The Mennobrarian

Our Day at the Fair

Every year we look forward to attending the annual Pennsylvania-German festival in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is a lot of fun, the people are very nice, and it's a wonderful celebration of our PA Dutch culture. The vendors at the event sell delicious, authentic food, and the festival is home to the largest quilt sale in the country. All the quilts are certified as made locally, and are displayed in an enormous barn. It is fun just to look!

We have come to recognize our favorite crafts people who sell their wares, and our favorite destinations at the fair, such as the farmer's market and the antique market.  My husband likes the old steam engines and farm machinery, while I like to shop the antique linens and try to catch snippets of people speaking the PA dutch language (which I understand far better than actually speak, nowadays).

It is always a very hot day, and a good excuse to drink all of the homemade root beer, birch beer, and lemonade that is available.

I always enjoy the petting zoo...



This llama didn't care for me too much.


At the antique market, my husband found an old carpentry book that he will actually use, and I found some old feed sack cloth.

These were too pretty to have once held chicken feed! I don't have any specific plans for them yet, but I know they will become something special. Seeing how cute the patterns are, it doesn't make you feel bad for people who complained that their mother made clothing from it.

On the Table: Delicious food from the fair: Lebanon bologna, swiss cheese, pickled cabbage, chow chow, kettle corn, and fudge.

In the Garden: We picked our first green bell pepper over the weekend, and put in some mature cayenne pepper plants. Also, some silver queen corn seedlings as an experiment. We are fast running out of space in the garden plot, so we may be container gardening from here on out. My front porch is littered with peppers in pots, cucumbers, and even one last tomato plant.

On the Nightstand: Sundays in America: A Year Long Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith

Kutztown and Memories

11:59, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by Fantine

I remember as a child going every year to the Kutztown Folk Festival with my grandparents. It was something we looked forward to every year! Your post brought back wonderful, wonderful memories!

We have a beautiful book called "Sunday in America" (75 photographers celebrate faith and family), which contains beautiful images of faith in America and some accompanying essays.

Great post!! E

***Thanks for sharing in the memories. When we go to the fair, it's always surprising how many people come from miles around and make it a family tradition.****

Edited by Mennobrarian on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at 10:07

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12:03, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by Schatzi

Oh how exciting...wish I was there....sounds like you had a great time....love the photos too.

Blessings,

Connie

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02:20, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by Kitty

Oh my word, that does sound nice. We have fairs and such here, but nothing like yours. I would love go to something like that. The quilts, oh the quilts, I would love to see them all hung in a barn like that. To have a handmade Amish quilt is one of my dreams, LOL. I dream big don't I? .........Kitty

***Hi Kitty...I was watching the sales in the barn and noticed the fancier ones were going quicker than the traditional Amish ones. They were all lovely.****

Edited by Mennobrarian on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 02:02

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03:46, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by AndreaG

Oooh, I wish we had something like that here! I'd love to go! Those sack cloths are beautiful. Please let us know what you decide to do with them.

Andrea G

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04:55, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427

Oh this sounds like great fun Monica!!! And those feed sacks are really pretty!!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

mmmm....

07:10, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by missourimom

Lebanon bologna... My husband's family live in NJ, but they were born and raised Mennonite in Eastern PA. His mom still goes shopping there and brings back Lebanon bologna, and I love it! Maybe I should drop some hints to her for when we visit in July.....

***Check your messages, I want to know who your in-laws are!***

Edited by Mennobrarian on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at 08:22

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10:16, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I found your blog a couple of days ago, and love reading it. I love to read, and an hour in the library is wonderful to me. I can't imagine actually working there, how fun! I have a book you should check out sometime, one of my personal favorites- How to Live on Almost Nothing and Have Plenty by Janet Chadwick.
Christine

***Thanks, Christine. Welcome!***

Edited by Mennobrarian on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at 10:08

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02:59, Wednesday, July 2, 2008 .. Posted by Titus2Woman

What a FUN day it sounds like you had. Thank you ever so much for sharing it with the rest of us. You are too kind.

God bless you~ Andrea

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01:02, Wednesday, July 2, 2008 .. Posted by haflinger

Oh Monica I just love that fair and its always alot of fun.What color and print is the feed sack material? Do you have a recipe for birch beer??
Glad u and hubby had a good time..
Thanks for sharing..
Blessings Sister Brenda

Hi

12:05, Friday, July 4, 2008 .. Posted by MyThreeDaughters

Brenda, that is it. It looks really soft. There were a lot of things nice that were given away then, like refrigerator dishes.