Demonstrating at the Threshing Bee

Made it to the Threshing Bee in Rosholt, South Dakota last weekend. Seventh time in eight years that we have gone down. It is a highlight of my summer. I take my wheel, yarn and wool and do a spinning demonstration. It is so fun to talk to all the people and explain the spinning process. I love talking to people who come by the demonstration who are as passionate about fiber and art as I am. I always meet new and interesting people with interesting stories to tell.

This year, the town of Rosholt was celebrating its Centennial and the Rosholt Area Threshermen's Association (RATA) was celebrating its twenty fifth Threshing Bee. The parade was bigger than in other years and there were a lot more activities in town. For more fun information and photos, check out the RATA Facebook page here Threshing Bee.

  I set up next to the blacksmith shop this year 
outside with the pioneer tent. It was great being outdoors. It was hot and sunny but the breeze  was
cool and it kept the dust and smoke away.  Being in the pioneer tent this year was new to me. Kirk and LaVonne Akerson have the pioneer tent. It is set up alongside the blacksmith demonstration.

LaVonne spends the day cooking over an open fire and talking about the old ways with people
passing by. Kirk works next door in the Blacksmith Shop and their daughter, Hannah, keeps busy making hand cranked ice cream and butter and helping out the threshermen and anyone else who needs it.

 

                                                                           

    

    Every year there is a new cedar shingle designed and cut with the saw mill. This year there was a really nice design (as always). We had one for each year we were at the bee but unfortunately, the camper they were in burned in the fire we had last year so we have to start our collection of a buttons and shingles over. 

Each year we have been invited to park our camper by Donny Dahlman's shop. I want to thank Donny and Stacy and their boys for all the hospitality and assistance as well as the wonderful fun we had all weekend. Donny has a LOT of steam machinery! He has a large shop that he keeps it in and works on it during the year. During the Bee, everything is brought outside and displayed. He has a great collection. There are a lot of other people with big steam engines, tractors, and threshers. To see pictures go to the link above. 

There is really something for everyone at the Bee. RATA does a great job of pulling everything together to create a wonderful weekend of family fun. Neither my husband or I are from Rosholt, but every year feels like a family reunion. I wish I had taken more pictures. I was planning to, but there were a lot of people there and I got too busy spinning, talking, and selling yarn!