WYOMING —Showcasing the Wyoming Valley’s local history and wildlife, Frances Slocum State Park will hold its annual Heritage Day on Oct. 11.
Heritage Day is a free, one-day event featuring a variety of hands-on educational activities for children and adults demonstrating colonial living and becoming good stewards of the environment.
The event is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 at Pavilion 1 and 2 at Frances Slocum State Park off Mount Olivet Road in Kingston Township.
“Heritage Day is a celebration of the natural and cultural opportunities found in the Wyoming Valley,” said Kathy Kelchner, environmental education specialist at Frances Slocum State Park.
Planned activities include grinding apples into cider, making butter and learning about tapping trees to harvest maple syrup, Kelchner said.
This year, Heritage Day will also feature the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Native American Indian displays, a beekeeper, Nanticoke Conservation Club, quilting and wool spinning demonstrations, Master Gardeners, Denison Advocates of the Colonel Nathan Denison House in Forty Fort and T&D Animal Refuge in Penns Creek.
“There are lots of hands-on opportunities such as the log-cutting event,” Kelchner said.
Children can decorate gourds and participate in art and craft projects, she said. Also, children can make a Native American Indian feathered dart from corncobs.
“These were part of a Native American Indian game,” Kelchner said.
The game was designed to improve accuracy for hunting.
Folk singers will add a toe-tapping beat to the afternoon at 2 p.m.
Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center will offer an educational experience with some of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s wildlife at 3 p.m.
Kelchner has organized the event for the past 19 years and has seen it transform from two to three activities to a full agenda of events.
Heritage Day always draws a crowd as long as the weather cooperates, Kelchner said.
“Last year we had about 4,500 visitors,” she said.
