Picnic at the Fair

An Authentic 1858 Country Picnic along the Antietam Creek

Step directly into the warm glow of September 1858 for a magical weekend of community, tradition, and living history along the beautiful Antietam Creek! Relive the charm of a bygone era as you gather with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate the simple joys of life and our region’s rich agricultural heritage.

Bring Your Period Picnic Basket & Blanket!

Relax beneath towering oaks and maples, savoring traditional foods while sharing stories and laughter with neighbors.

Create your own authentic picnic with period-appropriate delights:

Fresh-baked breads, smoked meats, and cheeses
Homemade preserves, pickles, and orchard-fresh fruits
Delicious pies, biscuits, and pastries
Roasted corn, fresh-churned butter, lemonade, and warm apple cider

Basket Social Auction

The premise for the auction was simple; women would decorate a basket and fill it with a picnic for two. The men bid on the women’s baskets anticipating a meal with the women whose box it is. Generally, the baskets are anonymous, so the men don’t know whose basket they are bidding on. Of course, if the men knew their wife’s basket, they were expected to bid on it and get it for their supper. The real competition was among the bachelors and the unmarried ladies with the mystery, teasing, joking, and sometimes humorous results adding to the fun.

The women were very clever at decorating their baskets. Many times, the unmarried women would surreptitiously drop hints indicating which basket was hers. Pieces of fabric, wildflowers, string or yarn, or burlap doubled as clues as a way of rigging the results.

The auctioneer would start the bidding by announcing the contents of the basket. Cold fried chicken, ham biscuits, hard-cooked eggs, pickles, and cornbread were perennial favorites. Coconut Jumbles, Joe Froggers (molasses cookies), slices of pound cake were most welcomed. And if a bidder was real lucky, a dried apple pie might be tucked in between the folds of a length of toweling.

Often the bidding would start slowly at “two bits” (twenty-five cents). To sharpen the bidding, a glib-tongued auctioneer encouraged the men, embellishing the contents of the basket making the food sound more appetizing than it might have been. By the end of the bidding, towns usually netted between ten to fifteen dollars depending on the number of baskets.

More details about the basket auction coming soon!

Enjoy the creek!

Bring your period swimwear and refresh yourself in the sparkling waters, just as generations did before.

This isn’t just a picnic—it’s your chance to step directly into history, forging new friendships and creating unforgettable memories along the banks of historic Antietam Creek.

🌾 Don’t Miss the Grand Event!

The 1858 Frederick County Agricultural Exhibition

Experience the excitement of this celebrated annual fair as you browse authentic displays of award-winning produce, livestock demonstrations, handmade quilts, delicious baked goods, and skillfully crafted artisan wares. Join friendly contests, experience hands-on activities, and immerse yourself in local history in this remarkable, lively event.