Darke County Visitors Bureau...
A Harvest of Happenings 

Editor: September event features Prairies Days at Shawnee Prairie; Historic Bears Mill; Brumbaugh Fruit & Fun Farm; Ohio Gourd Show; Lead the Way Tractor Cruise; KitchenAid, Farmers Market & Unique Local Shops in Downtown Greenville and, last but not least... Garst Museum. Photos are from Prairie Days. 

Greenville, Ohio – September 13, 2011 – If you are looking for the perfect autumn weekend getaway, head to A Harvest of Happenings in western Ohio. 

America’s heritage is centered on the fall harvest. It has been a time of celebration from the pioneers to present. So it is with this spirit that so many treasures across Darke County offer everything autumn, September 24 & 25. 

Prairie Days at Shawnee Prairie brings an entire community from 1780 – 1810 to life. The blacksmith heats and hammers iron creations across the way from the ladies hanging hot wax to dry into candles. Fresh made apple butter teases the nose and corn is being shred and ground. Over at the living encampment, pioneers are dressed in skins and teach their camping techniques. Storytellers are spinning tall tales to the tunes of traveling musicians. Inside the log home are ladies chatting around the spinning wheels while a man is out back showing folks how to load a musket and rifle. 

Activity is everywhere. Pioneer games are being played; men are at work carving a canoe out of tree trunk and kids “make it and take it” inside the crafting tent. Wares are for sale, including jewelry, pottery and other pieces from the 1700 - 1800’s. Kettle corn, ice cream and other tasty treats fill bellies in time for a leisurely tractor or horse-drawn wagon ride. 

Over at Bears Mill, the French Buhr millstones are busy grinding flours and meals just as they have since 1849. In fact, it’s one of the only historic mills still operating in Ohio today. This working historical landmark is a destination for artists and photographers. Sitting on the banks of Greenville Creek, the hand hewn timber framework stands four stories against the wooded backdrop, which offers lovely fall hiking trails. 

Inside, tours of all four floors reveal a storied history. There’s also an art gallery featuring locally handmade pottery, paintings and other original works. During A Harvest of Happenings, browse through the mill shop for plenty of fresh-milled products, including flours, grains, bread and cookies. 

A stone’s skip from the ole mill is Brumbaugh Fruit & Fun Farm. It features an orchard that has grown into a diverse family destination for people to come play and shop at the same time. 

Across the 45-acre farm there is no shortage of fun. Get lost in the Kinda Kooky Korn Maze or set the kids loose on the Human Hamster Wheels. Hayrides to the pumpkin patch allow everyone to pick the perfect specimen to turn into a jack-o-lantern. Another favorite for kids is learning to feed and groom the farm animals.

Storybook characters wait in an enchanted forest and hiking throughout the orchards teaches about the many varieties of apples grown on the farm. 

Behind the scenes tours are given to see the entire operation. It includes visits to the cider press room and cooler so guests can see how apples get from the orchards to the showroom or are squeezed into cider. This leads to the market and bakery where a bushel of farm-grown apples may be purchased along with corn, pumpkins and gourds.    

Speaking of gourds, A Harvest of Happenings also features the Ohio Gourd Show at the Darke County Fairgrounds in Greenville. Gourds are an interesting and diverse fruit. Artisans bend them, shape them and paint them to make masks, bowls, and musical instruments or just about anything the mind can imagine. Many of the specimens are for sale. In addition, there are workshops, food, entertainment and crafts. Featured this year are five talented music groups that will be performing using a variety of gourd instruments. Groups include The Oxford Gourd and Drum Ensemble from Oxford, Ohio; the Circle of Rhiannon Tribal Drum & Dance Troupe from Hamilton, Ohio; The Sirenz from Oxford, Ohio; Waldren Due from Butler County, Ohio and Phil Clark , a didgeridoo artist from Illinois. These groups will perform from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 24. 

Moving from the fairgrounds to downtown Greenville is the Lead the Way Tractor Cruise at 10:00 am on September 24. 

In downtown Greenville’s quaint, shopping district, the streetscape is buzzing with activity! The harvest is celebrated with festive scarecrow displays, chili cook-off and tasting, story time on the Courthouse lawn, fashion show, Farmers’ Market and a salsa cooking demonstration at KitchenAid Experience Center. 

The one place that may best tie A Harvest of Happenings together like no other is the Garst Museum & Annie Oakley Center. On Saturday, September 24, admission to Garst is free through The Smithsonian Museum. They are sponsoring National Museum Day across the United States. Check out their website for details and to print off the ticket for two free admissions,

The Garst Museum features the largest known collection of Annie Oakley memorabilia. The museum also showcases the rich history of this agricultural community by chronicling the 1795 Treaty of Green Ville’s impact on early American history and settlement. 

Whether it was the 1700’s, 1800’s or today, the fall harvest has always marked a time of celebration in American history. And like a variety of crops coming to market, A Harvest of Happenings brings autumn everything to whoever comes to Darke County September 24 and 25. 

Hours, admissions, itineraries and any information you need to plan your visit are available by calling 1-800-504-2995 or visiting www.VisitDarkeCounty.org.