Baraboo Old Fashioned Days Festival

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Morgan horses strolled the streets of Baraboo, just like in the "good,
old days" and many of today's people were delighted to see them!

Above: Alissa Turnquist headed for the dry goods store (or maybe the ice cream parlor)
on Devilwood Gryphon. Gryphie got lots of help from Old Fashioned Days visitors making sure he was "groomed to the nines" for his adoring public. He was the epitome of Morgan docility while these children learned to brush him and pick his hooves.

Below: Leila Erdmann and the handsome WMHC 2009 raffle colt Ken-Dar Easy Eye
took to the street for a meet and greet with the public. Leila kept Easy Eye and his
buddy Ken-Dar Mellow Yellow satisfied with lots of yummy hay.
Who needs ice cream cones?

Pre-event press:

Old Fashioned Festival will fill downtown Saturday
By Brian D. Bridgeford / News Republic

Fun ranging from a hula hoop competition to caring for real horses and seeing Baraboo’s representative in Madison get soaked in the traditional water fights is available for all Saturday during the 51st Annual Old Fashioned Festival in downtown Baraboo.

For early risers, the Baraboo Farmers Market takes place 7 a.m. to noon and there will be day-long sidewalk sales by local merchants, said Bekah Stelling, one of the organizers. Other fun includes a 9 a.m. hat contest sponsored by Fanfaire Promotions, a doll and household pet parade beginning at 10 a.m. and pie judging contest at the Bekah Kate’s store on Third St.

Pies for the contest should be brought to the store between 9 and 11 a.m., Stelling said. Pie judging is at noon and the winners will be announced on the Courthouse Square at 1 p.m. Slices of the pies will be sold as a fundraiser for the Baraboo Area Food Pantry, she said.

Between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. the Wisconsin Morgan Horse Club will sponsor horsemanship demonstrations in a tent in front of Hill’s Gallery on Fourth Street, said Annie Randall, owner of the Village Booksmith book store and local Morgan horse enthusiast.

They will offer horse-themed posters and coloring books free, show the Walt Disney film "Justin Morgan had a Horse," about the founder of the Morgan horse breed, and activities with several horses picked for their calm temperaments.

"We’ll have three, four Morgans depending on the weather," she said. "We’ve got quiet horses – we’re hoping kids can have an opportunity to learn how to brush them, pick up their feet. We’ll show them how to braid manes and tails, kind of general horsemanship and horse demonstrations.

"There will also be a registered Morgan, who’s being raffled off," Randall said.