2010 IRON HERITAGE FESTIVAL
~DANVILLE, A MELTING POT ~

Plans are underway for the 2010 IHF. All the details are not worked out yet but here is a sample to whet your appetite!

Announcing: On several Sundays preceding the IHF learn how our ancestors’ beliefs in their religion helped them live in a time of hardship and conflicts. Area congregations will be opening their Churches to visitors and telling of their beginnings and history in our area. A map and schedule will be available in the IHF Company Store June 1.  The first Church open house will be held on June 13.

Also, preceding the Festival, don’t miss the Iron Heritage Garden Tour chaired by the Penn State Master Gardeners of Montour County.($)* July 10 10am to 5pm and July 11 noon to 5pm. Maps and tickets will be available at the IHF Company Store a few weeks before the tour. Click here for directions.(note: this is 2 weeks before IHF)

Chinese Auction:Check out the IHF Company Store and see what is up for bid in the quarter auction. Buy twenty five tickets for a $5.00 and place them in jar of which item you would like to win, you’ve just made a bid! Don’t forget to keep the second ticket and check the numbers which will be posted during the IHF weekend.

T-rail Tavern Tour: Purchase a glass at the IHF Company Store by showing your photo ID to verify your age and on Saturday July 24th enjoy one dime draft at participating establishment.  (Glasses can only be purchased on Saturdays and glasses will not be held unless payment is received. A limited number will be sold)

Sunday July 18. Finish up the tour of Churches and at 4pm at Straub’s Church, listen to Danville’s own Welshmen, Herman Jones and Larry Mordan tell stories of Straub’s Church and the Welsh buried in its Cemetery. At 7:30pm don’t miss St. Paul’s-Emanuel United Methodist’s history with a recital on their original Church Organ by Mr. Dan Hower.

Tuesday, July 20. Enjoy a tour of America’s Oldest Brewery, Yuengling. IHF first bus tour will leave at 9:30am from Danville to Pottsville to tour the Yuengling Brewery.Lunch will be at the ‘Wooden Keg Tavern’, reputed to be a Molly Maguire hangout, in St. Clair. (lunch is not included in ticket price). There are only 2 buses going on this bus trip so get your tickets early! (the Yuengling Brewery is not handicapped accessible).($)*

Wednesday, July 21. The Event at Grove will take place on the beautiful grounds of what once was the Bennett Mansion and formerly St. Cyril’s Academy. ($)*. Enjoy a picnic on these grounds as you watch or play golf on what was the first golf course in Danville, the way great-grandma and grandpa did back in the 'old' days with a featherie golf ball and the old grassed drivers (classic golf clubs that are available for your use!).  Come and watch the golfers and enjoy these beautiful surroundings while enjoying a picnic on the grounds. At Canal Park enjoy the evening listening to Danville’s own Community Band.

New this year is the Inaugural IHF Dr. Foss Tennis Tournament. Men, Women and Junior Boys and Girls are all invited to play at the Danville Middle School tennis courts. Competition starts Wednesday at 6pm. Get your applications at the IHF Company Store or click here to download an application.

Thursday, July 22. At 7pm, led by the nationally known Avalon String Band, a mummers group established in 1939 in Philadelphia, the IHF parade marches down East Market Street to Mill and ends at Lower Mulberry St.  Join in the fun. Have your friends, coworkers and family members dress up in period costumes and march in the parade or decorate a float focusing on the past. Click Here For Parade Application.  Stick around after the parade at the end of Mill Street (across from the Montgomery House) to see a performance of the Avalon String Band or also after the parade at Canal Park  enjoy the music of the Summit City Saints Dixieland Band.  Then wander over to Cole’s Hardware parking lot and enjoy ‘Stanky and the Coal Miners’. Stanky and his group are premiere polka musicians. Refreshments will be available for purchase at Cole’s Hardware parking lot.

July 23, Friday afternoon, Canal Park starts at 12pm with the barbershop quartet, New Found Sound  and at 1pm it’s all planned around the children with Woody Wolfe at 1pm and Suzanne Walzer at 2pm!.  Go on a lantern light mine hike at Sunnybrook Park with Larry Mordan and Van Wagner Friday, 8:30 pm or Saturday 10am. ‘Pass the Peanuts’ the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Watchbox will be held at Watchbox Park at the corner of Mill and Lower Mulberry Streets. Mr. Dulais Rhys will be present to dedicate a brick to Welshman Joseph Parry. The Antique Market and the Reading Railroad display opens at 6pm in the Danville Middle school and will be open thru Sunday afternoon The Friday evening show “An Evening with the Celts” will honor our Scottish and Irish roots with renowned Charlie Zahm. With a baritone voice some have described as "coming along once in a generation," Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. Also performing are the "Principal Players of the Brandywine Harp Orchestra” They blend together a marvelous mix of harping, singing and dancing in their Celtic harp programs. ($12)*.

Saturday, July 24. Start the day by cheering on your favorite runners at the third annual 5k run. Starting at the DMS at 9am, the runners will travel on our Trail of History for prizes. Click Here For an Application. There will be a tour of the Basilica before the Service of Joy at 9am and at 10am there is a non-denominational Service of Joy at the Basilica located on the grounds of St. Cyril Academy. Visit Franklin Furnace and listen as Gene Shipe, a direct descendant of Philip Maus describes the day to day operation of the furnace.

