By Melissa Wagoner
The Scotts Mills Area Historical Society and the Scotts Mills Grange are joining forces this summer in the creation of a new event celebrating the past, present and future of their organizations and of the Scotts Mills Community as a whole.
“Scotts Mills Founders to Future Generations Weekend is about joining together as a community to celebrate and to fundraise for our important community projects,” Event Chairman Lynn Borek wrote in a press release. “Founders Weekend combines the Grange Harvest Fair and the Scotts Mills Area Historical Society’s Annual Homecoming Picnic, into one exciting weekend event.”
Taking place Aug. 13 and 14, Founders Weekend will kick off with the Harvest Fair – a showcase of home crafting skills like textile art, photography, canning and gardening – with entries eventually auctioned off to benefit charities including the Historical Society Museum, the Scotts Mills Community Center, local scholarship opportunities and the school supply drive.
Also on Saturday: “All day long the Grange building will be surrounded by local vendors and artisans showing off and selling their wares, while we enjoy the sounds of our very own Scotts Mills Jug Band,” Borek wrote.
Then on Sunday, the festival moves to the Scotts Mills Area Historical Society where the inaugural Historical Site Scavenger Hunt will begin at 9 a.m.
“Each person that enters will get a passport card…[and] will fill it up by walking to the historical landmark and retrieving the sticker off the sign at the landmark,” Borek described. “Anyone can join. There will be two drawings, one for adults and one for kids and gift baskets will be the prize.”
Also on Sunday, both the town’s Most Beautiful Antique Cars and the Ugliest Trucks will be on display.
“[A]nyone can enter their car – there is no fee…” Borek said, “but the [vehicle] must be street legal, and run under its own power.”
The winners of both contests will receive gift baskets at the culmination of the final Founders Weekend event – the Annual Homecoming Picnic, held at the Scotts Mills City Park.
“The museum board will provide hamburgers and hot dogs for an old-fashioned potluck, picnic, get-together,” Borek wrote.
Participants are asked to come with a salad or dessert to share.
“We are doing this in the spirit of community collaboration, and the community coming together, joining our events to celebrate our history, our founders and the people that are keeping Scotts Mills moving forward as a caring community,” Borek said.
Scotts Mills Grange, Historical Society plan community weekend
All events are free but donations are appreciated.
Saturday, Aug. 13 beginning at 9 a.m. at Scotts Mills Grange, 299 Fourth St.
• Harvest Fair: entries can include examples of gardening, baking, textiles, canning, crafts, art, photography and more
• Live music from the Scotts Mills Jug Band
• Local vendors
Sunday, Aug. 14 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Scotts Mills Area Historical Society, 210 Grandview Ave.
• Ugly Truck Contest and Most Beautiful Antique Car Contest: no fee to enter but vehicles must be street legal. To register contact: Janice Schiedler, 503-873-5406, or Lynn Borek, 425-698-9016.
• Historical Site Scavenger Hunt: 9 a.m. to noon
• Annual Homecoming Picnic: 12 p.m. at Scotts Mills City Park 330 First St.
Hot dog or hamburger provided to the first 100 people with participants asked to bring a salad or dessert to share
