So, today we are going to blog about the Farmhouse Halloween 1930’s exhibit. I have been a docent there for over a decade, so I know the place inside and out.
Our Farmhouse Halloween displays relates to the 1930’s era although we have had displays from the 1940’s or other time periods.
Halloween Kitchen
Above all, Halloween on the Farm is a time of the apple harvest and cooler days. The farmwife would make apple sauce, apple butter, or even apple pie. The fall canned produce would then be eaten during the winter months. The canned jars of food is stored on shelves in the cool cellar or basement. The farmwife also stored the root crops in the cellar.
In the Farmhouse, we have lots of faux apples on the sink and on the table to go with the season. Sometimes we put out our vintage blue enameled canning pot on the wood burning stove to simulate the canning procedure. We even have a cup of faux sugar which is made by rubbing two pieces of Styrofoam together.
As a docent we, also, talk about Halloween pranks. Generally, we take the homemade soap off the sink, and place it on the kitchen table. Then we talk about Halloween pranks with soaping windows or leaving funny pictures on windows. For instance, we usually write BOO on the farmhouse door’s glass window. However, the docents never touch anything else in the Farmhouse. After Halloween, the soap can be carefully wiped off the glass window pane. Sometimes we talk about the outhouse being pushed over as a super prank, and I point to our outhouse in the farm yard.
Halloween Parlor
We generally place our papier-mâché vintage Halloween pumpkin on the radio in our parlor or living room. This way we know it will be safe and people can see it from a distance.
Although we ask people not to touch things, sometimes things get picked up or touched. We have learned to pull the faux food towards the back of the table or adjust the crowd ropes for this reason. We have a few aged magazines which we encase in plastic covers before putting them out.
The docents talk about the famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast aired on October 30th, 1938. One year, we even played the broadcast. But since the farmhouse tour is only a few minutes long, no one ever hears the full broadcast so we have not aired it again.
Our non-vintage tin wash tub comes out during Halloween, where it is set up with a bobbing for apples game. We cut several holes in a piece of paper, then insert the faux apples, so it looks like the apples are floating in water.
Halloween Dining Room
During the month of October, we always have the dining room table set for a 1930’s Halloween party exhibit.
It was about this time, people started to offer children parties and treats to avoid the tricks played on them.
We have faux cakes and cookies we put out to simulate the party. The older faux cookies are black cats and the recent cookies are iced fall leaves and acorns. We also put out a faux white cake which is made of round cardboard boxes, plaster and glue.
Sometimes we decorate the rooms with strips of crepe paper hung from the doors and such. But also have other vintage inspired decorations we use.
Ending Notes on the Farmhouse Halloween Blog
Because I haven’t given out all of our historic Farmhouse’s Halloween magical secrets, you will have to visit the Farmhouse to see it all.
But, as far as a 1930’s Halloween party on the Farm goes, we are pretty historically accurate. Keeping it Real on the Farm!
Why are there no Halloween Farmhouse photographs on FMB?
First of all, my Readers are probably wondering why there are no Farmhouse photographs on my blog. Even though I don’t presently monetize my blog, it might be something I would think about in the future.
Many places in my town do not allow photographs or they require a permit.
So, that is a good question and a good answer is because written permission/permit is needed to post any photographs related to the Farm or Farmhouse on an online blog.
In thinking things over, I probably should have named my blog something different than Farmhouse Magic Blog.
To take photographs for a wedding or such at the Farm, you need to pay for a permit. However, I’m not sure that would even work for a blog. So, it is complicated is the short answer.
But regardless of things, have a Great Halloween.
All photographs used on today’s blog were taken at Merrifield Garden Center.
A Special Thank You to David of Merrifield Garden Center for allowing me to use photographs taken at their garden center.