Kalona

The Kalona Fall Festival is right around the corner, with the 54-year-old tradition returning next week to the Kalona Historical Village.

The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Festivalgoers can enjoy homemade pies, kettle corn, apple fritters, fresh apple butter, ice cream and many other treats.

There will also be plenty of activities for children, including pony rides, face painting and puppet shows. With activities for people of all ages, the festival offers something for the entire family.

Eulenspiegel Puppets will present two shows each day in the Agriculture Building. Friday’s performances will begin at 1 and 6 p.m., while Saturday’s shows will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

For the second consecutive year, visitors can tour the gambrel barn. They can also see the village’s new rail car exhibit, which opened in April following a project that took several years to complete.

During the opening ceremony in April, Kalona Historical Village Director Nancy Roth explained the work that went into creating the exhibit.

“We met twice a week—once with the larger group and once locally—to compile information and shape the exhibit,” Roth said. “We spent a lot of time discussing what we wanted people to understand when they saw this display, going through multiple rounds of edits and improvements before everything was finalized. It was a long process, and a lot of thought went into every part of the exhibit.”

The barn will feature a variety of animals that visitors can pet, including goats, sheep, rabbits and ducks.

As in previous years, the village’s 12 historic pioneer buildings and museum exhibits will be open for tours.

The festival will also feature several live demonstrations and presentations, including the 1800s Peg Barn Building presentation, the Old Printing Press, broom and rope making, chair caning and corn shelling, weaving and spinning, the Amish Quilt Gallery and the Conscientious Objector presentation.

Local artisans, makers and youth market vendors will also take part in this year’s celebration.

This year’s festival will take place Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26. A two-day adult pass costs $10, admission for children ages 5 to 13 is $3, and children younger than 4 are admitted free.

Make plans to visit the Kalona Historical Village and enjoy this year’s Kalona Fall Festival.