LANSING, Mich. — Fenner Nature Center invites everyone to share in the traditions and time-tested arts tied to the fall season and its bountiful harvest. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 19 and 20, this FREE family-friendly event will celebrate Michigander cultural and natural history with hands-on demonstrations from heritage artisans, cider pressing, crosscut sawing, pioneer games and, of course, apple butter cooked over the fire.
Festival-goers can take part in these traditions, gathering as a community around the giant copper kettle, helping local “celebrity stirrers,” like Carolyn Bloodworth representing the event’s sponsor Consumers Energy, to stir the apple butter as it cooks over the fire.
“Cooking apple butter is more art than science, with different recipes, different stirring methods and even different recommended types of apples” said Fenner Conservancy event manager Alexa Seeger. “At our annual Apple Butter Festival, we’ll be cooking with the recipe we’ve used for 46 years, but the process of cooking apple butter isn’t the only art we celebrate at this free, family friendly event.”
Local musicians will play one-hour sets, in styles ranging from folk and Americana to pop-ukulele. Heritage artisans like the Capital Area Lace Makers, the Greater Lansing Potters Guild, the Capitol City Quilt Guild and Soulful Earth Herbals will invite visitors to participate as they showcase their trades.
Volunteers from Consumers Energy, the 46th Apple Butter Festival event sponsor, will help visitors craft their own wind-powered, biodegradable pinwheel toy while explaining the history of clean energy.
“What a privilege it is to be part of this festival that brings to life a nostalgic era that is reminiscent of Consumers Energy’s roots when we were bringing electricity to farms across Michigan 130 years ago,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, Consumers Energy’s executive director of corporate giving. “The Apple Butter Festival is a favorite event for the dozens of employees who volunteer to help make taking part in historic cultural activities a fun-filled tradition for many modern Michigan families.”
To volunteer at the festival or for additional information, contact Fenner Nature Center at 517-483-4224 or www.MyNatureCenter.org.
Fenner Nature Center is located at 2020 E. Mt. Hope Ave., just East of Aurelius Rd. in Lansing. Parking is free, with a $5 suggested donation.
Want to check out other events around our town? Visit the FOX47News Website.
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