Log Cabin Days
40 years since our first Log Cabin Days annual fundraiser, this free event has something for everyone!
*Blacksmiths *Homemade Food for Everyone *Kids Games *Programs *Crafts
Scroll all the way to the bottom to see everything we have to offer!
Funds raised from food sales and raffles pay for the essential upkeep of our 3 historic properties all year round!
Win a prize! Enter our Raffle & our $50/50$
Feed Your Family Delicious Homemade Food!
New Programs for 2026!
This year we have Crafters, Historians, and Naturalists giving presentations, demonstrations, and hosting activities throughout both days.
Our delicious from-scratch meals will fill everyone’s belly, made by the loving hands of ACHS volunteers.
Join us, learn something new, and feed your family. Read descriptions below schedule & Food below that!
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
September 12th
12:00-12:30pm: Making Linen String from Flax Plants
12:30-1:00pm: Pond Life Exploration
1:00-2:00pm: Monarch Butterflies
1:30-2:30pm: Foraging / Wild Plant ID
2:00-2:30pm: Oral history of Blakeslee Cabin & ACHS
2:30-3:30pm: Forest Meditation Walk
2:30-3:00pm: White Hurricane: Ashtabula and the Great Storm of 1913
3:00-3:30pm: Herbal Tea from Your Yard & Cupboard
3:30-4:00pm: Creating Free Baskets w/ Nature: Safe & Ethical Harvesting
4:00-5:00pm: Wildlife Biofacts in Ashtabula County
See descriptions below…
And See Food below that…
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
September 13th
10:00-11:00am: **St Peter Episcopal Church Service**
11:00am-12:00: Making Linen String from Flax Plants
12:00-12:30pm: From Family Trees to Front Doors: Exploring Genealogy and House History Research
12:30-1:00pm: Finding Local Food
1:00-4:00pm: **Old Time Music Jam**
1:00-2:00pm: Guided Hike w/AC Metroparks
2:00-3:00pm: Century Homes of Ashtabula County
3:00-4:00pm: Foraging / Wild Plant ID
Underlined program = takes place in/near the woods
**Double stars = double special programs!**
All others take place next to the barn
Making Linen String from Flax Plants
As a part of The Rust Belt Linen Project, I will be discussing and demonstrating the processing of Flax fiber from stalk to string, using a combination of low tech modern and antique tools. The main processes that will be demonstrated are breaking the Flax stalks, scutching the shives from fiber, combing the fiber with a hackle to separate long and short fibers. With a demonstration of spinning the fibers into string using a drop spindle. Taught by: Isaac Coblentz, Rust Belt Fibershed (Also ongoing demo at his vending spot)
Pond Life Exploration
Participants will learn about aquatic ecosystems and animal adaptations by examining sediment for macroinvertebrates! Using sediment collected from nearby waterways, we will examine the life that lives within these waters! These living organisms can help us understand the health of our water, identify any imbalances, and guide what is needed to protect it! Taught by: Amberly Barry & Volunteers, Grand River Conservation Campus, The Nature Conservancy
Forest Meditation Walk
Enjoy a stroll through the forest in this guided meditation with a certified “Forest Bathing” instructor! Taught by: Leah Hartman, Shanti Yoga Love
Monarch Butterflies
Learn about Monarch Butterflies in this presentation about why Monarchs matter and how to attract them to your yard. Taught by: Linda Porcello
Creating Free Baskets w/ Nature: safe & ethical harvesting
Learn how to safely and ethically forage for vines for basket-making. Learn what vines to use and how to prep them. Taught by: Vicky Sheldon, Manitu Okahas Studio (Also ongoing demo at her vending spot)
Finding Local Food
Learn about local food farmers in Ashtabula County. Who are they? Where are they? And how to buy from them. Talk by: Local Food Coordinator, Julie Wayman, OSU Extension (2026 Local Food Guide linked here!)
