History Comes to Life at Beaver Creek Nature Area

BRANDON, S.D. - Fiddlers, homestead living, pioneer farming, Civil War soldiering, pioneer crafts and outdoor cooking will greet visitors to Beaver Creek Nature Area near Brandon on Sunday, Sept. 12.

From 1 to 4 p.m. CDT, the park will host the 32nd Annual Homesteader Day Harvest Festival. The event attracts thousands of visitors of all ages each year who want a taste of homestead life and pioneer living history.

According to District Park Supervisor Marty DeWitt, the afternoon’s activities showcase what life was like when the prairies of Dakota Territory were settled.

“For many people, especially younger folks, all they know about life more than 100 years ago is what they read in books or see in the movies,” DeWitt said. “At the Homesteader Day Harvest Festival, we give them a chance to experience first-hand the sights, sounds and smells of that bygone era.”

Visitors can watch teams of horses go about the tasks of plowing, cultivating, seeding and harvesting the old fashioned way. Visitors can also listen to the music of the South Dakota Old Time Fiddlers and take part in homestead crafts like candle and rope making, Dutch oven cooking, and butter making.

Other demonstrations will include spinning and weaving, wood carving, chair caning, corn shelling and pioneer games. The 13th Infantry will be on-hand to give visitors a glimpse of what it was like to be a soldier during the Civil War; the Silver Creek Mavericks, a cowboy reenactment group, will share the stories of the early cowboys on the prairie. Food and refreshments will be available on site.

DeWitt added that it is satisfying to hear the conversations and comments from the “old-timers” who reminisce about their experiences growing up during those challenging times.

“We’ve learned a lot over the years from those who actually lived this pioneer life, and are happy to show us how things were really done,” he said.

The historic 1870s Samuelson homestead cabin will also be open for viewing, including a display of farming tools and cabin furnishings.

“The cabin gives folks a better sense of what it was like to live in a remote log cabin at the turn of the century,” DeWitt said.

New for this year will be a traveling exhibit from the South Dakota State Historical Society, entitled “Drawn to the Land: Homesteading Dakota,” which tells the story of the homesteading experience in the early Dakotas.

Admission to the Homesteader Day Harvest Festival is free. The event is made possible by the support of the Siouxland Heritage Museums, the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and many dedicated volunteers.

Beaver Creek Nature Area is located southeast of Brandon, one-half mile west of the intersection of 484th Avenue and 264th Street. For additional information, contact Palisades State Park at 605-594-3824. For additional information on South Dakota State Parks, visit www.gfp.sd.gov or call 605-773-3391.

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