By News-Register staff • 

Farm Fest goes virtual, but live events planned later this year

Marcus Larson/News-Register ## Duane Van Dyke drives Shire horses Nick and Emma during the Oregon Draft Horse Breeders Association plowing competition Saturday at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center. Draft horses were part of Farm Fest, which became virtual this year, with many guests watching on Facebook rather than attending in person. Yamhill County Historical Society plans to host in-person events again starting in June.
Marcus Larson/News-Register ## Duane Van Dyke drives Shire horses Nick and Emma during the Oregon Draft Horse Breeders Association plowing competition Saturday at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center. Draft horses were part of Farm Fest, which became virtual this year, with many guests watching on Facebook rather than attending in person. Yamhill County Historical Society plans to host in-person events again starting in June.

Usually hundreds of spectators visit the Yamhill Valley Heritage Museum, just southwest of McMinnville, for the annual draft horse and mule pulling competition and other Farm Fest activities. This year, the crowd was sparse because of coronavirus restrictions, but anyone could watch the fun on the YCHS Facebook page.

A 90-minute video is still posted on the page and can be viewed without charge.

In addition to the Oregon Draft Horse Breeders Association competition, the virtual Farm Fest featured blacksmithing, interviews with horse owners and historical society volunteers, and demonstrations of farming techniques dating from the early days of Yamhill County in the 19th Century.

YCHS hopes Farm Fest will return to its in-person format in 2022. 

Long before that, though, YCHS plans to reopen its museums and resume other activities.

The heritage center, 11275 S.W. Durham Lane, and the historical museum and research center, 605 Market St. in Lafayette, will reopen Friday, June 4. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with appointments available other times.

Upcoming live events planned at the heritage center include:

n Hay Day, with demonstrations of haying with antique equipment, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 26; $5 per car.

n Harvest Fest, including harvesting a crop with vintage equipment, demonstrations, music, food and children’s activities, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22; $8 for adults, free to those younger than 12.

n Vintage baseball, 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11; $5 per car.

n Handmade Holidays bazaar, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5.

For more information, go to the YCHS website, at www.yamhillcountyhistory.org.

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