In a tiny township not far away, a well organized group of history lovers gathers every fall to present the surrounding communities with Pioneer Days. The event is put on by seasoned reenactors as well as local volunteers and even a few families who live today in the manner of yesterday.
Fall seems to me like a great time to discover history, and one of the neatest things about an event like this is being surrounded by people who really care about our past and its preservation. The reenactors are there to spend the weekend living in the world of over 100 years ago, and it is fascinating to watch them do it. Sure they're putting on a show, but it's not a start, stop, rewind, replay show like in a museum, it's a whole weekend long show, and if you stop by and see them cooking in the morning that's because they are already starting the meal they will actually eat later that night. Most reenactors are plenty happy to share information about their activities and the world in which they (are pretending to) live, while a few would rather be left alone to the living itself, teaching onlookers merely by doing.
These local, historical society organized events can be a great place to really touch, smell, hear, and believe history.
From watching the shearing of sheep, to the carding of the wool, to the spinning, and then to the booth where you can by the yarn.
Churn the butter, and taste some that was finished earlier while you're at it, then go inside and see how that butter is being used to start dinner.
Help shred cabbage for the making of sauerkraut...
help collect, clean, and press apples, then taste the cider...
Then go for a hay ride—and not just any hay ride, but a ride through the still active farm fields that belonged to the family that lived in the house you've been visiting. This is the ride the workers would have made to look over the crops, and to bring stores from the barn.
Then go around the corner to the one room school house that the children from the farm would have attended.
That's living history.
