Lehighton’s park patrons were transported to the town’s past through the exhibition and demonstration of numerous historical activities during the Heritage Festival over the weekend.

Lining the walkway leading to the amphitheater were a variety of stalls featuring historic crafts and traditions, including antique farming equipment, weaving demonstrations, sauerkraut making, and much more.“We have ten heritage stations set up in the upper park,” Autumn Abelovsky, secretary of parks and recreation, said. “They’re showing people what life was life 151 years ago. We have lace making, basket weaving, sauerkraut making, there’s a wood carver up there. All of the stations are giving hands-on experiences to people who come up to see what’s going on.Abelovsky said that modern conveniences have facilitated a disposable world, and that taking a glimpse at the past, and its hand-made products, can provide a better sense of appreciation for the area’s history.“Unfortunately, we live in a throw-away world. People go to the store, they get something, if it breaks, it if doesn’t work right, they throw it away and get another one. That wasn’t how it was 151 years ago. When people get to see how people took time, and how intricate and how detailed things like lace making were, if they buy a shirt with lace on it, they might appreciate it more,” Abelovsky said.Barbara Saltern came out to the Heritage Festival to educate people on a classic fabric making technique that she has practiced for over 20 years.“This is called bobbin lace, it’s an off-loom weaving technique,” Barbara Saltern said as she wove an intricate pattern by crossing threads attached to bobbins, which are wooden handles. “Even though I’ve got a whole bunch of bobbins here, I only use four at a time. Two goes over three, two and four jump to the left, two over three, two and four jump to the left. I’m done with this pair, and I bring in another pair. You just keep moving back and forth, and it makes your fabric.”Though the practice may seem a bit confusing to the amateur, Saltern is more than happy to help teach and preserve the practice.“I like to demonstrate, I like to show the craft to people, and I like to let them know that if they want to learn, I teach a class in Nazareth. Even though it’s not a main-line craft, like knitting and crocheting, that you can go to Michael’s and A.C. Moore and get the stuff for it, it’s still out there, people are still doing it. People who tell me it’s a lost art, we’re working very hard to make sure it doesn’t become a lost art.”The delicate and beautiful designs of the lace captured the eye of Valerie Dailey as she passed by the stall.“It’s really impressive, the time and attention to detail, it’s something that you don’t see today,” Dailey said. “It’s really important for kids to appreciate things. They take a lot of things for granted, and events like these help them appreciate things more.”The festival offered several other stations for just about every fabric fan you can imagine. Evalynn Kuehner and her daughter Kira, who run Picnic Woods Alpacas farm in Lehighton with Evalynn’s husband Dennis, showed how yarn is created from alpaca fiber, and then how the yarn can be used to make fabric.“Today we are showing people a little bit about fiber arts and the fiber industry. She’s spinning the fiber into yarn, and I’m showing weaving on a triangle loom, and how we can use that yarn to make clothing and textiles,” Evalynn Kuehner said.In fact, Kira has been an avid yarn maker since she was a young girl, and she aims to keep the practice alive.“I just think it’s a neat thing to keep going, it’s such an old tradition. It’s neat to see the processing of the fiber, and how it becomes useful,” Kira Kuehner said as she spun the fiber.For those interested in the rich farming history of the area, Jake Henderson, whose family owns a farm in Ashville, had a table featuring a variety of vintage equipment, most of which could still be used today.“Mostly, I have hand tools from the early times of our country. Most of it is for planting and harvesting. It gives you more respect for what people did back then. Just the fact that that planter, there, is still around, it’s a testament to how stuff was made back then, compared to now,” Henderson said.Tom Connors, who explored the table with his family as he asked Henderson about corn huskers and planters, was fascinated by the antiques and Lehighton’s history.“We live in Weatherly, and we figured we’d come over to visit Lehighton and learn about its heritage a little bit. It seemed like a great day to come out. I just learned a lot about corn husking,” Tom Connors said.Husband and wife Wayne and Terri Sheckler ran a duel tent, with Wayne handling old-fashioned sauerkraut making, and Terri hand stitching quilts.“I’ve been doing it for about as long as I can remember,” Sheckler said. “Sauerkraut is simple, it’s just cabbage and salt. The rest is work. You do the work cutting it, and it does the work afterwards, fermenting it.”The outsides leaves and the core of the cabbage are removed, and the rest is shredded. A precise amount of salt is added to the shreds, and then the mixture is tamped, or firmly pressed down to release the water. The result is placed in a crock, topped with the outside leaves, and left to ferment for at least six weeks.“A lot of people don’t really know that it’s a simple process. Everybody that we talked to so far today thought you added water to sauerkraut,” Sheckler said, pointing out that most people were rather ignorant of the classic cuisine. However, he was ready to educate festival goers with free samples, which tasted much less salty, and much more nuanced than store-bought sauerkraut.As Wayne shredded his cabbage, Terri peacefully sat by, precisely stitching a new quilt together by hand on a frame.“Most people don’t quilt by frame anymore, they use a machine,” Sheckler said. “I think it’s part of our history. We’re Pennsylvania Dutch, and it was a big part of the Pennsylvania Dutch history. These were the pretty things you would have in the house. Clothing was pretty plain, but you could make a quilt fancy, and dress it up more. It was very creative for a woman, in fact, it was one of their only creative outlets.”Though the rain came down later in the day, most festival goers were afforded plenty of time to explore the practices of Lehighton’s past, and get a taste of what the old days were like.“I truly believe it brings people closer together, and makes them appreciate their town more,” Abelovsky said. “Seeing things like lace making, sauerkraut making, basket making, wood carving, it shows them this is what our town was built on. Even though we don’t do these trades as much nowadays, it’s still important to remember them.”The festival continues today. Fireworks will be held at 10 p.m.