Spring Planting, Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18
Celebrate the beginning of gardening season by planting a seed at Living History Farms. Discover the many gardens around the museum grounds, and help sow test plots with seeds for the blooming flowers, historic vegetables, and modern crop varieties the museum staff will cultivate over the summer. Plant a bean seed of your own to take home and get some advice for your own planting projects.

Living History Farms Charity Golf Classic VI at Glen Oaks Country Club , Monday, May 19
Now that the warm weather has returned, it's time to hit the links! Join NASCAR legend, Rusty Wallace and Iowa Barnstormers Coach, John Gregory for our Charity Golf Classic VI on Monday, May 19th at Glen Oaks Country Club. If you would like to register for this fun-filled, day-long event that raises funds for Living History Farms' student education programs, please contact the Development Department at 515-278-5286. If you have already registered, here's the information you need to know: 10:30 am - Registration at the Clubhouse 11:00 am - Lunch and Golf Clinics by Nationwide Tour Professionals 12:15 pm - Best Ball Shotgun Start 5:15 pm - Social, Dinner, & Auctions Directions to Glen Oaks Country Club: On I-35, take exit 69 (Grand Avenue West). Turn right onto Booneville Road. Continue straight onto Glen Oaks Lane (through gatehouse check-in point). Turn right onto Glen Oaks Drive and continue for 7/10th of a mile to Clubhouse parking lot entrance. Glen Oaks Country Club may also be accessed from I-35 exit 70 - follow signs after exiting.

Family Heritage Days, Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25
Connect with your family’s roots as Living History Farms celebrates the family tree. Visit the Century Farms Heritage Circle and discover the legacy of family farms in Iowa. Explore the Irish and Norwegian roots of the Flynn Country Home and Tangen House, as you consider your own family traditions. Hands-on family activities will focus on gathering and preserving family history and traditions.

Decoration Day, Monday, May 26
Discover the stirring origins of America's Memorial Day. Assist the Ladies Aid Society in making floral decorations for the graves of the community veterans. Hear a rousing patriotic concert by the Walnut Hill Choral Society at 12:30 pm. At 1:00 pm, join the solemn procession down Main Street to New Hope Cemetery for a moving pageant of Victorian speech and song honoring the Union’s fallen heroes. After the ceremony, watch the home team compete in a 1870s-rules baseball game at the Walnut Hill Field.

Barn Dance at the Historic Flynn Barn, Saturday, June 7
Barn Dances are back at Living History Farms! Learn the dances while listening to the Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo band in the historic Flynn Barn. No experience is necessary since all of the dances are taught. Dances take place the first Saturday of every month from 8 – 11 p.m. Parking is available at the Living History Farms Visitor Center. Admission is $6.00 per person and all are welcome.

Homesteading Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8
Early Iowa settlers gave up the comforts of the east for a chance at a better life on the prairie. The land was good but starting a farm was not an easy or cheap proposition! Experience the challenges of homesteading in Iowa through hands-on activities. Pack a wagon for traveling, build a rail fence, and try your hands at the farm chores of Iowa’s homesteaders.

Wedding Days, Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15
Farm families and townspeople looked forward to weddings and anniversaries as neighborhood celebrations. On Saturday, visit the 1850 Farm and take part in a pioneer wedding celebration, including the wedding ceremony, dancing and wedding cake. On Sunday, see the Flynn Country Home after the neighbors have showered Martin and Ellen with tin trinkets in honor of the couple’s tenth anniversary, known in the 1800s as a “Tin Wedding.”

Fit as a Farmer, Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22
Sure, Iowa pioneers worked hard—but how healthy were they? How many calories did farm chores burn? Were germs a new idea to the 1875 doctor? Find out as LHF explores health and wellness in Iowa’s past and present! Discover the uses of medicinal plants of the Ioway tribe. Help to brew a pioneer home remedy and test your own fitness by doing some farm chore exercises. Enjoy a patent medicine show and see how an epidemic disease might be treated in a small farming community.

A Victorian Funeral, Friday and Saturday, June 27-28
Explore the rituals surrounding death and loss in the Victorian era as the 1875 town of Walnut Hill experiences a funeral. Visit the Tangen House, where the family prepares the parlor for the re-created funeral of a loved one. Traditions such as black draping, stopping clocks, and funeral invitations will be evident. Each afternoon, join in a solemn procession, led by a horse-drawn hearse, as it makes its way from the house to New Hope Cemetery. The Walnut Hill Choral Society will sing period hymns and sentimental songs, as visitors pay their respects during the recreated ceremony.

