WAITSBURG-Hundreds of people visited the Waitsburg Pioneer Fall Festival on Sunday, 18 September, following a two-year hiatus due to COVID protocols. Early morning rain showers caused some concerns, stopped just before noon and the afternoon was ideal for the event.

Local artisans sold hand-forged bottle openers and coatracks, handspun woolen products, hand-dipped candles, quilting products, and handmade jewelry. Food vendors served the favorite fare of bison burgers, brats, baked goods, ice cream, and soup, proceeds of which went to local charities, including the Waitsburg Historical Society, Relay for Life, and the Lions Club.

The festivalgoers wandered through the freshly painted Bruce Mansion and peered through the museum pieces in the old carriage house. The annual event provides a solid reminder of how innovative and tough the people who first settled this area were.

It is also enjoyable looking through documents and photos at the school museum, trying to pair the surnames of students from the early 1900s with families living here today or the roads or places that may share their names. The "Old Haunted Mill" model is bittersweet as a sad reminder of what was lost and what could have been had it not burned down years ago.

The mainstage events included the morning Community Church Service, a vintage-style fashion show, followed by an afternoon of music from eight local performers from Lowden to Dayton. The acapella women's choir BluePrint started the day at noon, followed by the family band Coyote Gulch, and Dr. Kyle Terry and Robert Walsh wrapped up the late afternoon. The seating on the grass under the fir trees was nearly full during the event.

The highly anticipated pie baking contest and auction revealed all the favorites of apple and berry pies with a bit of rhubarb here and there. Some unusual but tasty entries included a grape and green tomato pie and one with particularly interesting rosemary accents. This year's proceeds will benefit the Waitsburg Parks and Rec pool program.

The Fall Festival is never complete without antique cars and transportation to experience. Visitors enjoyed the horse-drawn wagon that toured through the town. Around a dozen cars, ranging from Model Ts to 1960s classics, lined up in front of the mansion. This was a different experience than other car shows as people did not mind if you got close to the car to remember the old times.

The fall event is always a good time to get together with friends, family, and neighbors, listen to live music, remember some of the good old days, benefit local charities and vendors, and celebrate Waitsburg and her people.