Students get sneak preview of Heritage display

About 100 elementary school students will get a preview tomorrow of antique farming equipment that will be displayed at the 31st annual Lanesville Heritage Weekend festival.
The festival officially takes place Friday through Sunday, but in addition to the school field trip, an extra tractor pull is scheduled for Thursday night.
Joan Schickel, publicity chair, said the students, about 80 from Lanesville Elementary and another 20 from St. John’s Lutheran, will have the opportunity to see steam engines, lime crushers, threshing machines, corn shredders, horse-drawn equipment, a saw mill and much more.
‘This 19th century farming equipment will not be demonstrated to these students, but they will be given the history of how the various peculiar-looking pieces of farm equipment helped their ancestors make a living on the farm,’ she said.
Much of the equipment will be demonstrated Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most of the events are free; there are just a few exceptions. And a free shuttle service runs between parking areas and the festival grounds.
Demonstrations during the weekend include threshing, saw mill, shingle mill, shredding, stationary baling, cider mill, apple butter, sorghum and soap making, weaving, quilting, blacksmith, and draft horse and mule field teams.
In addition to the antique machinery, there will be a princess and queen pageant, an amateur fiddler’s contest, a hot air balloon glow and race (weather permitting), parade, tractor and truck pull, a farm toy show, antique tractor games, horseshoe pitching contest, log sawing contest, pedal tractor pull, music, and lots of opportunities to eat. And shop.
Food and craft booths open Friday at noon, as does the Farm Toy Show. Fike’s Fiesta Rides start operating this day also.
Friday evening, beginning at 6 p.m., is the princess pageant followed by the queen pageant. Admission is $1 per person.
Queen contestants, all of whom attend Lanesville Junior-Senior High School, are:
Olivia Blank, 17, junior, daughter of Darin and Jennifer Blank;
Andrea Brown, 17, senior, daughter of Travis and Jessica Brown;
Beth Glomb, 16, junior, daughter of Ken and Chris Glomb;
Kayla Kaufer, 17, senior, daughter of Mark Kaufer and Jeanie Walter;
Megan Leffler, 18, senior, daughter of Gary and Connie Leffler;
Rachel Rivers, 16, junior, daughter of Cherie Walter;
Sara Schmelz, 15, sophomore, daughter of Dan and Robin Schmelz;
Cady Wolfe, 17, junior, daughter of Tom and Marianne Will; and
Meagan Wolfe, 17, senior, daughter of Virginia Jansa and Tony Wolfe.
Contestants are judged on interviews, talent and evening gown.
Also Friday evening, at 7, is the truck pull (weigh-in begin two hours earlier), and at 8 is the amateur fiddlers’ contest. There are two categories: those up to 16 years of age, and those older than 16.
The balloon glow, weather permitting, begins at 9 p.m. The race takes place Saturday night at 6.
Saturday’s activities begin at 8 a.m. with breakfast and an eight-mile run, followed by a five-mile walk at 8:10 and a two-mile Fun Run at 8:15.
The annual parade begins at 1 p.m. on the west side of town and travels east on Main Street to the entrance of the park.
Another truck pull, as well as a tractor pull, begins at 5 p.m. (weigh-ins start at 3).
The last day of the festival begins with breakfast at 8 a.m. and a worship service from 9 to 9:30 a.m.
At 11 a.m., the antique tractor games begin. Other activities this day include the horseshoe pitching contest at noon, the log sawing contest and music by ‘The Traditional Sounds,’ both at 1 p.m., and the antique farm machinery parade at 3:30 p.m.
For the youngsters, there will be a pedal tractor pull at 2 p.m. (registration begins at 1 p.m.) There is a $1 registration fee.
A cash giveaway concludes the festival at 5:30 p.m.