The Georgia Salzburgers will celebrate their history at the Heritage Day Festival on Labor Day, Sept. 1, where their ancestors built their homes on the Savannah River near Rincon. Two-hundred eighty years ago, they built their place of worship, Jerusalem Lutheran Church.
The Heritage Day schedule opens at 9:30 a.m. with demonstrations, booths and crafts on the grounds. The Jerusalem Lutheran Church members and Georgia Salzburger Society members are working together to make this festival possible. An organ concert begins at 10:30 a.m. in Jerusalem Lutheran Church featuring period music by Trellene Metzger.
The Georgia Salzburger Society will host their annual meeting at 11 a.m. The guest speaker will be Dr. Mueller-Bahlke, director of the Francke Foundation in Halle, Germany. He heads the organization that provided assistance and pastors for our Salzburgers beginning in 1773. Files of the foundation have over 1,000 original documents pertaining to the Salzburgers, many of which have been translated and made available to the GSS.
The lemonade barrel is a long-standing tradition (see the accompanying photograph of the committee 43 years ago). Lemonade made the old-fashioned way from hand-squeezed lemons and sugar served from a wooden barrel will be served throughout the day. Come by and have some on Labor Day.
Lunch will be offered by Jerusalem Lutheran Church. Brats and hotdogs will be sold on the grounds. A barbecue pork meal with choice of dessert is available in the church social hall for $12. No ticket or reservation is needed.
The winners of the Hinely Salzburger poster contest will be revealed during the meeting.
At 1 p.m., Music through the Ages, a dulcimer concert by Joan Davis, will be presented in the church.
The Salzburger Museum, Fail House and old parsonage will be open for tours, and old-time crafts will be demonstrated.
A hayride and grand tour will begin at 1:30 p.m.
The Euchee (Yuchi) Indian demonstration will be presented at 2 p.m.
Many books and items are available for sale in the Salzburger Museum. Exhibits, the Salzburger Museum, Market Platz featuring crafts, canned goods, vegetables and handmade items will be open until 3 p.m.
The event celebrating the Salzburger Heritage is open to the public at no charge. Come stay all day or a few hours. I am sure you will learn something and enjoy sipping on some of that old-time lemonade.
This was written by Susan Exley of Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos, comments or information to share, contact Exley at 754-6681 or email her at hesheraldexley@aol.com.
