School is back in session, days are shorter and cooler and the Alliance ladies have dipped the last caramel apple.  Being new to Conner Prairie, I thought that the days of kids running about and the balloon flying high were finished for 2009.  Imagine my surprise this morning when around 10am that I heard high pitched joyful voices and then at lunch saw the balloon soaring above the welcome center.  Little did I know that Conner Prairie remains vibrant and active during the fall months.

Later in the day I received an e-mail (what timing!) telling me all about what is going on at Conner Prairie this fall.  Follow the North Star, Conner Prairie by Candlelight and the Gingerbread Village and just a few of the things happening.  Knowing that the Gingerbread Village was soon to appear in the welcome center took me back to my childhood and seeing the Gingerbread Village for the first time with my mother and brother. 

At the ripe ago of 10 I had never seen such a display of confectionary wonderment and whimsy.  I was rendered speechless at the sight of houses, and big houses at that, made entirely out of candy, cookies and other sugary delights.  I studied the details and remember asking my mother many questions ‘Is the door made out of candy too? What about the sidewalk? What about the trees?’  She was very patient and her answer was the same to every question, ‘Yes, that is made of candy too.’  Going to see the Gingerbread Village became a great tradition for mother, brother and I.  We always came to see it early in the season and it felt like to the kick off to Christmas preparation.  Our visits to see the Gingerbread Village each year usually kicked off cookie baking time at my house… my mom was smart to sub cookie baking for what I really wanted to do, build a three foot tall Victorian gingerbread house with gables galore and an Oreo slate roof.

I am delighted to know that this tradition lives on at Conner Prairie, that children still walk though and are amazed at structures made entirely out of sweets and things you can eat.  I am excited to visit the exhibit often this December, after all it will be right downstairs, and hopefully someone will ask me if the windows are made out of candy.
 

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Without fail, every October I fall in love with autumn all over again. And that’s easy to do at Conner Prairie. Being surrounded by the beautiful changing leaves is enough to win over even the staunchest enemy of dropping temperatures. Being out on the grounds, I love the sound of crunching leaves, the smell of the fires coming from the houses in Prairietown, and watching kids help harvest corn from the field in Liberty Corner. I love wearing hooded sweatshirts, drinking warm cider, and watching football (the one thing here that Conner Prairie can’t provide). Since I’ve been working here, two more things have been added to my autumn rituals: James Whitcomb Riley and making my own apple butter. I’m not usually one for poetry, but the more I learned about agriculture and Indiana’s rural history, the more the Hoosier poets words made sense and resonated deep within. This past weekend, we saw our first overnight frost, which immediately brought to mind the opening stanza of a Riley classic:

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

So much of that poem makes sense known that I’ve lived through a planting-to-harvest season on the farm. Stop by and I can explain it to you, line by line.

As for apple butter, I came across this historic recipe from the Amish. Known for their apple butter, they would cook it in a large copper pot or cauldron over an open fire or hearth.

Ingredients (makes 25 gallons):

40 gallons apple cider
40 bushels apples
40 lbs. sugar
At 5:30am, heat cider to boiling.
Peel, core, and slice apples. At 2:30pm, add 1/3 of apples. Must be stirred constantly now.
At 3:30pm, add another 1/3 of the apples. Add sugar gradually.
At 4:30pm, add the remaining apples.
Continue stirring until about 8:00pm, until apple butter is thickened. Pour into clean jars and seal.

That's the hardcore way. If you want to make your own or don’t have 14 1/2 hours to stir 40 bushels of apples, try making some in a crockpot.

- Peel, core, and chop 3-4 lbs. of apples. Place in crockpot. Add spices.
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- Sugar is optional – you don’t have to add any, but it may be wise depending on what variety of apple you have chosen or what your taste buds love. Most recipes call for anywhere from 2 – 5 cups of sugar.

- Set the crockpot on high, stirring every hour or so, for 5 hours
- Turn heat down to low for 3 more hours.
- Once the butter is thickened, use a hand mixer to make is smooth and beautiful
- Eat it on biscuits or can it for later.

And if you don't want to make your own, head over to the Apple Store and get some before it closes November 1.

