Marietta played a major role in the pig iron industry, and that history will be spotlighted at the 18th annual Pig Iron Fest. This year's festival, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 30, will offer three events in one, combining the Pig Iron Fest with a car show and Dog Fest. The main location of the festivities will be Community Bible Church, 331 Anderson Ferry Road, Marietta, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"For the Pig Iron Fest, we wanted to get as many local restoration people involved as we could," said Gary Schatz, a member of the Donegal Rotary Club, which is organizing the event. "We have people who have a lot of experience with the history of this area." Lenny Droege will conduct walking tours of the Marietta Iron Furnace Park. "We'll be running a shuttle from the church to the furnace area," Schatz noted. Droege will lead visitors through the Musselman-Vesta Iron Furnace Center, which tells the history of the timber, iron and railroad industries in the area through displays, artifacts and an HO-scale diorama of the iron furnace. Participants will also be able to visit the Donegal and Marietta No. 1 furnaces, weather permitting. The shuttle will take visitors by the historical homes of Henry Watts and Henry Musselman, both iron masters of the mid-1800s, before returning to the church grounds.

The car show portion of the event is open to all makes and models of cars and motorcycles. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on the day of the event, and trophies will be awarded at approximately 2 p.m.

Two food trucks - Spud Muffin and Kurtz Concessions - will be on-site for the festival, Tim Rinard will provide musical entertainment throughout the day and Steve Bailey will set up a photo display. A Kids Zone will feature pumpkin painting, hayrides and other activities.

"We'll have Miss Jan from the Milanof-Schock Library there, and she'll be doing story readings," Schatz said. "The kids' activities are always very popular."

The Dog Fest portion of the festivities will highlight furry friends, with ribbons awarded to every registered dog. "Dog Fest is a fundraiser for local rescues," Schatz shared, explaining that the second annual event was rained out in May, so organizers decided to add it to the Pig Iron festivities. Pet-focused vendors will be on hand, and an area will be set up for people who would like to show off any special tricks or skills their dog can do. Local K-9 officer Sarge will also offer demonstrations.

Attendees are asked to bring a food item for the Community Care Center, a ministry of Community Bible Church, and proceeds from the festivities will benefit maintenance of the Musselman-Vesta building, local fire and police departments and local food banks.

"It's going to be a fun day with so many things to do," Schatz said. "You can pick one of the three events that appeals to you, or you can do all of them. It's going to be a great time for everyone."

The event is sponsored by the Donegal Rotary Club, Community Bible Church and East Donegal Township. For more information, visit https://donegalrotary.com or search for "Pig Iron Fest and Dog Fest" on Facebook.