This post documents my experience on August 11, 2018.
In 1819, settlers from the area of Switzerland’s Sonnenburg Mountain settled in Wayne County to flee religious persecution and start new lives with their families.
Many years later, those descendants (sometimes in the same clothing)…
…came to Sonnenberg Village…
…to reunite with loved ones…
…and celebrate their annual Homecoming.
One obvious perk of the Homecoming was to explore the historic buildings on the property…
…whether it be the Floyd R. Sauer Blacksmith Shop…
…with its antique interiors…
…the Tschantz Log Cabin…
…with its furnishings of the time period…
…or the Sonnenberg Church…
…which was used for entertainment purposes during the festival…
…including a musical performance by Dave Wolf…
…and a special presentation by Senator Frank LaRose.
As visitors casually explored the structures…
…they had the opportunity of encountering a trailer…
…that housed a strange musical, mechanical wonder…
…a buggy shed turned into the Sonnenberg Valley Wood Shop…
…where crafted items ranged from candle holders to “squirrel cookers”…
…an old-time baseball game (which occurred later in the day)…
…and even some food vendors…
…that offered Kettle Korn…
…hot dogs, pies, donuts…
…and old-fashioned ice cream (Schlonegers)…
…with plenty of free samples.