really something for everyone with a lot of hands-on activities for kids," said Saterdalen. "Families can also get an idea of how life used to be in Olmsted County with a tour of the History Center's one-room Hadley Valley Schoolhouse and the William Dee Cabin."
The tour continues inside the History Center. In addition to the museum's paleo fossil collection, Civil War exhibit, and Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial exhibit, families can also explore the museum's 1860s general store.
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"The general store is fun. There's a checkerboard the kids can sit down and play, a Sears and Roebuck catalog from that era, an old-fashioned cash register and candy from that time period," Saterdalen said. "You'll find children's toys, a Damascus shotgun and other objects and reminders of what life was like back then."
Tickets are $5 per child, free for adults.
