Champoeg State Heritage Area is celebrating the return of cooler temperatures and changing leaves this fall with the annual Harvest Day event at the park 1 – 4 p.m. Oct. 5. Park staff and volunteers will celebrate the history of fall in the Willamette Valley with pioneer-era activities all afternoon. The event is free and family-friendly. “Fall harvest was an important time for Oregon-country settlers,” says Dan Klug, interpretive ranger at Champoeg. “Harvest celebrations afforded farmers the opportunity to socialize, play games, tell stories and enjoy the fruits of their hard summer work.” The afternoon’s activities will include: children’s games from the 1800’s; wheat threshing; quilting, lace making, spinning and sewing; demonstrations of blacksmithing, tinsmithing and carpentry; the “Apple Snap Challenge”; fresh produce from the park’s Heritage Garden; live music and live plowing demonstrations. Champoeg State Heritage Area charges a $5 day-use parking fee. More information about the park, including maps and driving directions, is on oregonstateparks.org.
