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Area kids can kick off the 4th at Youth Festival

July 02, 2009 @ 10:05 PM

BETH HENDRICKS

For The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Looking for big fun -- yesteryear-style?

Heritage Farm Museum and Village is hosting its first Youth Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the facility at 3300 Harvey Road in Huntington. Cost is $6 per person and includes entry and activities. Food and crafts are available for purchase.

"We have had lots of festivals before, but this is our first youth festival, and we're trying to use this Fourth of July opportunity to invite back our family and welcome new friends who are going to be in town with the soccer tournament," said Audy Perry, activities coordinator for the non-profit Heritage Farms. "We want to introduce our Appalachian heritage in a fun and interactive way."

Activities will be available all day, including a petting zoo, nature walks, wagon rides, crafts, artisans, games and more.

"You can walk through a coal mine. We have a fellow who'll be demonstrating rifle shooting. We've got it all, from trains and animals to Model T automobiles to blacksmiths," Perry said. "We'll keep a repeating schedule throughout the day so that people coming and going from the soccer tournament can still experience everything here."

Perry said the goal of Heritage Farms and the staff there is to introduce people to West Virginia's rich heritage -- "where we were and where we're headed," he offered.

"Our overriding theme is that the people who chose to settle here in Appalachia really were an ingenuous, hardworking, industrious people who didn't order their clothes from London, but has to raise and shear the sheep and make their own clothes," Perry explained. "We allow our visitors to be introduced to this in a 'fun and discovery' sort of way."

For more info, visit www.heritagefarmmuseum.com.

The Herald-Dispatch

Elijah Hall, 9, pets a llama at Heritage Farm during the ChildrenÕs Home SocietyÕs FounderÕs Day event. Heritage Farm is hosting its first Youth Festival Saturday, July 4.

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The Herald-Dispatch

Bekah Perry, 12, of Huntington, sews a button to a piece of cloth as she works on a pillow project during treadle sewing machine class. Heritage Farm is hosting its first Youth Festival Saturday, July 4.

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The Herald-Dispatch

Savannah Ruiz, 4, Tia Taylor, 4, and DeÕanthony Wright, 6, pet turtles at the Heritage Farm petting zoo. Heritage Farm is hosting its first Youth Festival Saturday, July 4.

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