The colorful trees and covered bridges are the headliners for the Little Muskingum Watershed's 21st annual tour this weekend, but they aren't the only attractions.
The self-guided Fall Foliage and Covered Bridge tour features 15 stops along Ohio 26 and in New Matamoras. Some are there just for the scenery and historic value; others also offer food and activities.
Hills United Methodist Church will offer hot dogs, soup and a plethora of homemade pies and desserts to people who stop by the house of worship on 55 Zion Ridge Road, Marietta, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday only. A raffle will be held at 4, but people do not have to be present to win.
The church's Women's Society has participated in the tour for several years, but this will be the first without Evalena Barth, who died in a March house fire. Some of the money raised by the church during the tour will go toward community mission projects in her honor.
"She just always was doing the nicest things in the community," said Sharon Berecz, president of the Women's Society. "This is going to be our first year without Evalena, so it's going to be a tough one. But we know she would want us to continue her work."
A little farther down the road, tour-takers can stop at Bohlen's Dairy Farm to get a look at some baby calves and tour the facility. Bohlen's sells its milk to Broughton, so the stop will give people a chance to see where their milk comes from, said Barb Bohlen, who owns the farm with her husband, son and daughter-in-law.
"A lot of even adults don't understand the procedure we go through," she said. "There's a lot of work that goes into getting it to the store."
Moss Run Community Church in Lawrence Township will offer a rest stop, some light refreshments and information about the history of the church, which started holding meetings 165 years ago, said member Renea Ross. They will also have tracts available.
At the watershed building at the 22 mile marker on Ohio 26, the annual Antique Engine Show will be in full swing. In addition to the farm equipment demonstrations, there will be karaoke from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and music by Pickin' on Country from 4 to 7 p.m. A roast pork dinner will start at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Eugene Haught and All of God's Children will perform gospel music from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be a country store and raffle drawings from 4 to 5.
Both days will feature kids games, foul-shooting contests, a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m., the Allen Moore Memorial Kids Pedal Tractor Pulls, homemade apple butter and molasses. Moore was a big supporter of the tour, started as a way to promote the eastern part of the county, said Karen Eddy, director of the fall tour. His family is carrying on many of the things he started.
