Autumn Timber Festival Draws a Crowd

By Lauren Shook

A&E Editor

 

Vendors, performers and lumberjacks brought crowds of people to Shawnee Mountain for the Autumn Timber Festival this past weekend. The event took place on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The audience cheered as The Ironjack Timber Team participated in six shows throughout the course of the two-day festival.

The lumberjacks competed “head to head in eight events including hot saw, log roll, axe throw, speed climb, chain saw carving, cross cut saw and the springboard chop,” according to the official Ski Shawnee website.

Morale and spirits were high at the festival on Sunday.  Audience members were at the edge of their seats as the athletes competed in these dangerous events.  The lumberjacks kept the spectators attentive and engaged by interacting with them often.

Attendees ranged in age from adults to their young children and there were events and vendors to captivate the minds of people of all ages.

“I wanted to go because it is so close to the school, and honestly it was the most fun I’ve had this year by far,” said Jakkiy Smith, a junior at ESU.

There was no shortage of activities for those at the festival. At the Exhibition Field, attendees could watch the Mutt-allica dog and pony show or the SueWee Pig Races.

At the Educational Tent close by, there were blacksmithing and saw mill demonstrations conducted by talented tradesmen.

Kids were not left bored either. The venue offered pony rides, magic shows and juggling shows to entertain those with big families.

Face painting and chairlift rides were also some unique activities available for families at the festival.

Food stands were on display at the heart of the venue for those who worked up an appetite during this action-packed event.

“I went for the food, because I’ve gone to other Shawnee events, and the homemade food is always amazing” stated Rachael Schwartz, a sophomore at ESU.

Food vendors offered a variety of tasty options for the festival. Customers had their choice of treats from traditional polish food to meals featuring warm pretzels from the Pretzelria food truck.

Patrons’ favorites included homemade kettle corn, cold Italian ice and refreshing lemonade made with fresh fruit from the Speckled Lemonade stand.

Shawnee hosts many different events throughout the year. Some of these include the Celtic Festival, Chicken Wing Off, Mountain Mud Run and many more.

The next event is the Pocono Food Truck Festival on Oct. 17 and 18. Besides a long list of vendors offering stellar foods, the festival will offer a monster truck show and quad races.

For a full list of the food trucks attending, or to check out other events at Shawnee Mountain, visit them at http://www.shawneemt.com/sumfall.html.