Herb Festival Moves To Millersville

The Herb Festival has been a traditional event for the Conestoga Herb Guild for a number of years. The organization, which has been meeting for about 40 years, did not hold the Herb Festival in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, but this year the event is back with a new location. The festival has been previously held in Leola and at Boettcher House in Manheim Township.

The 2021 Herb Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Millersville VFW Post, 219 Walnut Hill Road, Millersville. There is plenty of free parking and no charge to visit the Herb Festival.

Organizers of the festival design it to celebrate all things herbal with speakers on herb-related topics, displays, and demonstrations. This year's theme will be "Getting Back to Nature." As in the past, there will be a Christmas Corner and a table featuring gently used items to repurpose and recycle. Basket-making demonstrations will be held as well.

Additional displays will include fresh herbs, succulents, wreaths, bath products, dried herbs, and possibly cat and dog treats. Natural beauty products, medicinal salves, and insect repellants will be offered for purchase, along with herbal aroma therapy, fresh and dried bouquets, potted plants, and potted herbs, and herbal vinegars. Guild president and festival coordinator Deidre Remollino will bring herbal bath bags filled with dried roses and mint, various sizes of herbal of bath bombs, herbal soaps, and handmade items.

Organizers of the Herb Festival always seek to educate attendees about the herb of the year. This year, the herb is parsley. In addition to an educational display board, organizers plan to offer food samples made with parsley. Guild member Susan Atkins noted that parsley is a natural detoxing agent. Other food items will include a variety of herbal beverage samples and fresh baked goods, including guild member Phoebe Oellig's basil orange sugar cookies. Jellies and jams will also be available for purchase.

The guild uses the funds raised by the event to purchase books on the subject of herbs to donate to local libraries, to engage educational guest speakers, and to aid local nonprofit organizations.

The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month 10 months of the year at 6:30 p.m. at the Millersville VFW building. Remollino noted that guild members are grateful to the VFW members for allowing them to meet there.

Club membership is limited. Readers who are interested in learning about guild membership may call Susan Atkins at 717-725-7451. Individuals with questions about the guild or the 2021 Herb Festival 2021 may search for "Conestoga Herb Guild" on Facebook.