Fenner Nature Center invites everyone to share in the traditions and the bounty of the fall harvest at the 45th annual Apple Butter Festival. On October 13 and 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., this FREE family-friendly event will celebrate that cultural and natural history with hands-on demonstrations, activities and treats for visitors of all ages.
Since it’s beginning in 1973, visitors and volunteers from around the Greater Lansing region have gathered to support Fenner Nature Center and to explore our Michigander heritage and our ties to the land, said Fenner Conservancy event manager Alexa Seeger. Festival-goers can take part in this tradition, gathering around the copper kettle, helping local “celebrity stirrers,” like Mayor Andy Schor, to stir the apple butter as it cooks over the fire.
At this time-honored festival, heritage artisans showcase traditional skills like pottery throwing, lace making, basket weaving and bee keeping. Consumers Energy, the 45th Apple Butter Festival event sponsor, and its volunteers explain the history of clean energy and help visitors create their own wind-powered, biodegradable pinwheel toy. Cider press demonstrations, a crosscut sawing and branding demonstration, and a pumpkin painting contest offer hands-on fun while celebrating traditions surrounding fall harvests. Local bluegrass, jazz, folk and acoustic musicians will be performing live both days.
“For 45 years now people have gathered at the nature center, to make apple butter, raise funds, and celebrate the fall harvest,” Seeger said, “but it’s not really the apple butter that brings volunteers back year after year to peel apples for hours. The apple butter isn’t the reason grandparents brought their children, and now their grandchildren, to gather around our copper kettle.
“It’s the sense of community and camaraderie only found at events like this, at special places like Fenner Nature Center, that has made this festival a continued success. We can’t wait to share it with you, whether it’s your first time or your forty-fifth time.”
To volunteer at the festival or for additional information, contact Fenner Nature Center at 517-483-4224 or www.MyNatureCenter.org.
Fenner Nature Center is located at 2020 E. Mt. Hope Ave., just East of Aurelius Rd. in Lansing. Parking is free, with a $5 suggested donation.
About Fenner Conservancy: Fenner Conservancy, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and managing body for Fenner Nature Center, connects people to nature in the heart of Lansing through conservation, education, and stewardship. Through the efforts of this organization, Fenner Nature Center continues to meet that commitment in difficult times, but Fenner Conservancy needs your help to sustain this crucial part of our community. To explore the many ways you can help support this vital organization, please call 517-483-4224 or visit www.mynaturecenter.org
Source: Press Release
