Rain Didn’t Dampen The Spirit Of The Fall Festival

These youngsters were really enjoying their ride at the Fall Festival at Nelson Pioneer Farm on Saturday

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Even with rain in the area, the spirit of the past carried on during Nelson Pioneer Farm’s Fall Festival Saturday.

The day had started off at 9:30 with a flag raising and a welcome speech by “Abraham Lincoln.” That was quickly followed up by a Civil War band concert. By 10:00, the crowd headed for the Prine Schoolhouse for a spelling bee.

People lined the back of Machine Barn #2 to watch a threshing demonstration with steam powered engines at 10:30 am. It was easy to spot, because off in the distance the cloud of smoke coming from the engine as it labored made it easy to spot.The antique corn pickers were also on display and working the fields for those in attendance.

Henry Nunnikhoven is seen here standing with his finished replica barn he modeled by hand (photo D.Hubbard)

Amy Hay, curator at the Nelson Pioneer Farm, said that “we’ve had a good crowd. All the demonstrators seem to be happy. There’s tons of kids doing all kinds of fun things, and I think it’s a great day, I really do.”

With the rain earlier on in the event, some thought maybe the crowd was smaller than expected, but with this being her first year at Nelson Pioneer Farm, Hay had no expectations and wasn’t really able to tell yet how it would compare to last years event. “People are saying it’s about the same as it was last year,” is about the best guess she had on Saturday during the event.

Starting at 11:00 am, the pioneer dinner at Bradbury Hall had started, and kids games were well underway by the schoolhouse.

This 12 pound Napoleon Style Cannon was fired on occasion during the Fall Festival at Nelson Pioneer Farm on Saturday, September 17

Once lunch was done, and the Civil War actors had once again fired the 12 pound Cannon for the crowd, the parade began.

Abraham Lincoln gathered his friends once again in the Friends Church for another speech before the fiddle contest was scheduled to start at Bradbury Hall at 3:00 p.m.

Various different people were set up in buildings on the premises. One of those persons was Henry Nunnikhoven. Nunnikhoven worked on his scale replica barn for two winters. The project stretched over four years, with a break between as he says he lost all interest. He said that last year his wife said, “go and do your barn”. He says then last winter, “I got interested in it, about putting the sides on it and stuff.” Nunnikhoven went on to say that he’s very glad he made this replica as the old barn he modeled it after is now gone.