24th Old Mill Harvest Festival is Sunday
The Historic Preservation Society of Dundee (Formerly the Old Mill Museum Association) is hosting its 24th annual Harvest Festival Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Old Mill Museum, just off M-50.

The craft fair, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., features demonstrations and juried crafts as well as many lost arts.

This is an earlier date for the festival, which in the past has been held in October.

Highlights of the crafting areas include woodcarving, lace making, rug hooking, crocheting, knitting, quilting, and broom-tying.

Also featured are theorem painting, quilling, decorated gourds, jewelry, miniatures, porcelain painting, honey, seasonal decorations and folk art furniture.

Extensive Monroe County genealogical material will be available.

Festivalgoers will be asked to judge the Please Be Seated chair contest. Decorated chairs, some elaborate, some fanciful, some functional, will be on display.

The chairs will be the creations of children and adults. The winners will be selected by visitors in different categories for children and adults.

Outdoors, the Bear Clan Women’s Society will camp along the River Raisin. They will be setting up their encampment on Friday. The public is invited to watch and help set up teepees and other lodges.

On Saturday night, as campfires glow along the riverbanks, the public may join in a drumming and singing ceremony.

On Sunday the clan members will tell stories, trade goods and show how mountain men, native peoples and their families lived in the early years of the county.

They will be baking sample foods over an open fire— fry bread, bannock break, corn soup, and elderberry jelly. Visitors to the Makwa Reservation will meet characters such as Two Knives, Three Feathers and Deep Tracker.

Also in the park will be an area set up by the Buffalo Soldiers historic group, more crafts, a bake sale, children’s games, a produce stand, and musical entertainment. Featured this year are the County Friends String Band and Charlene Berry and her dulcimer.

The Historic Preservation Society will be serving food all day including biscuits and gravy, and a chicken dinner starting at noon.

There also will be a raffle drawing.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Parking is free. For information contact the Old Mill Museum at 734-529-8596.

The museum, located at 242 Toledo Street, is open every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from noon until 4 p.m.

The Old Mill Museum’s website is found on the internet at: dundeeoldmill.com.