Fall on the Farm a celebration of culture and history

More than 2,000 people showed up to Fall on the Farm, an annual celebration hosted by the Mennonite Heritage Village.

“It was a beautiful day,” interim executive director Robert Goertzen said of the Monday event.

He credits the crowds to the favourable weather, the fact that it’s the last weekend before school resumes and their partnership with Eastman Immigrant Services.

That partnership began in 2020, when Summer in the City was cancelled due to COVID restrictions.

That year, Mennonite Heritage Village welcomed the cultural components typically home to Summer in the City, to Fall on the Farm, and they’ve never looked back.

“It’s still a pioneer harvest festival, those parts are still there,” he said.

But the addition of new cultural events and food have led to larger crowds and a more exciting festival.

This year people could watch pioneer demonstrations such as hog butchering, horse powered activities thanks to the Southeast Manitoba Draft Horse Association, flour milling, steam tractor threshing, sawmill demonstrations, guided tours of the village or learn more about their family history.

Visitors could enjoy familiar favourites such as waffles and vanilla sauce, rollkuchen and watermelon, and schnetje and stoneground wheat bread with jam.

But they could also enjoy Chinese street food, Filipina food, and food from Paraguay, Columbia and Nigeria.

They also had a full afternoon on their cultures stage which featured Fiji Band, Island Breeze Manitoba, Punjabi Folk Dance, Mason Hoop Dancers, Ukie Fusion Band, Paraguayan Harp, Ukrainian Singers, Red Lotus Korean Dance and Trio Bembe Band.

With more than 100 volunteers working to keep things moving, Goertzen said they were pleased with the event.