Фестиваль на исторической ферме Дreibelbis в Пенсильвании собрал почти тысячу посетителей

Demonstrating Pennsylvania German life on the farm, the Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society welcomed 975 visitors to the historic Dreibelbis Farm in Virginville on Saturday, Aug. 22, for its annual Farm Festival. “That’s the second-largest attendance since we began in 2012. I’m sure it would have been larger if the weather forecast hadn’t ‘called’ for rain,” Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society Vice President Ned Dresher said in a statement. The 180-plus-acre Historic Dreibelbis Farm in Virginville has been owned by the Dreibelbis family for nearly 250 years. Built in the 1860s, the unremodeled brick farmhouse is perhaps one of the best living reminders of rural life in Berks County, according to the Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society. “We’re dedicated to celebrating and sharing the Pennsylvania German rural heritage,” said Dresher. “We hope our visitors gain an appreciation for what farming life was like between 1775 and 1940.” Featuring old-time tools and farming activities, the Farm Festival demonstrated Pennsylvania German life on the farm, including kitchen crafts, open-hearth cooking, butchering, dairy chores, spinning, quilting, sewing, Pennsylvania German fraktur art, pottery making, barrel making and blacksmithing. The historic farm’s nature trail was also open to visitors. Virginville Grange provided food for purchase. Mike Frantz of Fleetwood brought Hudson, 8, and Mya, 6, to the Farm Festival. They enjoyed making candles and learning about bees. They were eager to try turning butter. “It’s good to see how they did stuff in the old days and it’s a good experience for them,” said Frantz. The festival also included horse-drawn wagon rides, old-time games and activities for children, period music, and Native American displays. “Because our site was the home of the Saukunk band of the Lenape Native Americans, we always want to lift up that historical and cultural heritage,” Dresher said. The First Pennsylvania Regiment, which offers historically accurate recreations of the life and times of the Revolutionary War soldier, set up an encampment on the grounds of the Dreibelbis Farm. The 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line was an elite infantry unit active during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. The First Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that participates in re-enactments and living history events in the uniform of Gen. George Washington’s Pennsylvania Riflemen of 1775-1777. During the Farm Festival in Virginville, members of the First Pennsylvania Regiment provided information about what soldiers carried with them, demonstrated firing long rifles (including ones made locally in the Lehigh Valley) and provided drill training for youth. Speakers discussed Pennsylvania mountain lions, Pennsylvania German whiskey distilling, Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, local units in the Civil War, and Native American storytelling. Dresher said that for most of the members of the Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society, this quiet corner of Berks County and its buildings and artifacts is a touchstone to a shared and honored past. “While it’s true that a few of our leaders and volunteers have family ties that go back to earlier generations on this farm, most of us who were involved in organizing and producing this festival aren’t directly related to this farm and its family,” said Dresher. “For some, the Pennsylvania German roots come alive in this place in a very special and defining way,” he said. For others, seeing the appreciation and excitement that their endeavors generate within their visitors brings both meaning and pleasure, he said. “We love history and we love sharing it! And we’re so grateful that the historic Dreibelbis farmstead can be the place where that sharing and celebration takes place,” said Dresher. The Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society is a non-profit organization. “Back in 2011, after our non-profit group had spent just over a decade of trying to get a handle on what the farm property and artifacts included and our leader, Mark Dreibelbis, had learned how to keep our aging buildings from serious deterioration, we gathered some history-minded friends and asked, “How can we share what we have with our neighbors and the public?” explained Dresher. The idea of a farm festival developed from those first conversations. They developed a mission statement that says, in part, “The mission of the society is to preserve and protect the historic Dreibelbis farm and to make it available to the public for educational, historical, and environmental purposes.” “The annual farm festival is the key way of sharing, teaching, and demonstrating that dedication to preservation and heritage,” said Dresher. The Historic Dreibelbis Farm is located on Route 143 south of the village of Virginville. GPS address is 356 Hard Hill Road, Hamburg, PA 19526. For more information, visit www.Dreibelbisfarm.org, Historic Dreibelbis Farm on Facebook or on Instagram.