Sept. 27, 2007

Step back in time and enjoy games, crafts and activities from a bygone era as the Michigan Historical Museum celebrates Michigan harvest traditions on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The Michigan Harvest Celebration will feature a variety of old-fashioned fall activities, including the opportunity to:

• join in a corn-shelling competition or hay bale toss;  
• sample a variety of Michigan heritage apples provided by Roger Miller Orchards (noon to 3 p.m.);
• carve an old-fashioned apple-head doll, make a cornhusk doll or try the art of tin punch;
• play old-fashioned games;
• watch the woodcarver, blacksmith and other craftspeople at work; and
• enjoy traditional music, storytelling, refreshments and more.

Admission is free. Donations are appreciated and help support education programs and special events.

"For families eager to experience 'Pure Michigan' traditions and make the most of a Saturday afternoon, the Michigan Historical Museum is the place to be," said Phil Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System. "Everyone has worked hard to ensure that the Michigan Harvest Celebration will be a memory-making day! Thanks to the Michigan Apple Committee - which has provided recipe cards, coloring sheets, magnets and more - visitors will get a true taste of Michigan this weekend."

The Michigan Harvest Celebration is sponsored by the Michigan Historical Museum, the Michigan Historical Museum Docent Guild, the Michigan Apple Committee and the Michigan Historical Center Foundation. For more information, please contact Tami Averill, curator of education, at (517) 241-4060 or averillt@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission and weekend parking are free.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/museum.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).