Homesteading Education Month : Festivals

It seems like every month has a million different things that we are all supposed to remember or do during that month, and September is absolutely no exception. However, as it turns out, September just so happens to be International Homesteading Education Month! Who knew such a thing even existed?

Mother Earth News has a website dedicated to education about homesteading, and there are plenty of events and informational articles there. But, while International Homesteading Education Month is likely not officially recognized, I think the idea is pretty awesome. So, to show my support, I’m going to kick off the month with a handful of awesome homesteading festivals I found in various states across the US that you can attend this fall!

• Princeton, IL – Homestead Festival (Sept. 11 – 13)
  • This 44th annual festival is huge and features tons of events including a BBQ cook-off, concerts, an arts and crafts show, a car show and more! You can check out the website to learn more about it.
• Williamston, SC – Homesteading Festival (Sept 12)
  • Held at Mineral Spring Park in South Carolina, this small festival has partnered with a VW camp out event and will feature music, a seed swap table, blacksmithing and other demonstrations around the event. Check out the website for more information.
• Springville, AL – Homestead Hollow (Sept 25 – 27 ; Nov 13 – 15)
  • Perhaps slightly more of a crafts festival, Homestead Hollow is designed for families and features demonstrations of wood carving, soap making, quilting and whiskey making as well as booths, kids activities, music and plenty of fair food. Check out the website for maps, rates and more information.
• Waco, TX – Homestead Fair (Nov 27 – 29)
  • Okay, so this one isn’t actually in September, but I still wanted to include it! This homestead fair looks pretty big and features barn raising, various demonstrations, fair food, live music, kids activities and lots of other things to do. It’s a pretty big event. Check it out here.
• Seven Springs, PA and Topeka, KS – Mother Earth News Fair (Sept. 18 – 20 for PA; Oct 24 – 25 for KS)
  • This fair is organized by the same people who create the awesome Mother Earth News articles and information. Featuring more than 150 workshops, hands-on demonstrations, keynotes, fair food and crafts, these fairs are pretty fantastic and shouldn’t be missed!
• Various States – Prepper Shows (various dates from Sept. 11 – Dec. 11)
  • You can find various shows and expos designed for prepping around the country. These vary by location and fair, but most include information about self-sustainability, survival, preparedness and survival. It’s not directly related to homesteading, but I wanted to include it anyway. You can find a directory of shows and more information here.

Do you know of any homesteading fairs in your state that I ought to include? Leave me a note in the comments and I’ll be sure to look into it and add it to the list!!