Labor Day tends to be the unofficial end to summer and this holiday weekend features several longtime festivals.
One such tradition is Heritage Fest on Sept. 4 at Paarlberg Farm in South Holland. History and heritage are celebrated at the annual event, which South Holland Historical Society has presented for more than 40 years.
“The Widow Paarlberg came over here in 1847. I think I’m six generations away,” said Bill Paarlberg, South Holland Historical Society’s vice president.
“On the way over her husband died. She had six children. The captain of the ship said, ‘Well, I’ll bring you back to the Netherlands for nothing,’ and she said, ‘No, the Lord will provide.’ That’s a saying in the Bible.”
“She stayed with her children. Then they got a little older and they started growing crops and taking them to Chicago. That’s how she kept going.”
Heritage Fest includes tours of the Paarlberg Historical Homestead, which was built in 1870 by Peter Paarlberg, one of the sons of the widow Antje Paarlberg, and reflects when he and his 10 children lived there.
“We’ve tried to keep all the antique furniture in it,” said Bill Paarlberg, a South Holland native who now lives in Sleepy Hollow.
Heritage Fest attendees also may tour the barn, which Peter Paarlberg built.
“We have almost all of the equipment that was used on the farm in the barn,” said Bill Paarlberg. Items include one of the first plows made by John Deere and a grinding stone.
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“The Widow Paarlberg had (a grinding stone) on her farm. The Native Americans would come and sharpen their axes on the grinding stone. Then when she was a little short of food in the wintertime they would drop off different meats at the house for her and her family.
“My three great aunts and great uncle lived there their whole life until they donated it to the village of South Holland and the historical society.”
In 1970 his great uncle Gerrit Paarlberg and great aunts Eva Paarlberg, Anna Paarlberg and Mary Paarlberg donated the site, which Bill Paarlberg noted includes about two acres that the farm sits on and 10 acres that the village developed into Paarlberg Park, which added pickleball courts in June.
“Before all of it’s gone we’re trying to save it,” said Bill Paarlberg, who helped Cynthia Jacobs start South Holland Historical Society in the early 1970s.
A new addition to Heritage Fest, which was started by South Holland Historical Society member Esther Van Milligan, is South Holland Trustee Larry W. De Young displaying approximately 10 vehicles from his antique car collection.
The festival also features crafters, a disc jockey, a farmers market with produce South Holland Historical Society buys from Big John’s Farm Market & Greenhouses in Chicago Heights, line dancing, quilters, raffles, South Holland Master Chorale, South Holland Municipal Band and woodworking.
Food vendors include Boy Scouts of Lansing with hot dogs and hamburgers, Cunis Candies and Ice Cream of South Holland with its namesake cold treat, Hannah’s Helping Hands Ministries of South Holland with roasted sweet corn and South Holland Historical Society with the Dutch favorite oliebollen.
Heritage Fest
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 4
Where: Paarlberg Farm, 17234 Paxton Ave., South Holland
Admission: free
Information: 708-596-4917; facebook.com and search South Holland Historical Society
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.