Warsaw hosts dual heritage celebrations

Published 12:08 am Tuesday, October 20, 2026

WARSAW — Two unrelated events brought a wealth of activities to Warsaw over the weekend: Warsaw Heritage Days at Drake Harbor and Warsaw Pioneer Heritage Days at Kaysinger Bluff.

At the Kaysinger Bluff Pioneer Village near the Truman Dam Visitors Center, guests experienced a glimpse of 19th-century life through traditional foods, historical reenactments and demonstrations. At Kaysinger Bluff, Suzanne Bechtel helped coordinate demonstrators and activities designed to reflect life in the 1800s.

“Heritage Days is celebrating the 1800s, and we are here to represent that,” Bechtel said. “We’re trying to stay with the theme and keep all of our activities in this area for that time period.”

That historical theme extended to the food, clothing and demonstrations throughout the pioneer village. Visitors could find sorghum, baked goods and wassail, a spiced cider served during the event.

Demonstrations and reenactments also brought the past to life. Members of the Cherokee Nation attended in traditional dress to discuss their village, while gunfighters performed reenactments around the grounds, including staged robberies of the general store. An author also participated in activities based on his book.

Bechtel said she helped bring the demonstrators together, while Peggy and Larry Berry oversee the event.

The annual celebration takes place during the third weekend of October. Another opportunity to experience the village comes in December during Kaysinger Christmas, scheduled for the second week of the month. That event features vendors, candlelit streets and buildings, food and seasonal activities.

“It’s a walk back in time,” Bechtel said.

Although organizing the event requires considerable work, she said seeing visitors enjoy the experience makes it worthwhile.

“It is a lot of work, but it’s very fun and very rewarding, seeing the smiles on people’s faces and the excitement of seeing things that they’re not used to seeing every day,” Bechtel said.

Food was another attraction at the pioneer village, where Karlie Kaiser prepared yeast breads, cinnamon rolls and cobblers for visitors.

Kaiser said breadmaking has a long history, although the methods used in the past often differed from modern baking techniques.

Historically, people frequently maintained sourdough cultures that could be dried and later reconstituted with flour to make bread. Kaiser said she was using commercial yeast for her baked goods at the event.

“Bread’s been around forever,” Kaiser said. “It’s been around since Egypt.”

Traditional woodworking also demonstrated how people once made everyday necessities by hand.

Larry and Diane Goodwin were camped along a trail in the woods, gathered around a small fire, carving and showcasing small wooden items.

“It’s referred to as treenware, which means from the tree, and normally we do the bowls and spoons all out of green wood and the carvings, of course, are out of dry wood,” Larry Goodwin said.

“The animals are a little hardwood, but I stick with the softer wood because it’s easier to do by hand.”

Historically, woodworking provided a way to make useful items during the winter months.

The couple has participated in historical events for decades, beginning at Arrow Rock around 1978.

Larry Goodwin described the pioneer village as a peaceful place to spend a fall weekend.

“It’s like being in the middle of the woods,” Larry Goodwin said. “If it’s nice weather, it’s a fun place to come.”

Across town at Drake Harbor, Warsaw Heritage Days offered a different kind of fall celebration.

Michaela Bilderback, president of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, said the annual event featured more than 205 vendors, 15 food trucks and a wide variety of arts and crafts.

Visitors also could watch primitive demonstrations at the tip of the harbor, including lye soapmaking and woodworking. The event’s cannon fired once every hour on the hour, adding to the historic atmosphere.

Bilderback said the festival was celebrating its 46th year.

The weather also helped draw visitors outdoors. Temperatures reached about 65 degrees, creating comfortable conditions for walking among the vendors and enjoying the waterfront.

“This morning, we had smoke rising from the water, and it was just very picturesque,” Bilderback said.

With vendors, food and demonstrations spread along the harbor, Warsaw Heritage Days offered an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the season while supporting local commerce and craftspeople.

Together, the two celebrations offered different ways to explore regional history, from hands-on demonstrations of pioneer skills at Kaysinger Bluff to a bustling waterfront festival at Drake Harbor.

Chris Howell can be reached at 660-530-0146.