The Hay Creek Valley Historical Association (HCVHA) will present the 47th annual Hay Creek Festival on Friday through Sunday, Sept. 8 through 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at historic Joanna Furnace. The event will feature demonstrations of traditional crafts, children's activities, festival foods, a display of antique vehicles and more.

The festival timeline will highlight the 18th- and 19th-century iron-making community from the beginning of the furnace's operation in 1791 up to the 1950s. "The Hay Creek Festival is truly a one-of-a-kind living history adventure," said Mark Zerr, HCVHA executive director.

Highlights of the festival will include open fire cooking and bake oven demonstrations, a contemporary craft market, living history presentations, a display of vintage Industrial Revolution-era working equipment, threshing demonstrations, a working sawmill, a display of steam engines and tractors, folk music presentations and Civil War and World War II encampments.

Visitors will also be able to tour the Joanna Furnace buildings. A 22-minute introductory video on the history of Joanna Furnace will take place each hour in the blowing engine house.

The Tri-County Heritage Library, which the HCVHA acquired in 2021, will have a special exhibit at the festival. "Each year, our library does a different exhibition at the mule stable," said Zerr, noting that last year's exhibit featured quilts. "This year, we will focus on the collection we received from the Florence (Flo) Williams estate, including one or two spinning wheels."

According to Zerr, Williams was an educator and Civil War re-enactor. She also accumulated more than 40 spinning wheels of various types during her life and demonstrated the early American craft of spinning and dyeing wool. Her demonstrations included donning period dress and teaching others about spinning and its role in Colonial America. Festival visitors will see her "walking wheel" on display, as well as period re-enacting garb and her personal artifacts.

Children's activities will include candle and papermaking, early American games and Civil War marching and drilling. Children should pick up their "chores list" at the festival gate, which will feature all the hands-on activities at the event. Upon completion of a variety of tasks, children will be rewarded with a free wagon ride.

Festival food available throughout the weekend will include chicken potpie, hamburgers, hot dogs, turkey and roast beef sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, Mabel's open-fire cooked soups, breads, hand-dipped ice cream, funnel cakes, french fries and baked goods. Freshly pressed apple cider will be made daily in the Joanna Furnace cider mill.

Joanna Furnace is located at 1250 Furnace Road, Geigertown. Parking on Sept. 8 will be on the festival grounds. Free continuously running shuttle buses will be available on Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sept. 10 only at Weaver's Orchard, 40 Fruit Lane, Morgantown.

An admission fee will be charged. There will be separate prices for adults and children ages 6 to 12. Children age 5 and younger will be admitted for free. For more information, visit http://www.haycreek.org.