Nelson Pioneer Celebrates 51st Annual Fall Festival

Nelson Pioneer Farm Fall Festival 2016

Oskaloosa, Iowa – There are not many fall days as nearly perfect as the one enjoyed on Saturday. The 51st Annual Fall Festival drew a substantial crowd, and the weather played a factor in that.

Kelly Halbert, curator at the Nelson Pioneer Farm highlighted the many activities that were taking place during the day. Those included many opportunities for kids, including a ‘train’ ride, pony rides, and tractor wagon rides with their parents.

Kids could also enjoy a petting zoo.

As always, the crafts take center stage, as individuals learned and participated in the process of taking an ear of corn from the stalk to a finished product. This craft helped to illustrate the significance of corn to the pioneer farmer.

Other crafts included soap making, candle dipping, along with chair caning. Finding those craft experts has become more difficult over the years, as fewer people are continuing the traditional crafts.

There were musical acts on hand as well helping fill the air with the bluegrass sound.

“Today is a perfect day”, said Halbert of Saturday’s weather and events. “You couldn’t ask for a better one”.

Upcoming events to the Nelson Pioneer Farm is a Halloween event, with the Oskaloosa Community Theater and a haunted village. Christmas has become a festival of lights at the farm, and plans are in the works for a similar event this year.

You can keep up with all the upcoming events by visiting the Nelson Pioneer Farm website HERE.