Historic Independence Day, Friday, July 4
Enjoy an old-fashioned Fourth with a historic Independence Day celebration in the town of Walnut Hill! Beginning at 11:00 am, challenge a family member in contests such as pie eating, watermelon seed spitting, and gunny sack races. Try your luck at stilt walking, hoops and sticks, or a spelling bee. At 2:00 pm, join in an 1875 vintage Independence Day parade. A period 1875-rules baseball game will follow at 2:30 pm.

All American Ice Cream Float Day, Saturday, July 5
Bring your family to Living History Farms for a favorite summer tradition! Enjoy a free root beer float in Walnut Hill from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and then stay for family competitions of horseshoe pitching or jacks or marbles.

Barn Dance at the Historic Flynn Barn, Saturday, July 5
Barn Dances are back at Living History Farms! Learn the dances while listening to the Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo band in the historic Flynn Barn. No experience is necessary since all of the dances are taught. Dances take place the first Saturday of every month from 8 – 11 p.m. Parking is available at the Living History Farms Visitor Center. Admission is $6.00 per person and all are welcome.

Election Day: An 1875 Vote for Mayor, Saturday, July 12
Love party politics? Can’t wait for November to vote? Enjoy politicking in nineteenth century style, as Walnut Hill gets ready to elect a new mayor. Hear townspeople argue the issues, campaign with the local “candidates”, and then cast your vote for the next town leader at the Walnut Hill Schoolhouse. 1875 voting rules will apply and the Walnut Hill Ladies Suffrage Committee is sure to voice their opinions on those rules as well! Votes will be counted at 3:30 pm to determine the winners.

Grain Harvest Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20
From hand power to horsepower, witness it all as you hear the smash of the flail, the roar of the steam-powered thresher, and the clicking of the cutter bar. Experience the many methods used to harvest oats and wheat from 1850 to the present and help bring in the harvest that will feed our animals throughout the winter. Demonstrations will be weather dependent.

Birthdays on the Farm, Saturday and Sunday, July 26-27
Children’s birthdays were celebrated in many different ways during Iowa’s past. Rites of passage for the Ioway, homemade presents for the pioneer and fancy parties for the wealthy Victorian all marked another year in a child’s life. Celebrate birthdays through time with hands-on activities across the museum. The Flynn Country Home will highlight the festivities with treats and Victorian party favors.

Barn Dance at the Historic Flynn Barn, Saturday, August 2
Barn Dances are back at Living History Farms! Learn the dances while listening to the Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo band in the historic Flynn Barn. No experience is necessary since all of the dances are taught. Dances take place the first Saturday of every month from 8 – 11 p.m. Parking is available at the Living History Farms Visitor Center. Admission is $6.00 per person and all are welcome.

Good Sport! Good Show! Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3
All work and no play made even our ancestors grumpy! Fun and games had their place just as much as chores and hard work. Spend a weekend exploring the leisure time entertainments of our forefathers. On Saturday, enjoy the music and dramatics of Victorian Iowa, including a concert from the Walnut Hill Choral Society. On Sunday, games will be the order of the day. Sports fans will cheer on the Walnut Hill Bluestockings as they play 1875 rules baseball at 2:00 p.m.

Haymaking, Saturday and Sunday, August 9-10
Bring your family out to learn how farmers in the past harvested a hay crop. Experience first-hand the processes used to cut, rake and store the hay that will feed our livestock all winter. Walk through the hay field where a hay stacker and machinery of many eras will be demonstrated. Demonstrations will be weather dependent.

Pork and Beans Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 23-24
Modern Iowa agricultural is entwined with pork and soybeans. Explore the origins of these Iowa industries and discover a few uses for beans you may not have considered before! Compare the merits of an old-fashioned lard hog to a modern lean one, and learn how our ancestors preserved their meats. Visit the Wallace Exhibit center to see how soybeans are being used for everything from side dishes to tractor fuel. From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Sunday only, sample locally grown tomatoes, locally raised or processed bacon and locally baked bread and then build your own BLT as Living History Farms showcases the fantastic flavors of fresh Iowa foods.

Hearth and Hardwood, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, August 30 - September 1
Take a trip back in time to discover how hearths and stoves produced baked goods in Iowa’s past. Whether over the open hearth at the 1850 Pioneer Farm log home or in one of the wood-burning stoves in the 1875 town homes and 1900 Farm house, learn how we put bread, and a lot more, on the table and ultimately in our stomachs. Help the pioneer farmer and Tangen house family to stack and prepare wood and other fire fuels for the upcoming cold weather season.

