Traill County Historical Society set to revive fall festival in Hillsboro
Sep 20, 2018 -- Posted by :By Cory Erickson, Hillsboro Banner
Hillsboro has its summer Hillsboro Days celebration as well as numerous winter festivities.
Now, the Traill County Historical Society is hoping to add a fall gathering to the local calendar.
The organization is hosting a fall festival on Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Pioneer Village on the west side of Hillsboro.
The event will feature a 2 p.m. church service at St. Olaf Church by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Pastor Julie Johnson.
A vendor show, live music, kids’ games and food will be available for all attendees following the church service.
“We started talking about doing this in August,” said TCHS member Christina Willison. “We’re trying to make this an annual thing.”
Willison said the community used to host a fall festival but the event has remained dormant for at least 20 years.
TCHS member Michelle Hammond proposed reviving the event and the organization has taken off with the idea.
“We kind of thought it would be fun to try it again,” Willison said.
The events of the day will be themed around old-fashioned community festivals.
There will be sack races and face-painting for kids and apple crisp and pie available for sale.
Craft and produce vendors will be able to showcase their wares and TCHS is hoping to line up a photo booth as well.
Willison said it will be fun to see the community use St. Olaf Church again.
The last event held in the rustic building, just south of the Hillsboro Inn at 101 5th St. S.W., was a wedding roughly 20 years ago.
Following the service, there will be lefse- and flatbread-making demonstrations as well as a bake sale.
Willison is hoping that there will be a pumpkin vendor at the festival for families to pick their favorite orange squash for carving.
The historical society’s buildings at the Pioneer Village also will be available for tours that day.
Willison said the organization hopes the fall festival will pique public interest in historical preservation and encourage more members to join TCHS.
“We want to preserve and promote Traill County’s history,” she said. “We want to keep history alive and spark an interest in it.
“There are so many things to see at the Pioneer Museum.”
Vendors and volunteers who would like to participate in the fall festival should contact Hammond at 701-436-6026 by Saturday, Oct. 13.