September is upon us and harvest is in full gear. Heritage Acres Farm Museum will wrap up another successful season with its Fall Family Fun Event on Saturday, Sept. 13, promising a full day of activities capped by a barn dance and the grand opening of a new storage building.

Daylong activities planned

The event will feature harvesting demonstrations, horse demos, blacksmithing displays, a petting zoo, children’s carnival activities, rope making, nail pounding, vintage ice cream making, a kiddies train and train station demonstrations throughout the day.

Evening festivities begin with a 5 p.m. grand opening ceremony for the museum’s new Harvest Storage Building, a project years in the making. Local dignitaries will attend the ceremony.

The day concludes with a gathering in the VZ Barn, including a happy hour, barbecued beef or smoked beef brisket supper, silent auction and barn dance with music by the Coyote Creek band.

During the evening program, organizers will draw the winning ticket for the Save Our 1917 Steam Tractor 50-50 fundraiser, which sold out completely thanks to volunteer efforts led by Edna Arnold.

Busy summer season

The Pincher Creek area museum welcomed visitors from across Canada and around the world this summer, including guests from Germany, Finland, Holland, England, Italy, Texas and every Canadian province. As a Harvest Hosts camping location, the museum continues to earn five-star ratings from RV travellers.

“Amazing history, whether you like the schoolhouse and mercantile or the farming tools, you’re in for a treat,” wrote one recent visitor. “Vintage tractors and equipment were fun to see. Amazing to see the technology improve year after year.”

New leadership and future plans

The museum recently welcomed Mickey Vallee of Lundbreck as its new executive director. 

Board members approved the museum’s 2026 operating and capital budget, which will be presented to joint municipal councils Sept. 10.

Work continues on steam tractor repairs, with contractors reporting progress after receiving required materials.

Next year’s annual show will feature vintage crawler tractors and road-building equipment demonstrations.