It’s not exactly time travel, but this Sunday’s Harvest Festival at the Grain Elevator Park will offer youngsters and adults alike the opportunity to explore our local history and have fun doing it.

Shari Strachan, program manager with the Musée Héritage Museum, loves having the opportunity to time travel and show people the richness and importance of our local history.

“It’s absolutely important for keeping history alive, but … helping us to understand where we are today and where we came from,” she commented. “By knowing our local history, it helps us understand more of what we do or what our community has or does today as a result. It’s a connection to how we live today. We’re going to make it fun.”

A big part of that history and that fun, she continued, has four feet and a wagging tail. After an extensive rehabilitation was finally completed at the site last year, the festival hosted sheepherding dog demonstrations as part of its grand re-opening celebration.

Those dogs from ELF Stock Dogs of Westerose are back and this time, they’ve brought some friends. The Edmonton Humane Society will conduct dog behaviour and agility demonstrations.

Strachan said that people should realize that dogs are much more than just pets, and have been for a long time.

“One of the reasons we do these demos is because, historically speaking, dogs were the work animals going way back in this area. Go back into history here and there were still a lot of dogs working in the area. That connection is part of our history.”

She added that Russ Finlay of ELF was an entertaining and popular guest last year.

“It’s always fascinating to watch for all ages. Everybody’s interested and fascinated by what he’s able to do with these dogs and how these dogs are so well trained. In a sense, it’s not just for the animal lovers; it’s for anybody who’s interested in how we work with animals.”

Other attractions include site tours, horse and wagon rides, horseshoe pitching, plus autumn crafts and games like beanbag toss and paper pumpkin lantern making. There will be beer samples. Popular local musicians, brothers Trevor and Stephen Tchir, will also keep the crowd pleased.

“They so epitomize what the site is all about. They’re just nice guys to have on the site. Great music.”

If the weather abides, organizers hope to wheel out a Model T and set up a photo station so people can pretend it’s 1930, complete with props, “so it’ll look like you were there all those years ago.”

“Music and beer and you can make a paper pumpkin lantern and you’re good to go. It’s just an old-fashioned kind of day.”

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