Click here to subscribe today or Login.
KINGSTON TWP. — Instead of walking into a convenience store or a mall Sunday afternoon, Marie Popielarz walked up to a crosscut saw and got a good cardio workout. And she is only 9 years old.
The Dallas youngster and her brother, Andrew, 7, took opposite handles on the pioneer tool and sawed off a section of tree trunk as part of Heritage Day at Frances Slocum State Park.
The annual fall fair offers a chance for people of all ages to try out skills from the days when people first settled in the area. Or to watch historical reenactors demonstrate life skills from the time of the Revolutionary War. Or even to become more closely acquainted with the flora and fauna that live in these Penn’s Woods.
“I did better than my brother,” Marie Popielarz said. “I’m pretty strong.”
The youngsters bickered good-naturedly about who’d really earned bragging rights with the crosscut saw as they headed to a display of hand-made dulcimers and watched a demonstration on how to play them.
In all, there were 37 stations where youngsters – and those not so young – could visit. The comment heard most often all over the grassy area was, “Here, give it a try.”
And try they did.
“Just how does this work?” asked John Brawley, of Edwardsville, as he watched Joanne Squier, of Nicholson, spinning yarn under one of the tents. He got a quick lesson in fibers, the difference between raw wool and roving, and within minutes, found himself trying his hand at spinning a soft blue yarn.
“It does take a bit of learning to get your fingers and feet working together and to get the right tension,” Squier said. “You’re not doing badly, though.”
Just a few feet away, one of the army of Heritage Day volunteers, who wanted only to be called “Steve,” let youngsters grind apples and crank the handle on the wooden cider press.
“I’ve been doing this for 19 years,” he said. “It just never gets old.”
There were brain teasers and face-painting. A pair of volunteers guided small hands that wanted to try hand-piecing patchwork. The Penn State Master Gardeners, the Denison House Advocates, and Luzerne County Drug and Alcohol offered brochures and answered questions about their organizations. Crowds pressed their noses near a screened enclosure to watch a butterfly hatch or lined up to watch a weapons drill and a baking demonstration by the 24th Connecticut Regiment of reenactors.
Farther up the hill, members of the Nanticoke Conservation Club served up small bowls of wild mushroom soup and cleaned and cooked fish for visitors to sample. A display of taxidermy showed off the variety of animals native to the area. A giant statue of Smokey the Bear guided visitors to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources table with its brochures and guidelines on protecting the state’s natural wonders.
Visitors wandered around to bluegrass music provided by the High Grass Ramblers from Bloomsburg.
By far, though, the most popular exhibits had fur and feathers. That included a pair of young deer who didn’t mind being petted and a 16-week-old bobcat kitten who entertained the crowds by playing with a large orange ball.
The exhibit that brought out the most oohs and aahs, though, was the one featuring a dozen or so animals from the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. Kids and adults alike got a closeup view of the snake, owls, hawks and other critters as handler Eric walked around with each on his arm.
“This has to be the best weekend we have,” said Kathy Kelchner, education director at Frances Slocum, as she moved around the fair, answering questions and greeting visitors. “We have an army of volunteers, we have great weather and it’s just a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.”
