As autumn approached, the laborers of the original Fort Nisqually would pull in the last of the crops. The “hock cart” would carry the last harvest, decorated in celebration of the bounty.
By whose tough labours, and rough hands,
We rip up first, then reap our lands.
Crowned with the ears of corn, now come,
And to the pipe sing harvest home.
On September 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors to Fort Nisqually can join in the celebration and experience the history of the harvest.
Harvest Home will feature cider pressing with apples harvested from the museum’s very own orchard, crafts for the whole family and samples from our period kitchen. Guests will help decorate the hock cart used for the final harvest of the year and witness the crowning of the Harvest King and Queen from amongst the museum’s teen volunteers.
For those with canning spirit, enter the Jam and Jelly Competition. Bring a small jar of your homemade jam or jelly for our judges to taste and see if you can “take the egg” or win the competition. Visitors can also help the museum build its own scarecrow to protect the museum’s gardens and crops through the fall.
Adult admission starts at $11. Youth, senior and family discounts are available. For more information, visit www.fortnisqually.org or call (253) 404-3970.
About Fort Nisqually Living History Museum:
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum is a restoration of the Hudson’s Bay Company outpost and headquarters of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company. Visitors travel back in time and experience life in Washington Territory during the 1850s. Ten buildings are open to the public, including the Granary and the Factors House, both National Historic Landmarks, and a Visitor Center with Museum Store.
