NEW CENTERVILLE ― The Somerset County community is gearing up for the 72nd annual Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee , Sept. 4-8. Sponsored by the New Centerville and Rural Volunteer Fire Co., the event benefits the fire company.
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New Centerville Rural Volunteer Fire Co. has been serving the community with volunteers since 1949. This year the company has about 70 active firefighters, covering approximately 110 square miles of rural Somerset County.In September 1953, the Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee originated in a field owned by E.R. Mosholder. It was held there each year until May 14, 1957, when the department bought two parcels of land from Jesse and Mary Geary and Jeremiah and Minnie Pletcher in New Centerville Borough, where the fire company erected a large storage building called the "Museum Hall" in 1958, according to the fire department website.
Old-fashioned agriculture industry
The Jubilee features many demonstrations of the early farming industry, including a steam-powered cider mill, groundhog thresher flailers, horsepower with tumbling shaft machine, first steam engine threshing with hand feeding, self feeder threshing, baling up straw, dog-powered butter churning, flour mill, antique power saws, handle machine, broom making, steam-powered sawmill and shingle making, corn shelling, corn shredding, blacksmithing, stone crusher, feed grinder machine, 75 horse power Fairbanks Morris Engine, 150 horsepower Reeves Propane Gas Engine, 800 horsepower Chicago Pneumatic Diesel Engine, antique tractors, hit & miss gas engines and steam engine plowing.There will be wood carving demonstrations Wednesday through Saturday. Calliope, sponsored by Michael J. Miller Family, will be held Friday and Saturday at the top of the hour ― 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m.
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No harvest festival is complete without a variety of food, and the Jubilee has a wide variety of options to please every visitor. Breakfast will be served daily from 7 to 9 a.m. at the outside firemen's concession stand. There will also be hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, baked potatoes, soft drinks, pie, cake, apple dumplings, soft freeze, pizza, funnel cakes and much more available continuously in the Museum Hall and at the Track Stand. A chicken barbecue by Creep's Famous Chicken will be available Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until the chicken is sold out. There will also be bean soup and cider to purchase at the Cider Mill.
Contest registrations, features
Registration of quilts is from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sept. 3, in the upstairs of the Banquet Hall. For information, call Rose Younkin at 814-926-3129. Registration of photos for the Jubilee Photo Contest will be 3-6 p.m. Sept. 3, in the Museum Hall. For information, call Megan Critchfield at 814-233-5653. And from 3-6 p.m. is the registration of the Scarecrow Contest and Pumpkin Decorating Contest entries in the Museum Hall, photo contest area. For information call 814-926-3142.
Gates open at 10 a.m. Thursday is senior citizens day with free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Give back to the community day will be Sept. 4 with free admission.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 4 is registration of apple pies for Grandma Hazel's Apple Pie Contest at the Pie Stand in Museum Hall. For more information call Robin Knepper at 814-233-3825.
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Sept. 4 highlights include the Grand Jubilee Parade at 6:15 p.m. in the track area. The Jubilee queen contest is at 7:45 p.m., in the Museum Hall. At 8:15 p.m. the winning pies from Grandma Hazel's Apple Pie Contest will be sold in Museum Hall. Crowning of Jubilee Queen and King will be at 8:30 p.m. The Jubilee wouldn't be complete without the The "Outhouse Dash," Privy on Wheels Race at 8:15 p.m. in the track area. For more information, call Kristopher Towbridge at 814-442-7525.
At 1 p.m. each day, Thursday through Sunday will be the Parade of Antique Equipment, threshing, corn shelling and shredding as well as many other demonstrations.
Special features throughout the Jubilee will include on Sept. 5, at 3:15 p.m. is Steam Engine Games in the track area, weather permitting; at 6:30 p.m. an ATV Pull; and at 6:30 p.m. is the Garden Tractor Pull in the track area.
On Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. will be the Longest Beard Contest. For information call Clark Brocht at 814-926-3142. At 6:30 p.m. is the Farm Tractor Pull in the track area. A Steam Engine Spark Show is set for 9 p.m. in the threshing area.
Sept. 7 is full of activities. The children will be the highlight with Kids Day Activities in the threshing area. A Pedal Power Tractor Pull for ages 3 to 6 years starts at 9 a.m., followed by the Hay Bale Toss for ages 7 to 12 years. Also on Saturday is the Steam Ahead 5K Walk/Run at 8 a.m. at the pulling track. To register, use the online link or contact Jenna at 814-442-6724 or ncrvfc622@gmail.com. A Horseshoe Pitching Contest for singles only, is at 9 a.m. in the Grove.An Arm Wrestling Tournament will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Museum Hall. For information contact Bill Raszewski 814-445-8577. A Horse Pulling Contest is set for 1 p.m. in the track area. For information contact Dean Brant at 814-443-4134. At 3 p.m. will be steam engine plowing, weather permitting, below the main parking lot. Then at 4:30 p.m. will be a Tug-of-War with steam engines in the steam engine area.
A Somerset County festival wouldn't be complete without a performance by the Tractor Buddies Tractor Square Dancing at 5 p.m. at the new track. A Corn Hole Tournament is set for 6-10 p.m. in the truck room, and at 6:30 p.m. is the Truck and Tractor Pull in the track area. The Steam Engine Spark Show will be held at 9 p.m. in the track area.
Activities Sept 8 kick off at 9 a.m. with the community church service put together by area ministers in the Museum Hall. Then at 12 p.m. is the 4x4 Pickup and Semis in the track area, and at 12:15 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. is the Ghost Town Road Show in the Museum Hall.
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Entertainment throughout the Jubilee is sponsored by 1st Summit Bank. Performances in the Museum Hall will include: Scott Hall One Man Band, Tim & Stacey, Sour Mash String Band, Chris Blaney, The Threads, South Penn Crossing, and Elyse & Mike Cordaro will be in the threshing area.
The New Centerville Jubilee is at 3054 Kingwood Road, Rockwood. Visitors can take Route 281 South nine miles to New Centerville.
Madolin Edwards has been a journalist at the Daily American for 37 years, covering school boards, borough councils, sports and new stories. She was the Home and Family editor for 20 years, and was the primary editor and reporter for a variety of special projects, features and tabs. Contact the Daily American reporters at news@dailyamerican.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: 72nd annual Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee kicks off Sept. 4 in New Centerville
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