Fall Fest celebrates small-town family, heritage and fun in autumn
STILLWATER On Saturday, Oct. 3 The Historical Society of Stillwater Township will hold its fourth annual Fall Festival. With the addition of some new events, including an apple pie baking competition and kids’ running races, the festival promises to rejoice in a Small Town, USA way. The annual Fall Festival helps the Historical Society raise funds to continue to preserve its museum and the town’s history. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stillwater School (904 Route 521) and will include activities for the entire family. There will be a hay maze and hay ride, (courtesy of Ed Chammings), along with crafters, home-made food, Mr. Hecht’s Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride, antique dealers, jewelry and artisan vendors, Rudy’s Pumpkin Patch, a scarecrow contest, the inaugural Stillwater Sprints running races for kids, the inaugural Fall Fest Apple Pie Baking Contest and more. This year’s festival directors are Chris and Mike Petrullo, Roy Knutsen and Deborah Drumm. Drumm is one of Historic Stillwater’s biggest fans. She owns a house on Main Street that dates back to the early days of Stillwater and she is passionate about preserving the town’s history through events such as the Fall Festival. “Stillwater Township is a great community and the residents are proud to have inherited the old schoolhouse to keep their history from the past alive,” Drumm said, “We want everyone to come out and enjoy our heritage so we can continue to grow as a community who work together for common pursuits.” She added, “The committee is dedicated to make this one the most fun, diverse and exciting the best ever.” With the festival falling in the heart of apple season, local bakers are challenged to bring their best pies to the table for judging with top prize being bragging rights and a day of luxurious pampering at a local salon. Festival-goers will then have the opportunity to sample the pies. The Stillwater Sprints will start at 3 p.m. There will be a number of categories for both boys and girls. There will be prizes for the winners of each race and other give-aways for all participants. The Village of Stillwater was founded in 1740 by Casper Schaeffer along with his father-in-law Peter Bernhardt and brother-in-law John George Wintermute. In 1977, a museum was established to honor and remember the history of this Sussex County hamlet and with it, the historical society was born. Since it’s inception, the mission of The Stillwater Township Historical Society has been to foster and promote an interest in the Stillwater area. They are looking for vendors, volunteers and sponsors for the Fall Festival. Please contact Deborah Drumm at 908-698-4143 or send e-mail to debdrumm@yahoo.com to participate as a vendor or volunteer, to become a sponsor, with any questions or to enter the apple pie baking competition.