June 9, 2008

The community is invited to come and enjoy a Farmers and Friends Picnic at Walker Tavern Historic Site Sunday, June 29. The full day of free family events is modeled after a community picnic held in the Irish Hills in 1908. There will be vintage baseball, old-time games, a farmers' market and a potluck lunch. The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. at Walker Tavern, located at the crossroads of U.S.12 and M-50. Just like in 1908, admission is free and worth twice the price.

The first of a series of annual community events was called the Businessmen's Picnic and was held in 1907 in Brooklyn, according to an account in "Round the Square," published by the Brooklyn Area Historical Society in 1981. It was the highlight of the summer for the Brooklyn community. The custom of getting together to share food, fellowship and fun continued for over 25 years at different sites around the Irish Hills area, including Walker Tavern. Since 1935, there have been no more published mentions of this community picnic that was at various times called the Farmers' Picnic, the Businessmen's Picnic, and the Businessmen's and Farmers' Picnic. Perhaps the event was dropped because of the Depression. An account of the 1922 picnic states that it drew a crowd of nearly 1,500 and featured a baseball game between the farmers and the businessmen.

Those coming to the 2008 Farmers and Friends Picnic will be able to play some of the games that were played at the first community picnic over 100 years ago. Between 10 and 11:30 a.m., there will be foot races, contests of skill (including a watermelon seed spitting contest) and a tug-of-war. Families and friends of all ages are welcome to participate.

The weekly Walker Farmers' Market will be open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with fresh produce and locally produced crafts. This is the second year for the market, which attracts several hundred shoppers to the site each Sunday.

There will be a potluck picnic from 11:30 to 12:30. Each family is encouraged to bring a dish to pass as well as a place setting and drinks for each person. The Friends of Walker Tavern will provide grilled hot dogs and all the fixings. The Friends will also sell water and Walker Tavern root beer. The Friends of Walker Tavern is a non-profit, volunteer group that raises funds to support the educational and preservation activities of Walker Tavern.

The Walker Wheels BBC, Walker Tavern's new vintage baseball team, will play its first home game at 1 p.m. They will play without mitts on a grassy, unimproved lot by the rules that were used in pre-Civil War games. For example, the ball is allowed to bounce once before counted as an out. There are a number of vintage base ball teams - often sponsored by historic societies and museums - playing now in Michigan and Ohio, combining the sport of baseball with historic re-enanactment and theater. The Walker Wheels will face the Hartwick Pines Swampers in their opening game. With competition between the two teams expected to be fierce, the Wheels hope to be cheered on by local fans.

Schedule of Events:

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Walker Farmers Market
10-11:30 a.m. - Old-time games
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Potluck picnic
1 p.m. - Vintage base ball - the Wheels vs. the Swampers

Walker Tavern is part of the Michigan Historical Museum System and is jointly administered by the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Walker Tavern Historic Site is located next to the Michigan International Speedway in the Irish Hills, just 35 miles west of Ann Arbor. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday through Aug. 31.

For more information, call (517) 467-4401 or visit www.michigan.gov/walkertavern.

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