NEW EVENT: Five Rivers MetroParks to host ‘Small Farm & Food Fest’ this weekend

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/Jessica Hansbauer

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/Jessica Hansbauer

Five Rivers MetroParks will host a new food-focused event this weekend

The Small Farm & Food Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at Carriage Hill MetroPark, 7800 E. Shull Road in Huber Heights. It is a free, all-ages event that will promote healthy eating and sustainable living, and it will feature with dozens of hands-on activities, a pop-up farmers market, demonstrations, speakers and other activities.

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Small Farm & Food Fest will offer a mix of modern-day and historical farming, as well as gardening and food-preparation tips.

Here is a sampling of the events:

• Historical demonstrations and workshops that will explore sustainable home practices such as heirloom gardening, canning, milling, soap making and wool spinning;

• Draft-horse demonstrations, and an opportunity to visit farm animals at the Historical Farm;

• A pop-up farmers market that will feature local growers and artisans;

• Speaking sessions that will explore topics such as gardening, home sustainability, bee and chicken keeping, and meal preparation.

• Tractor-pulled wagon rides and other kid-focused activities such as heirloom gardening, butter-making, sewing, weaving, spinning and making fresh lemonade.

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“Visitors can look forward to an entire day of fun activities and leave with a new understanding of local foods and the importance of local farmers,” Rick Musselman, MetroParks Historical Farm supervisor, said in a release. “People will also learn skills from the past that can help them today.”

Corn and potatoes cooked by a historical steam engine will be available for purchase, in addition to food from Tin Roof Mobile Foods, Cumberland Kettle Corn and Rolling Oasis Treats Truck during the event. Festival-goers also will enjoy live music from noon to 4 p.m. at Carriage Hill’s Visitors Center.

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For more information on Five Rivers MetroParks' Small Farm & Food Fest, go to metroparks.org/farmfest.

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