Any other Tuesday morning, I would have hip-hopped in to work around 8:30, filled my mug with coffee (not without flavored creamer) while my computer was warming up, then sorted through a variety of urgent and not-so-urgent requests amid a mass of Google Alerts in my inbox.

But this Tuesday wasn’t just any Tuesday.

First: I remembered to wake up early for our Conner Prairie all-staff meeting at 8:00 a.m. This is critical, as I’ve been known to overlook these meetings altogether from time to time. Second: Apple cider and pumpkin donuts from the Apple Store were present at said meeting. Need I say more? Third: I encountered the opportunity of a lifetime.

In case it’s been unclear, the part of my job description that dictates “other duties as assigned” often leads me in the direction of fascinating, fun and nonsensical at times. Last winter, I “auditioned” to be the Gingerbread Man, which you can watch here. More recently, I spent time with the crew that created History Rising, a documentary chronicling the development of 1859 Balloon Voyage.

And this very special Tuesday, I donned the costume, carried the (plastic) sword and became, for one short staff meeting … the Headless Horseman!

While “Kimberly, I’ll buy you lunch if you’ll do me this favor…” may not sound like I’m in for anything good, the opportunity to gallivant around a staff meeting as the Headless Horseman is, naturally, too remarkable to pass up.

I may be the only Headless Horseman in Conner Prairie history to wear a pearl necklace and peep-toe, patent leather heels, but I gained substantial new respect for the folks who wear this costume for hours. And ride horses wearing it! In the dark! For a peek behind the mask of one of the real Headless Horseman riders, check out this short Prairie Pod: Under the Mask.

Want to learn more about the Headless Horseman? I have just the quiz for you … How much does the costume weigh? How many riders take on the role throughout Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman event? Test your knowledge with this hair-raising Headless Horseman quiz.

And if you’re ready for some real spooks and scares, come out to Conner Prairie for Headless Horseman, which starts this Friday night. For all the frightfully fun details and spine-chilling specifics (and more alarming alliteration...), visit connerprairie.org.
 

The start of October brings with it a brand new atmosphere to Conner Prairie. Not only is there a breath of fall in the air, with the crisp, cool breeze and the crimsoning leaves beginning to drop from the maple tree by Dr. Campbell’s house, but there is a whole new level of excitement and energy that you can almost taste when you walk outside.

Sure, you might be able to attribute some of this new attitude to the delicious caramel apples and cider available at the Apple Store, or to the fact that setup for the always-thrilling Headless Horseman program has already begun. But those of us behind the scenes know that the palpable vitality in the brisk morning air is due mostly to the type of visitors we can expect throughout the day.

Fall is school tour season, and that means that within four short hours on any given day this month, we will see between 300 and 1100 eager and energetic young scholars pouring through the historic grounds. These students are usually moving in groups of 7-10, with one or two chaperones at their heels, trying hard to keep everyone together and guide learning opportunities as best as possible. These groups have a very short amount of time to see everything, and most school groups try their hardest to explore every house and try their hand at every activity before they return to school.

Now, you might think that this means you should avoid Conner Prairie on a school day in the fall, but I want to give you an inside tip: school days are some of the best days to be at Conner Prairie. While our staff might be a little more worn out by the boisterous crowds, they are also going to be at the top of their game and will have plenty of hands-on activities and great topics of discussion ready to go for you. Plus, in the afternoons, most, if not all of the school students have returned to their respective institutions, and an enchanting calm settles over the grounds. Our staff remains keyed-up for great experiences, but they have the luxury of more time and attention to devote just to you and your family.

Those intrepid guests who happened to have a day off from school, or are traveling across the country, or have preschoolers who want to come in and see some animals, get to have very unique one-on-one interactions with their favorite interpreters (and animals). Just yesterday, I happened to be in the school house in Prairietown when a grandma, grandpa, mom and two kids wandered in, after perfecting the art of walking on stilts! We had a wonderful time practicing our mathematical skills and teasing grandpa about his legendary schoolhouse mischief.

So, if you have a free weekday afternoon, take my advice and come out to Conner Prairie to enjoy the fruits of the fall in one of the most beautiful, family-friendly locations in the Midwest!