JERSEYVILLE - The 31st annual Apple Festival is officially set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the Jersey County Historical Society, located at 601 N. State Street in Jerseyville, also known as the Cheney Mansion.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
This year’s festival will feature a lineup of live entertainment from a variety of local acts. First up at 9:30 a.m. is the Jersey County Arts Council (JCAC) Children’s Choir, followed by JCHS Musical Groups at 10:30 a.m. The Gibson Girls will perform at 12:30 p.m., then Back in the Saddle will be the final act of the afternoon starting at 1:30 p.m.
Beth McGlasson, Vice President of the Jersey County Historical Society, said there will be pioneer demonstrators making lye soap, weaving rugs on a loom, quilting, and more at the festival. She said there will also be opportunities for kids to get involved with pioneer crafts and chores of their own.
“For our pioneer crafts and chores, what we do is we have tables set up around our cabins, and the kids, they collect eggs, they churn butter, they pitch straw, they milk a cow - not a real cow, because we don’t want anybody getting kicked - they shuck corn, they bead a rug, they wash laundry on an old scrub board and hang it up to dry, and they whitewash a fence,” McGlasson said.
For every chore children complete, she said they are paid in wooden nickels that can be taken to an on-site mercantile shop with candy, dolls, and more that’s been set up in one of the cabins on the grounds of the Historical Society.
Some of the pioneer crafts kids will be able to make at the festival include tin punch pictures, buzzsaw toys, thaumatropes (spinning toys that resemble early motion pictures) and spinning tops. McGlasson said that all pioneer crafts and chores are available for only $5 per child.
There will also be tours of the historic buildings on the grounds of the Historical Society, including the Cheney Mansion, a schoolhouse, a small church and a few log cabins, all with deep historical ties to Jerseyville and Jersey County.
“The Cheney House is the oldest house in the Jerseyville area, it dates back to 1827 - it actually predates both Jerseyville and Jersey County - so it’s a very historically significant building in the area,” McGlasson said. “We also have a one-room school that was brought in from the county, it includes all its original contents - so you step in that door, and it is like stepping into a one-room school back in the 1870s.
“We have a one-room church … that has all of its original contents, it was completed in 1920,” McGlasson continued. “Then we have our three log cabins, all that are furnished, and we have a museum that includes 10 rooms - there’s a military room, a transportation room and the Flautt Addition, which is just a remarkable collection of Native American artifacts. We have a government room, a wedding room, a school room - it’s just a very interesting collection of Jersey County memorabilia.”
In addition to the live entertainment and historical tours, there will also be vendors and several food options, including fish, chicken strips, hot dogs, fries, ham and beans, cornbread, kettle corn, as well as homemade pies and desserts.
Admission to the festival grounds is free. For more information about the 2022 Apple Festival, call 618-498-3514 or visit the Jersey County Historical Society Facebook page.
More like this:
Related Video:
