Published July 13, 2023
Free family fun at MetroParks’ Small Farm & Food Fest
Five Rivers MetroParks will host its Small Farm & Food Fest on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carriage Hill MetroPark, 7800 E. Shull Rd. This free, all-ages festival offers hands-on activities, demonstrations, local speakers, and a pop-up farmers market that focuses on healthy eating and sustainable living.
Festivalgoers will experience modern-day and historical farming techniques, along with gardening, food preparation, cooking, homesteading and home sustainability information.
“Many things we think of as fun hobbies can actually have a considerable impact on our personal health and reducing our carbon footprint,” said MetroParks education coordinator Rick Musselman. “So many historical – and some modern – farming, home, gardening and food preparation practices are sustainable and practical. We love sharing them with the public during this festival.”
The event will be hosted at the Carriage Hill MetroPark visitor center, historical farm and farm house.
Demonstrations, workshops and activities are ongoing from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and include:
- Food & Gardening: Fall crops seed give away, container gardening, using gardening tools, canned goods, exotic fruit stand, healthy summer drinks, and floral and heirloom gardening display
- Family Fun: Children’s games, steam engine with complimentary steamed corn and wagon rides
- Live animals: Draft horse demonstrations and historic breeds of livestock
- Textiles: Rope making and textile display
Additionally, visitors are welcome to visit the pop-up farmers market featuring some of your favorite 2nd Street Market vendors, in addition to local growers and artisans.
Speakers will be in the Carriage Hill Visitor Center classroom. Topics covered are:
- Small Space Gardening: Leeoria Willis Burritt, The Ohio State University extension educator
- Our Food: Where Did It Come From?: Betty Hoevel, Five Rivers MetroParks education coordinator
- Brewing 101: The Basics of Home Brewing: Jon Naghsku, Fifth St. Brew Pub head brewer
- Benefits of Native Plants in the Garden: Charlie Greene, owner of Tadmor Greenes
- Basics of Beekeeping: Mike Osborne, Five Rivers MetroParks regional park manager
- Heirloom Grains: Baking with Red Fife Wheat: Deb Spencer, Five Rivers MetroParks education specialist
- Cooking with and Caring for Cast Iron: Hannah Wiest, Five Rivers MetroParks education specialist
A variety of local food trucks will be available, all of which will be participating in MetroParks’ waste-free initiative. Visitors can help MetroParks keep Small Farm & Food Fest a waste-free event by bringing a reusable water bottle and visiting the designated waste stations where volunteers will help festivalgoers sort their trash.
Learn more about Five Rivers MetroParks’ Small Farm & Food Fest, supported by Apple Farm Service and media sponsor Edible Ohio Valley, at metroparks.org/farmfest.
