Archbold, OH – The aroma of apples and spices mixed with the scent of wood fires and falling leaves marks a change of season and the celebration of Apple Week at Sauder Village in Archbold (OH). From Wednesday, September 21 through Saturday, Sept. 24 guests will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy apple-related activities throughout the Historic Village. The week is sure to delight all of your senses with activities including apple butter making, cider pressing, apple cooking demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Produced in the fall as a way to preserve part of the apple crop, apple butter was historically a community project – bringing families and neighbors together each fall.
Again this year, guests of all ages will gather to celebrate this time-honored fall tradition at Sauder Village. On Friday and Saturday, the delicious apple butter will be cooked in a copper kettle near the Stuckey Home in the Pioneer Settlement Area. Guests can enjoy apple schnitzing demonstrations and then watch as gallons of apple cider and bushels of the thinly sliced apples are simmered over an open fire and stirred until the mixture reduces to form the thick, sweet spread. Samples of the homemade apple butter will be available for guests to enjoy.
“Surviving the winter was a year ‘round activity for our ancestors,” shared Kim Krieger, Media Relations. “Crops were planted, food was harvested, meat was hunted and all was preserved with an eye towards the long winter months ahead. That is what our costumed staff focuses on in the fall, especially during our Apple Week.”
Another way to preserve apples was to press them into cider. Throughout the week the 130-year-old wooden press will be put to use to make apple cider. There will be many other apple-related activities taking place during this 4-day event. Guests can watch apple cooking demonstrations in many of the historic homes and there will be apple-themed crafts and stories for young guests to enjoy. On Saturday guests can even help press apples into cider with an old-time, hand operated cider press! Guests can also enjoy a variety of delicious apple treats while visiting Sauder Village. There will be apple dumplings, apple pies, apple fritters and other tasty treats for guests to purchase.
Saturday, September 24 is also Smithsonian Magazine’s Annual Museum Day Live. A nationwide event, Museum Day Live allows free admission to Sauder Village to visitors presenting a Museum Day Live ticket (or other participating museum or cultural institutions)! Museum Day Live represents Smithsonian’s commitment to making learning and knowledge accessible to everyone, giving museums across all 50 states the opportunity to emulate the admission policy of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. Last year’s event drew over 400,000 participants. Museum Day Live tickets may be downloaded at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday Visitors who present the Museum Day Live ticket will gain free entrance for two at Sauder Village. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address.
Historic Sauder Village is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and each Sunday afternoon from noon-4:00 p.m. The Historic Village is closed on Mondays, except holidays. Admission is $16.00 for adults and $10.00 for students ages 6-16. Children 5 and under are always free with family and Sauder Village members receive free admission to the Historic Village for an entire year. Senior, Military and AAA discounts are also available. And again this year, children 16 and under are free every Sunday this season! For more information phone 1-800-590-9755, visit www.saudervillage.org, like Sauder Village on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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