GREENVILLE – Darke County Parks is excited to see you for this year’s Gathering at Garst event on July 25th and 26th presented by the UAW. Catch us on Saturday from 10am-8pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. The historical encampment, entertainers, and over 40 vendors of all types will be set up on the Garst Museum grounds and Prairie Ridge Meadow.
On Saturday, the event will open at 10am, with the tavern following at 11am. Throughout the day, you can enjoy a variety of entertainment on the main stage, the largest white tent beside the Lowell Thomas House on the Garst Museum grounds. The highlights for the entertainment tent will be the melodrama from the Darke County Civic Theater at 1pm, Pat Arnold at 3pm, and the British Invasion (Beatles cover band) from 7-9pm. In between shows, Darke County Parks will have their animal ambassadors and Annie Oakley herself will be on stage! If stage entertainment isn’t your thing, there is still plenty to do. Idle-Hour Ranch will have petting zoo animals from 10am-6:30pm and Rodao Farms will have horse-drawn carriage rides from 12pm-4pm. While these rides will be free of charge, donations are appreciated.
This doesn’t even include the historical entertainment at Prairie Ridge Meadow, across the street from Garst Museum. The encampment will have candle dipping, trading posts, and more. Even the school marm from Prairie Days will be back at the encampment! Keep your eyes peeled for more detailed schedules for Saturday.
Sunday is the final day of Gathering at Garst from 11am-5pm. Stage entertainment will include the melodrama from the Darke County Civic Theater at 1pm and Kevin and the Others from 3pm-5pm. Annie Oakley and Darke County Parks will be back on stage in between performances. Rodao Farms will be doing horse-drawn carriage rides from 12:30-3:30pm and Idle-Hour Ranch petting zoo will be present from 12pm-3pm. Browse the various artisan, organic, and homestead vendors throughout the Garst Museum grounds and enjoy a bite to eat from the variety of food trucks and vendors. The encampment will have oxen, axe-throwing competitions, and various portrayals of historical figures such as Francis Scott Key, George Washington, and others.
This year, the Darke County Civic Theater performance will be “The Haunting of Maggie MacNamara, or . . . The Day the Circus Came to Town” –
“Maggie MacNamara and her family are visited in the night by … ghosts? After frightening poor Maggie, the culprits, the self-proclaimed master thief, Theodore Blackwood, and his reluctant niece, Tammy Blackwood, who would rather be a circus clown, flee the MacNamara Tavern, taking with them the family’s life savings. Enter Deputy William Hawthorne, our brave hero, who meets Maggie at the scene of the crime and vows to help her and her family. Meanwhile, the Blackwoods have left something behind at the tavern, a clue that could potentially lead to their arrest. In an attempt to come out on top, Theodore Blackwood changes his plans and aims for a bigger prize. Can William Hawthorne solve the crime and save the day or will the MacNamaras lose everything?”
We would like to give special thanks to our sponsors:
Presented by: UAW
Leading sponsors: Greenville National Bank, Kevin Flory Landscaping and Lawn Care Inc., Leis Realty, Wayne Builders, Arcon Builders, Litchfield Family, MJS Plastics, and the Lowder Family.
Supporting sponsors: Park National Bank, Jim Buchy, Hittle GMC, Annie Oakley Center Foundation, Doss Business Systems, Greenville Federal, Whirlpool, and Edward Jones.
We’re eager for Gathering at Garst and it is quickly approaching! We will see you at Prairie Ridge Meadow and the Garst Museum Grounds on July 25th and 26th. This beloved community event only happens once a year, so don’t miss it!
