Squeeze in time for McHenry Co. Cider Festival

On Sunday Oct. 5, the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union, 6422 Main St., is hosting its annual Cider Festival. This year marks the 31st year. The free Cider Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the museum grounds fills up with displays of antique tractors organized by the McHenry County Antique Farm Equipment Association.

The tractors, which help chronicle agricultural history, are part of a day filled with activities of bygone times. In 19th and early 20th Century McHenry County, such things as barn raising, cider pressing, broom making, quilting and spinning would have filled the lives of the rural folks calling this area home.

The festival offers a glimpse into that earlier world. The society's 1895 West Harmony one room school will be open, complete with schoolteacher.

Stepping back even earlier, visitors can enter the 1843 Gannon log cabin. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Charlie B and Friends will entertain visitors with accordion music. At noon volunteers plan to raise a 12' x 8' x 8' timber frame barn showing how massive timbers fit together without hammer and nails. Audience participation will be welcomed.

At 1 p.m. the antique tractors make their annual parade through Union before entering into various contests in front of the museum on Main Street.

Throughout the day the museum's antique apple press will be put into use creating the apple cider that autumn continues to be known for.

The society's award winning local history museum, containing an exhibit titled "Arrival - the 1920s," will be open free that day. This exhibit ends when the museum closes for the season at the end of October. Inside visitors can watch quilting demonstrations and purchase homemade apple baked goodies. In addition to all this, the society will open its next door annex for white elephant, used books, and antique clothing sales. Food and Kettle Corn will be available

The Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide the methods and means of presenting McHenry County history to enrich life. To contact the society for information or membership, call (815) 923-2267 or visit the Web site at www.mchsonline.org.