Strawberries and local history are on the schedule for the Iola Historical Society’s 30th annual Strawberry Fest on Sunday, June 22.
Strawberry Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Society’s Historical Village Complex on Depot Street just west of downtown Iola.
The free event includes an Antiques Appraisal Fair and craft show.
The Antiques Appraisal Fair will provide experts on a wide range of collectibles on hand to ascertain the value of people’s attic and basement treasures.
Admission to the event is free, although goodwill donations are accepted.
The strawberry shortcake with ice cream or whipped topping is available for $4. Other food items include barbecue sandwich for $3; hot dog for $2.50; and coffee, lemonade or water for $1.
Each purchase of strawberry shortcake includes a free raffle ticket, with additional tickets available for $1 each.
There is also a raffle drawing with tickets are priced at $2 each, or three for $5. The major prize will be $500 in cash.
Additional prizes donated by Iola-Scandinavia businesses will also be distributed during the drawing held at 2:45 p.m. toward the end of the fest.
All proceeds from the event go to benefit restoration of the historic Iola & Northern Railroad Depot and other historical society projects.
Area residents can bring items from their attics and basements for evaluation and pricing information to a wide-ranging group of experts at the Antiques Appraisal Fair.
Cost is $2 per item or $5 for three items, with all proceeds benefitting the Iola Historical Society.
Antiques and collectibles appraisers tentatively include: general antiques – Joel Edler; books, comics and popular culture – Maggie Thompson, Brent Frankenhoff and Tom Michael; sports collectibles – Bob Lemke; sporting goods – Ted Willems; militaria and medals – Colin Bruce and Fred Borgmann; miscellaneous collectibles, toys, and coins – Eric Bradley, Dave Demling, George Cuhaj and Joel Edler; records and music memorabilia – Tim Neely; automotive – John Gunnell.
Crafters will include: Linda Carsten, rosemaling; Jerry Johnson, rugweaving; Claire Nordness, spinning; and Patty Kirschner, jewelry making, among others.
The Historic Iola Village buildings will be open for visitors, including the depot, which is undergoing restoration to its original design.
The other buildings include a replica of a local one-room schoolhouse; a 1930s log cabin used in the area by hunters; a replica of Iola’s original fire station containing Iola’s vintage first three firefighting vehicles; the original Helvetia Town Hall; The Machine Shed; a vintage caboose; and the historical society’s museum.
The Machine Shed is filled with vintage farm and manufacturing equipment, along with the recently acquired Anderson Machine Shop.
The museum features recently acquired collections such as the Ray Elmer Towne collection of Native American artifacts found around Iola and throughout Waupaca County; the Bert Stromberg violin collection, featuring violins made and sold by the former constable of Iola in the mid-20th century; the Lee Nelson exhibit, a decorated World War II veteran from Iola who flew 31 bombing missions into Germany and German-occupied France; and other items of local historical significance are also on display.
Docents will be at each building to talk about their historic significance and answer any questions.
For more information, visit www.iolahistoricalsociety.org or www.ischamber.org.