The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Waitsburg welcomes each fall with its traditional one-of-a-kind Pioneer Fall Festival. The festival, a celebration of local history, takes place the third Sunday of each September on the Bruce House Museum lawn.

The festival will open with an outdoor nondenominational church service on the Bruce Museum lawn at 11 a.m. Pioneers of the Year, siblings Velma Sickles and Delbert Mock will be recognized following the service.

After the ceremony, guests will travel back in time as they tour the museum campus where they can watch artisans demonstrate bygone skills such as blacksmithing, lace making, spinning, sack sewing, butter churning, wood carving, candle making, and more. Car enthusiasts will want to be sure and take in the vintage automobiles lining the street outside the museum.

Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy tours of the Victorian Bruce Museum which was taken over by the Waitsburg Historical Society in 1971 and restored by volunteers. The museum features historically accurate rooms filled with original furniture and décor and period antiques, many donated by local families. Musicians will perform in the museum parlor throughout the day.

The Wilson-Phillips House, located just behind the Bruce Museum will also be open for tours. The home currently features a Waitsburg Musical History Exhibit showcasing antique instruments, old sheet music, historic photos, and vintage WHS band and majorette uniforms.

Upstairs, the museum features several themed rooms, including a military room, a hat and dress room, and a sewing room.

Outside the Wilson-Phillips House, guests will want to take a look at the detailed replica of Wait's Mill, built by Kevin Blair and Paul Baumgart. The replica represents the mill that gave the city its name, as it would have looked shortly after it was built in 1865. The Wilson-Phillips garage also contains mill artifacts and memorabilia.

When it comes to entertainment, there will be plenty. Grandma & The Boys, Switchgrass, The Turners, and other local musical groups will perform throughout the afternoon on the main stage. For those who would rather play than listen, a bluegrass jam is open to all in front of the Wilson-Phillips House.

Visitors can enjoy horse drawn wagon rides, old-fashioned children's games and arts and crafts demonstrations. The Second Annual Pie-oneer Pie Baking Contest begins at 12:30 and the popular vintage fashion show will take place at 2:30 p.m. on the Bruce House lawn.

Times File Photo

The vintage fashion show is a highlight of Waitsburg's Pioneer Fall Festival.

There will be plenty of food available as well, including The Q Barbeque specialties, gumbo from the Whoop 'Em Up Café, L&B Kitchen's wheatberry chili, and ice cream, coffee, and pastries offered by local groups.

The Pioneer Fall Festival is hosted by the Waitsburg Historical Society as a service to the community.

Main Stage Entertainment:

12:15-12:45 Grandma & The Boy

12:45-1:00 Waitsburg Quartet

1:00-1:30 Pie Auction/Blueprint

1:30-2:00 Jimmye Turner & Friends

2:00-2:15 Cowboy Poetry & Music

2:30-3:00 Vintage Style Show

3:00-4:00 Switchgrass