Iron Heritage Festival Quoits Tournamentsponsored by the USQA will be held Saturday. Quoits, the predecessor of horseshoe pitching, dating back to ancient Greek Olympics was played by young and old alike, rich and poor. Tournaments went on at every picnic and get together. In Danville, tournaments were played in Montgomery Park at lunch time and in the evenings. The tournament will be played behind the tennis courts on the Danville Middle School lawn. Not only do the 'quoits pitchers' play for the prize money but for the prestige of being the best quoits pitcher in the country! Last year there were several local teams, one team even won a prize and participated in other USQA events, so get your teams together! For more information about the quoits tournament check out the website at www.quoits.info. Applications can be found at the IHF Company Store and also on USQA website.

IHF is proud to bring you lectures by experts in the Iron history, such as Patrick Malone. Patrick Malone is Professor of Urban Studies and American Civilization and Director of the Urban Studies Program at Brown University.   He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1964 and received his Ph. D. in history from Brown in 1971.  In addition to serving on the Brown Faculty he taught at the University of Pennsylvania and was director of the Slater Mill Historic Site.  Please come and hear Professor Malone talk of the history of Iron in Pennsylvania in the DMS Auditorium at 1pm on Saturday.

Hear Rich Pawling tell of Conrad Weiser’s contribution to Pennsylvania and his role as a peace keeper with the Native Americans. Artisans will be demonstrating the skills of the past, and the IHF furnace will be up and running and smelting iron ore. Artisans returning this year will include soap making, iron working, caning, pottery, broom making and more. New this year is Mr. Brad Becker who demonstrates and discuss the use of field drums at the time of the American Revolution.  IHF brings the high wheelers back to Danville. Just seeing these men ride these bikes is a treat and they just might help you up in the seat of Great Grandpa’s bicycle. Children can have knitting and embroidery lessons a Swisher’s Yarn Shop on Ferry Street. Take a walk and visit Danville’s Historic area, West Market Street. Stop at the Front Porch Stage at the West Market St. side of the courthouse and listen to William Penn and others tell of his life in the early years.  In the Community ballroom you will find a display of period clothing and accessories. Learn how to do tatting and needlework. See displays of Pysanky, Scherenschnitte, Porcelain Painting, Fraktur, Therom Painting  and Celtic Spoons. Shop the Antique Market there where you may be able to pick up Danville Collectible items in the Danville Middle School Gym. Wagon rides are available from 11am to 5pm ($). No one describes the day to day operations of a hot blast furnace better than Gene Shipe, descendant of the Maus family. Join Gene at 10am at the Franklin Furnace and he may even show you his Grandmother’s apple press! On the Mill Street stage, you are sure to tap your feet when the Shippensburg Blaskapelle Oompha Band takes the stage for 2 performances! In the Artisan encampment the ‘Little German Band’ will be playing at 12:30pm and at 3pm.  Local authors such as Sue Reichen Boardman, Randy Hackenburg and Mary Brouse will be available throughout the day to discuss their book and do book signings in the Montgomery House along with Welshman Mr. Dulais Rhys signing his new book about Joseph Parry.  While in the Montgomery House, enjoy the display of Revolutionary War and Civil War items.  Local Danville area restaurants will be offering their specialties when you are ready to eat, along with specialties of treats from the past, such as kettle corn, roasted peanuts and home made ice cream throughout the town. Enjoy the ethnic food court at the north end of Mill Street. 2 stages of free music take place all day. Enjoy the Shippensburg Ommpha Band, the Joe  Lastovica and Polka Punch and the Danjo Wheelers. After a day full of fun get the lawn chairs out to watch the fireworks over the river with the family.

Sunday, July 25. From 8am to 3pm come out to the fly in at the Danville-Riverside Airport, brought to you by the EAA Chapter #769.  While there take a helicopter ride and check out the planes that are the pride of their owners.  A period Church Service will take place a the Mahoning Presbyterian Church. Several IHF programs will close the festival. These include a concert by the Singing Boys Choir at DMS. Also a Gymanfa Ganu, a festival of sacred music conducted by Mr. Trefor Williams of Wales at the Mahoning Presbyterian Church, followed by a Te Bach, Welsh Tea.  Finish up a fabulous week with our Hymn Sing. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and sit beside the beautiful Susquehanna River in Montgomery Park and join Suzanne Walzer, Van Wagner and friends in the old favorite hymns and songs we all know and love.  

Due to the circumstances beyond our control, stated events may be changed as time gets closer. The schedule tab will take you to a printable time table to help you plan your day.(will be available as soon as plans are final) IHF Programs with costs of tickets, photos and Danville History will be available June. These can be found throughout the area. If you are from out of the Montour Co. area, call the IHF Company Store to have one mailed to you for a small charge.  If you would like to help sponsor an event, check the sponsorship page on this site to learn the different levels of sponsorship.  If you would like to make a donation to the IHF please send your donation to IHF, 316 Mill St. Danville, PA 17821. Click Here For Donation Form.

*($) This is a paid event and a ticket is needed, Purchase your ticket at the IHF Company Store at 316 Mill St.