Children's programs to highlight living history farm grand opening

Herald-Tribune

Children of all ages will have a chance to step back in time at Poplar Heights Living History Farm in Bates County. The farm will have its grand opening celebration, Aug. 14-15. A series of special events for children will highlight this free event.

The Osage Spinners and Weavers Guild will be demonstrating old-time felting, spinning, material dyeing and weaving. Mary Limpus, of the Guild, will have a free class for children on Saturday afternoon, to make felted bead necklaces and candles. There will also be special looming demonstrations showing children items they can make just as their grandparents and great- grandparents might have made.

Hand milking of a dairy cow will be demonstrated and children can try milking Nadine, the wooden counterpart of a real cow. Also at the barnyard will be lambs, goats and chickens to meet. A Livery Stable at the farm will have stick horses available to take out for a ride. And a wagon pulled by Belgium draft horses will give rides around the farm fields.

There will be old-fashioned games: ring toss, hoop roll, walnut toss and more, along with a hay jump. Poplar Heights Farm staff and docents will have pockets full of sorghum suckers to pass out and Fat Bob's Kettle Corn has planned free handouts to children as well.

The Grand Opening Celebration will also feature demonstrations of broom making, blacksmithing, soap making, quilting, basket making and stone cutting. The Learning Center will have an exhibit on one-room school houses in Bates County, part of an on-going research project. The Main House, Threshing Barn, Summer Kitchen and Broom Corn Barn will be open for tours. Food vendors will have brisket sandwiches, potatoes, pie, pork rinds, homemade root beer and root beer floats and there will be sampling of heirloom vegetables from the gardens.

Admission to the event is free. There is plenty of parking available and much of the property is handicapped accessible, including the bathroom. Buses are welcome. The event runs Aug. 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To get to Poplar Heights Farm go east from Butler on H Highway to UU Highway, turn north and go 2 miles, turn east on County Road 5004 and go 1 mile. There will be signs.

For more information, call Poplar Heights Farm office at (660) 679-0764 or visit them online at www.poplarheightsfarm.org.