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Each year Mifflinburg celebrates its heritage with a two day Buggy Days Festival. Why call it buggy days— the town was known as Buggy Town in the latter part of the 19th century because it’s buggy makers made more buggies than any other town it’s size in Pennsylvania. The town boasts its own Buggy Museum, one of only a dozen original industrial sites in the United States. The William A. Heiss Coach Works, the main attraction of the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum is the only intact 19th century buggy factory open to the public in the country. The building underwent an award winning restoration in 2004. The festival celebrates history— especially living history and invites reenactors and demonstrators to share their stories with spectators. The 26th Annual Buggy Days Festival will be held on Sat., June 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., June 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival is held at the VFW Fairgrounds, one mile west of Mifflinburg on Route 45. There is a $3 per car parking fee, but no additional admission fee. The festival includes craft and antique dealers, food stands, an authors’ tent and demonstrations. John Bernaski, who feels like a 19th century man in a 21st century world, has been a reenactor for over 30 years. He portrays a traveling photographer— like the ones who shadowed Civil War armies. Everything he uses is literally hand made often by Mr. Bernaski himself. He’ll be taking photographs of the action and will be happy to answer questions Dennis Hassinger learned broom making at the knee of his uncle. In 1985, he purchased his equipment and began doing shows in Pennsylvania and New York. His broom stitching vice has a patent date of 1878 and his winder is from the early 1900s. His brooms are more modern, but are still made from broom corn, a sorghum grain. Dennis also has a modern peanut roaster which was made to his specifications. Peanuts were hog feed until the Civil War, but the lack of food made peanuts an important source of nutrition for the fighting men. While no one knows who first thought to boil or roast the peanuts, they were able to preserve them and carry them easily. Peanuts became known as “goober peas” which often served as emergency rations. “Goober Peas” is best known today as a traditional folk song sung by the Confederate soldiers. Mr. Hassinger will be making and selling brooms and roasted peanuts during the Buggy Days festival. The ancient arts of blacksmithing, wheel wrighting, spinning, weaving and needlework will also be demonstrated on the grounds of the VFW. Bob Clark and Bradd Mertz work hand in hand to demonstrate the art of metal working and wheel making. The Susquehanna Valley Spinners and Weavers Guild delight in showing visitors how to spin wool and flax and sometimes hair, then weave into wearable art. Yvonne and Anthony Benfer demonstrate no less then 12 different needlework skills; while their daughter, Elizabeth dabbles in making bobbin lace. Nathan McKenzie, a gunsmith will be demonstrating the art of making powder horns. On the south side of Rte. 45, the festival takes another turn, a Civil War camp and battlefield. The organizers of Buggy Days created a fictitious “Battle of Chamber’s Ridge” about the Confederate army trying to “steal” buggies and harnesses from Buggy Town. “Since this is a fictitious battle”, the organizers say, “we can change the story each year. Our desire is to teach history in a more hands-on way so that people understand what it was like almost 150 years ago.” In addition to the battles on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a court martial, night firing, candlelight ghost tours and presentations on medicine and surgery. Entertainment is also a large part of the festival. Beverly Conrad and Luke Glick of Lowlander Highlanders will be performing and demonstrating throughout the day on Sat., June 2. They will be taking the stage at 9:30 a.m. Beverly and Luke perform a variety of historical music from the northern Appalachian Mountains. Performing on fiddle, Beverly specializes in preserving these old tunes many of which were taught to her by the old-timers, the fiddlers from this region who are now leaving us but leaving their music behind to be carried on. Luke accompanies Beverly on Bodrhan, djembe, handmade log drums, bones, jaw harp, spoons, fiddlesticks and other percussion instruments. Coburn Brass hails from Centre County, Pennsylvania and was formed in 1996 – but collectively the members have over 50 plus years of music playing experience. Coburn Brass is a quintet of musicians which performs for Civil War enactments and other patriotic events. The band, modeled on the original Coburn Cornet Band of 1910 performs on modern and vintage instruments including an 1840 ophicleide, which resembles a bari-sax with a trombone mouthpiece. The Coburn Brass Band will be performing on the stage at the VFW Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 2nd at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. At 4 p.m., Countryside Contra Dances will be performing on stage at the VFW. Donald and Georgianne Maurer will be demonstrating a form of American folk dance in which dancers perform a sequence of moves which is repeated until everyone dances with everyone else. Contra dancing was “all the rage” in the early 1800s. Bring your dancing shoes for the ball on Sat., June 2nd from 8 to 10 p.m. Wayne Belt and Norma Calhoun will serve as the callers, leading the dancers through the steps. Wayne and Norma hail from Fairfield, Pennsylvania where they are members of the Victorian Dance Ensemble. Providing the music will be Inishowen comprised of Henry Cohen, Lynn Colgan Cohen, Ron Peters and Eileen Bozarth. Inishowen’s repertoire is drawn primarily from the rich musical heritage of the seafaring nations – Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States. Come dressed in period clothing or come in jeans and T-shirt – but come ready to enjoy great music and learn a few dance steps. On Sunday, musician, instrument builder and artist, Tom Jolin will perform on the stage at 12:30 p.m. Tom plays traditional American music, mixing vocals with the hammer dulcimer, banjo, button accordion and harmonica. He is also a rostered artist for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and a Pennsylvania Humanities Council Commonwealth Speaker and Performer. On Sunday morning at the VFW a special church service will be presented by Mr. William Bastian. The service will begin at 1 a.m. in front of the stage on the fair grounds. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend. Mr. Bastian is a retired high school social studies teacher and is currently the choir director for Dreisbach United Church of Christ and sings with Buffalo Valley Chorus. He will be accompanied Emily Lepley, his granddaughter and an incoming senior at Mifflinburg Area High School who has performed competitively on the piano. In addition, the Buggy Museum located at 6th and Green Streets in downtown Mifflinburg will be open for tours. Tours will be offered on a schedule of 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 and 4 p.m. on Sat., June 2 and 1 and 3 on Sun., June 3. Admission is charged for visiting the museum. For the full schedule of events or more information about the Buggy Days Festival, call the museum at 977-1355 or log onto www.buggymuseum.org © Copyright 2007 by Mifflinburg Telegraph Weekly Newspaper Top of Page |
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