Heritage, Harvest, and Horse Festival Saturday

Fort Ticonderoga will celebrate the sights, sounds, and tastes of fall this Saturday as it hosts the Heritage, Harvest and Horse Festival.

Visitors will be able to experience the power and grace of equestrian sports and working horses; take part in family-friendly activities such as sack racing; and explore the King’s Garden during its annual plant sale and harvest market.

The annual plant sale and harvest market will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the King’s Garden, a Colonial Revival garden built in celebration of the fort’s 18th century garrison garden.

An array of perennials, fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, gourds and other fall crops and plants will be available for purchase. Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste cheese and purchase apples and cider.

At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Leonard Perry from the University of Vermont will discuss the planting of garden bulbs and how to induce bulbs into bloom during the winter in his presentation “A Planting Primer for Spring Bulbs.”

The event also highlights the roles of horses as part of the fort’s and the Champlain Valley’s history. Visitors will be able to meet the horses and learn more about their role in the region’s history.

There will be several equine-themed demonstrations, including the use of a 19th century horse-powered hay press, how cavalry troops used horses in battle, and how they were used in the sport of fox hunting. Demonstrations will be held at 12, 1:30 and 3 p.m.

Other activities include sack races at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. and tours of King’s Garden at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Heroic Corn Maze will be open throughout the day and the fort’s normal exhibits and activities will be open as well.

Admission to the festival is included with the fort’s general admission ticket.

The festival and the fort will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, including a complete schedule of activities, visit www.fortticonderoga.org, or call 585-2821.