Library on the Prairie Festival
Trafalgar Branch
Sat • Sep 7 • Noon-4 p.m.
All Ages
Travel back in time in time to the mid-1800s to explore pioneer life on the Indiana prairie. Enjoy traditional crafts, games, live entertainment and more at this event that's sure to be fun for the whole family.
Schedule of Events
- Noon-1 p.m: Freetown Village Singers
- Noon-3 p.m.: Prairie Tours
- 1 p.m.: Daniel Boone Storyteller
- 1-1:30 p.m.: One Room Schoolhouse Storytime with Hannah
- 1 p.m.: Pie Baking Demo
- 1:30 p.m.: Bees with Ms. Lori
- 2 p.m.: Circle City Cloggers
- 2–2:30 p.m.: One Room Schoolhouse Storytime with Hannah
- 3 p.m.: Patchwork Folk music performance
- 3 p.m.: Bees with Ms. Lori
- 3–3:30 p.m.: One Room Schoolhouse Storytime with Hannah
All Day Events
- Animals on the Prairie
- Quilting Demonstrations
- Pioneer Crafts & Games
- Civil War Soldier Experience
- Antique Farm Machinery
- Blacksmith's Forge
- Face Painting
- Ma & Pa Mercantile Store
- Ice Cream from Indian Creek FFA
- Dress Up Selfie Station
- Travel the Oregon Trail in virtual reality
Pie Contest
Do you have grandma’s secret pie recipe? Or perfected one yourself?
- Contest is open to ages 18+ and one entry per person.
- Registration is required. The last day to register is Thursday, September 5, 2024.
- Pies must be homemade including crust, filling and any topping.
- Please no pies requiring refrigeration. For example, pies containing cream or other dairy products.
- Please drop off your pie in a covered container.
- Please include the pie recipe. If the recipe is from a cookbook, please include the title and author's name with the recipe. If the pie recipe is an old family secret, just include the ingredients and not the quantity of each ingredient.
- Please drop off your pie at the Trafalgar Branch (424 S. Tower St., Trafalgar) between 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2024.
- The top three pies win prizes.
- Judging runs from 2-3 p.m., and the winners are announced at 3 p.m.
- First place will receive a $50 gift card, second and third place will receive a $25 gift card.
Johnson County Public Library offers people the opportunity to experience life on the Indiana prairie in the 1800s with the Library on the Prairie Festival on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from noon to 4 p.m. The festival is held at our Trafalgar Branch in Trafalgar, Indiana. If you’ve ever wondered what life was like in the 1800s, this hands-on event gives you a glimpse into the past with pioneer-era demonstrations, performances, storytellers and traditional crafts.
Nimble Thimble Quilters present quilting demonstrations, watch a blacksmith at work, check out antique farm machinery, discover Civil War history, attend storytime in a one-room schoolhouse and play pioneer games.
Patchwork Music plays acoustic folk music with a guitar and fiddle. The Freetown Village Singers perform traditional African songs. Hear stories about pioneer days from Daniel Boone as portrayed by Danny Russel and enjoy The Circle City Cloggers performance at the Library on the Prairie Festival.
The Festival gives you the opportunity to participate in a variety of learning experiences. See a quilting demonstration, learn about the Trafalgar Branch prairie beehives, explore the life of a Civil War soldier, tour the prairie with a Johnson County Soil & Water District guide or visit barn animals, antique farm machinery and dress up for prairie life photos at the selfie station.
The Library on the Prairie Festival is funded by gifts to the Johnson County Public Library Foundation.