Children's Apprentice Day, Saturday, September 6, 11 am to 4 pm
Children were active members of the nineteenth century workforce, performing household tasks, farm chores, and apprentice jobs with local tradesmen. Spend a day experiencing the tools and tasks in the life of an 1875 kid. Throughout Walnut Hill, children will be invited to assist tradesmen with printing, cabinetmaking, broom-making, blacksmithing, as well as household chores, school lessons and even a few craft projects to take home.

Barn Dance at the Historic Flynn Barn, Saturday, September 6
Barn Dances are back at Living History Farms! Learn the dances while listening to the Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo band in the historic Flynn Barn. No experience is necessary since all of the dances are taught. Dances take place the first Saturday of every month from 8 – 11 p.m. Parking is available at the Living History Farms Visitor Center. Admission is $6.00 per person and all are welcome.

Prairie Meadows Horse and Buggy Days, Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14
Horses and rigs of all kinds will fill the 1875 town of Walnut Hill and everyone is invited to line the boardwalks along Main Street at 1:00 pm on both days to enjoy an old-fashioned parade of draft horses, mules, ponies and riding and driving horses. The horses will pull authentic, hand-made carriages, spring wagons, surreys and buggies. Visitors are encouraged to cast a vote for their favorite entry. The winning entry will receive the “Town Folks Choice Award.”

Photography Day at the Farms, Saturday, September 20
Perfect your photography skills with professional photographers and representatives from the industry at locations around the museum, who will offer tips and teach trade secrets. Bring your own camera and enjoy the day in the museum’s picturesque setting.

Applefest, Saturday and Sunday, September 27-28
Come out and immerse yourself in the autumn season and share in the tastes and smells that have come to mean fall in Iowa. Beginning at 11:00 am in the 1875 town of Walnut Hill, the smell of apple butter will drift through the air as visitors help stir the wood paddle through the copper kettle of apple butter over the open fire. Lend a hand at the cider press, and savor an apple fritter fresh out of a Dutch oven. Don’t miss out on the applesauce slurp contest or water-free bobbing for apples!

Barn Dance at the Historic Flynn Barn, Saturday, October 4
Barn Dances are back at Living History Farms! Learn the dances while listening to the Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo band in the historic Flynn Barn. No experience is necessary since all of the dances are taught. Dances take place the first Saturday of every month from 8 – 11 p.m. Parking is available at the Living History Farms Visitor Center. Admission is $6.00 per person and all are welcome. This is the last dance of the season.

Corn Harvest, Saturday and Sunday, October 4-5
Visit our historic farms and discover the amazing history of corn through hands-on activities. Take a horse-drawn wagon ride into the fields to watch working machinery used to harvest corn from 1899-1950. Master the correct techniques for handpicking corn. Explore new varieties and uses for corn in the modern world. Iowa food producers will have samples of their products in the Visitor Center throughout the weekend.

Fueling the Future!, Saturday, October 5
What energy sources are in Iowa’s future? Can Iowa agriculture supply our needs for fuel? Join Living History Farms in exploring the many possibilities. Energy and agriculture exhibitors will be showing their newest ideas in renewable fuels.

The Ties that Bind: A Historic Quilt Show, Wednesday through Sunday, October 8-12
Thirty rarely-seen historic quilts from the nationally-recognized Living History Farms quilt collection will be on display in the Church of the Land along with historic clothing and household textiles. Children's hands-on activities include quilt block coloring and sewing cards.

Family Halloween, October 17-19, 24-26, and 30 & 31
Friday-Saturday, October 17-18 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday, October 19, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday-Saturday, October 24-25, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday, October 26, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Thursday-Friday, October 30 & 31, 5:30 pm to 8:00 p.m. $4.50 per person, $4.00 pre-sold in groups of 10 or more, $3.50 for members. Enjoy this safe family activity at Living History Farms. Children age 12 and younger will receive treats throughout the 1875 town of Walnut Hill. Everyone will enjoy our non-scary atmosphere, horse-drawn wagon rides, marshmallow roast, and storytellers. Special fall displays will delight one and all. All the proceeds from this fund raising activity are used to support the museum's programs and activities

Log Cabin Christmas, Friday and Saturday, December 12-13
Friday, December 12, 6-8 pm Saturday, December 13, 4-8 pm $5.00 per person, $4.00 for members Enjoy a holiday event with a prairie pioneer feel! Learn how a typical pioneer family would celebrate Christmas on the prairie. Historical interpreters will demonstrate spinning and knitting in an indoor pioneer vignette. The Walnut Hill Choral Society will hold a social in the Church of the Land with carols, games, and Santa Claus. Sip hot wassail and enjoy snacks as you visit homes and shops in Walnut Hill.