Mason-Dixon Line Festival commemorates historical significance

The Mason-Dixon Historical Park in West Virginia hosted the third annual Mason-Dixon Line Festival this past Saturday, Sept. 28. With free admission, this event took place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Along with the festivities, a home-cooked buckwheat pancake breakfast was available for purchase from 8 a.m. till 12 p.m. Buckwheat pancakes are sour pancakes typically topped with syrup or applesauce. It was served with pork sausage patties for $9 per adult customer and $5 for children.

“This festival celebrates the end of Mason and Dixon’s survey of the Mason-Dixon Line. 252 years ago, they concluded the survey of the Mason-Dixon Line here within our parks,” said J.R. Petsko, the park’s superintendent. 

The Mason-Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jerimiah Dixon, in the resolution of a border dispute involving Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware in Colonial America. After Pennsylvania abolished slavery, it served as a demarcation line for the legality of slavery. 

The festival hosted free wagon rides, craft vendors, a variety of live music, food vendors, tomahawk throwing demonstrations, an antique car show and much more. The new fairy door walking trail was a big hit as well, said Petsko, bringing magic to those who decided to stroll through the historical ground. Three bands brought live music to the festival, starting off with Shane Masters in the morning and concluded with Allegheny Rain in the afternoon. Some examples of local artists who attended are Eddie Spaghetti, Ben Kolb and many more talented creators.

It takes the park months to plan the event, said Petsko, from booking vendors and performers, as well as gathering volunteers to assist in making the day run smoothly. A lot of hard work goes toward each detail.

 “Three to four hundred people throughout the whole day attend. It is not huge or anything, we are just a small, little park,” Petsko said. “It is a fun, free event for families.” 

A fascinating aspect of this event was the tomahawk throwing demonstrations. A tomahawk is a light axe is used as a hand weapon mainly by North American Indians. Axe-throwing has become more popular as many axe-throwing places are opening and available to rent for events and entertainment. 

“They throw a little bit different than the tomahawks. It is a bit of a heavier ax. They have great instructors and advice,” said Michael Stache Kelley, instructor for tomahawk and knife. 

Kelley travels all over the country to educate others on tomahawk throwing. he encourages others to educate themselves on tomahawk throwing and to give it a good try. 

“The technique is to picture as if you are cutting through a limb,” Kelley said. “As you cut through the limb, you relax your hand and release. If you can throw a baseball, the saying is, you can throw a tomahawk,” 

The Mason-Dixon Line Festival was full of entertainment and fun for visitors of all ages. The park staff looks forward to this event each year and is excited about other upcoming events in the future.