GEIGERTOWN PA – The apple dumplings were fresh and aromatic. Fires beneath cauldrons, filled with hand-made soups, glowed red-hot. Bargains awaited from vendors and flea market tables.
Even the weather Saturday, during the first of two days at the annual Hay Creek Apple Festival and Flea Market, could not have been better. There was plenty of sun, and pleasant temperatures.
The event was conducted, as it has been for decades, by the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association at Joanna Furnace, 1250 Furnace Rd., Geigertown PA. The association celebrated the festival’s 50th anniversary during the weekend.
Promotions and advertising promised rain-or-shine activities. It rained consistently Sunday, but the organization kept its word. It opened promptly at 7 a.m. for an apple pancake breakfast.
Unfortunately, the rain prompted the festival to close Sunday at 1 p.m., rather than at 3.
Guests and workers alike nonetheless seemed happy with the outcome. Visitors smiled. Volunteers were thanked, and appreciated for giving their all.
The association’s Board of Directors also offered a poignant observation on its Facebook page. “From grandparents sharing memories to neighbors gathering over delicious food, (community members) help keep these traditions alive. Your passion preserves our history and inspires future generations to learn, create, and carry it forward.”
“Thank you to everyone who joined us” this year, the board added.
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Apple Flavors, Fun, and History Combine
The apple festival was packed with people Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Among its prime attractions were food stalls, famous for staples like chicken pot pie soup and several other varieties. Those tasty dumplings or their alternative, apple crisp, also were in demand.
Those items may have been too popular. Several foods in highest demand sold out earlier than expected. Fortunately, the Apple Festival menu was full of other choices.
Several historic Joanna Furnace buildings also were open Saturday to visitors. They met with dressed-for-the-period interpreters who told the story of, and answered questions about, the 19th-century ironworks and village.
They also demonstrated the process of charcoal making, displayed actual Joanna Furnace stoves and products, as well as recovered archaeological artifacts.
Visitors were invited to see a brand new exhibit in the Blowing Engine House, too. It focuses on the Joanna Furnace hot-blast system, which was installed in 1888. It sent blasts of air into the furnace, stoking its temperature with the help of a 15’ Weimer blowing engine.
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