From: "Seymour, Janet I - WHS" <Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org> Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2010 12:29:59 -0500 Subject: List Serve FW: Iola Historical Society - Strawberry Fest Message-ID: <488E289A5C909049B0E55F6B651B5B3501B1787A2C30@MEWMAD0PC01G02.accounts.wistate.us>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lyle Mork, 715-445-4652
26th ANNUAL Iola Historical Society’s Strawberry Fest
set for Sunday, June 27
Antiques and collectibles identifications and appraisals along with “lost
arts” demonstrations offered for third year;
Children’s activities and historic quilt raffle new for 2010
The Iola Historical Society's 26th annual Strawberry Festival fundraiser wi
ll be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 27, at its Historical Villa
ge complex located at 210 Depot Street, two blocks west of Main Street in d
owntown Iola. The Society does not charge for admission to its historic bui
ldings, but donations are appreciated.
Building on the success of an activity added to 2008’s Strawberry Fest, t
his year's event includes a Whatzit Day opportunity for visitors to bring a
long all types of antiques and collectibles for identification and appraisa
l by expert appraisers. Participants are asked for a donation of $2 per ite
m identified and appraised, or $5 for three items.
The appraisers include Joel Edler, Fred Borgman, T.S. O’Connell, Maggie T
hompson, Brent Frankenhoff, Tom Michael, Colin Bruce, Jim Lenske, and Ted W
illems, all current or former hobby experts at Krause Publications/F&W Publ
ications in Iola. Areas of expertise include general antiques & collectible
s, coins, firearms, sports memorabilia, comic books, books, movie memorabil
ia, collectible autos, and automobile memorabilia, among other areas.
Demonstrations of “lost arts” --- traditional skills such as post-and-b
eam construction, basket weaving, hand quilting, rug weaving, and rosemalin
g (Scandinavian peasant-style decorative painting), among others --- will b
e demonstrated by talented local individuals skilled in these arts. The “
lost art” demonstrations were first added to 2008's Strawberry Fest and w
ere an immediate hit. In addition to enjoying demonstrations of these arts,
examples of the crafts of some of these artisans will be available for pur
chase by attendees.
Also new for 2010 is a children’s/family area that will include several m
iniature ponies, a corn sheller that children can use to shell corn cobs, a
nd old-fashioned gunny sack races.
The society is raffling off a quilt made by local quilter and Iola native C
aroline Adams. Titled “A Look To The Past,” the 60-inch wide, 71-inch l
ong quilt features panels of historic Iola pictures from the late 1800s to
early 1900s. The quilt has been appraised at $1,200.
In addition to the historic quilt, raffle prizes also include a night’s s
tay for four people at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, valued at $250;
a foursome of golf with cart at the Glacier Wood Golf Club of Iola, valued
at $200; an Iola and area history book collection and one-year Historical S
ociety membership; Iola Old Car Show passes and collectible car show banks;
Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Bucks”; plus many other
prizes donated by local businesses and civic organizations, ranging from gi
ft baskets, gift cards, food prizes, a 30-minute massage, I-S Fitness & Aqu
atic Center memberships, and a one-year subscription to County Post West.
All of the buildings in the Iola Historical Village will be open for public
viewing throughout the Strawberry Fest, with member docents present in eac
h building to share its history and that of the artifacts on display. The v
illage consists of Iola's 1894 Iola & Northern Railroad depot, a replica of
a one-room country schoolhouse (1897), the Helvetia Town Hall which dates
from 1919, and a log cabin, all of which are original to the area. The comp
lex also includes a historically accurate replication of the community's 19
01 firehouse, with three original pieces of antique firefighting apparatus
once used in the village on display.
The society’s museum complex has added new displays with vintage pictures
for 2010:
· 100 Years of The Iola Winter Sports Club
· 100 Years of Boy Scouting
· 150 Years of The Iola Grist Mill
The Iola Historical Society will be offering strawberry shortcake with ice
cream to attendees for $3, barbecues at $3 and hot dogs for $2. Lemonade, c
offee, soda or bottled water will be available at $1. For those not interes
t in strawberry shortcake, ice cream servings will be available for $1.
For those who are unable to partake of the Strawberry Fest activities to en
joy a visit to the Iola Historical Village complex, it is also open every S
aturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through the end of September. Admission is
not charged, but donations are appreciated. Group tours and admission to i
nterested individuals may also be arranged at other times by calling the Io
la Historical Society at 715-445-IOLA (4652).
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