Guided Hike w/Ashtabula County Metroparks
Naturalist Breanna with the Ashtabula County Metroparks will guide a walk of the Blakeslee property. We will point out and briefly talk about some of the flora and fauna found on site while walking. Taught by: Naturalist Breanna Rossiter, Ashtabula County Metroparks
Foraging / Wild Plant ID
Walk around the property with an experienced forager and learn what plants can be eaten or used for medicine, both in the past and today! Taught by: John Wright, Red Beet Row
Oral History of Blakeslee Log Cabin & ACHS, with Judy
Living history is personified in ACHS Historian, Judy Pallutch. This is Judy’s 60th year as an active member of ACHS. Learn about the Blakeslee Log Cabin, the historical society, about people and places of the past, and hear stories you won’t hear anywhere else! Talk by: Judy Pallutch, Ashtabula County Historical Society
White Hurricane: Ashtabula and the Great Storm of 1913
In November of 1913, one of the worst storms to hit the Great Lakes region would affect many communities along the lake shore; Ashtabula County was no different. This is an educational talk discussing the impact to the cities of Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Geneva, as well as the smaller towns and villages of Kingsville, Jefferson, and Saybrook, including who survived and who did not. Taught by: Austin Griffith, Ashtabula County District Library
Herbal Tea from Your Own Yard & Cupboard
How to harvest, dry, and blend herbal teas from wild and domesticated plants. Taught by: Beth Dean
Wildlife Biofacts in Ashtabula County
Using biofacts (skull replicas, tracks, fur [real or faux], et cetera) we will learn about and discuss various species of wildlife in Ashtabula County. This will include the physical aspects of the animals and how they interact with each other and humans in an ecosystem. Taught by: Naturalist Breanna Rossiter, Ashtabula County Metroparks
From Family Trees to Front Doors: Exploring Genealogy and House History Research
Discover how to uncover the stories of both your ancestors and the places they lived. Learn how genealogists use historical records to reconstruct the lives of past generations and discover how the same research techniques can reveal the history of a house. This introductory educational talk will cover research strategies, key sources, and tips for connecting people to places through deeds, city directories, census records, newspapers, and archives. Taught by: Carrie Wimer, Ashtabula County District Library
Century Homes of Ashtabula County
Learn about ACHS’s Century Home Program, the application process, and flip through our picture book of century homes. Taught by: Courtney Sowry, Ashtabula County Historical Society
*St Peter Episcopal Church Service* 10-11am Sunday
Blakeslee Log Cabin held the first Episcopal services in Ohio in 1816. That congregation eventually became St Peter Episcopal Church, which is the oldest continuing Episcopal parish in the state of Ohio. In honor of this shared history, join St Peter's congregation for an historic Holy Communion service, following the Book of Common Prayer from the year 1789 and readings from the King James Bible.
*Old Time Music Jam* 1-4pm Sunday
Bring your favorite instrument, find your rhythm, and join in on the fun! Jam lead by members of Pickle Milk String Band!
LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS & ACTIVITIES
Ongoing both days, look for live demonstrations & fun activities
* Rock Painting! For all ages! Grab a paintbrush and dip in! at the Kids Table, ACHS
* Blacksmithing, with artists from the Western Reserve Artist Blacksmith Association
* Random Weave Basketry, by Manitu Okahas Studio
* Processing Flax Plants into Linen String, by Copperweaver’s Feral Fibers
* Making Apple Butter in a Copper Kettle, by Wright Family & Red Beet Row
* History Fun with Daughters of the American Revolution table
And Ashtabula County Genealogical Society table
*Nature Fun with The Nature Conservancy table
And Ashtabula County Metroparks table
SATURDAY: Goat Petting! with Purple Goat Gardens.
SUNDAY: Arrowheads & Artifacts Display, by Dave Snyder
AND THE FOOD!
Bean Soup
We always have historic Bean Soup as the main feature of our menu, but this year one batch will be DOUBLE HAM! And the other batch will be VEGAN! Everyone will want bean soup! Cooked all morning in a copper kettle over an open fire by hard-working volunteers who get up before dawn to bring you deliciousness!
Homemade Mac N Cheese
ACHS President Stephanie Wardrop makes the most delicious Mac N Cheese you will ever have! Don’t miss it!
Pie!
Volunteers donate homemade pies. You can’t beat made-from-scratch. Please donate a pie or two when you come to eat!
Or just buy a slice and we’ll all be happy! 🙂
Pulled Pork, Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Veggies!
Plus we’ll have pulled pork, burgers and dogs, grilled corn, vegetables, and more!
TOUR THE HISTORIC GROUNDS
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Face Painting! Rock Painting! Games! & More at the Kids Tent!
WELCOME VENDORS
2026 VENDOR SIGN-UP
Regularly attracting over 1,000 visitors per day with good weather! We invite artisans, crafters, and local producers to showcase their talents and contribute to our vibrant community tradition!
- Handmade crafts (basket weavers, wool spinners, broom-makers,wood carvers)
- Artisan goods (soaps, candles, pottery, textiles)
- Locally grown produce or food products(preserves, honey, baked goods, NO hot food)
- Anything you make yourself!
Booth: Standard booth spaces are 10×10 feet. Larger spaces may be available upon request, subject to availability. This is an entirely outdoor event, held rain or shine.
2026
VENDORS
TERRIE’S WOOD CARVING
PATRICIA MULLEN’S BRAIDED ROAP BASKETS & MORE
DEWEY FAMILY FARMS, SOAPS & MORE
WOODCHIPS CREATIONS, WOOD CRAFTED OBJECTS
COPPER ART & GIFTS
ABOUT THE VENUE
Blakeslee Log Cabin
One of Ohio’s original log cabins, built in 1810 by John Blakeslee a year after he arrived from Connecticut. Blakeslee is the oldest log cabin in its original form and on its original foundation in the Western Reserve. This log house has been home to three immigrant families since that time. The Blakeslee Log Cabin was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
ABOUT THE HOST
The Ashtabula County Historical Society is the second oldest historical society still active in Ohio – formed in 1838. An entirely volunteer run nonprofit, eleven-member volunteer board comprises the primary decision-making body of Ashtabula County Historical Society.
