Poole Forge Day, featuring hayrides, a silent auction, music, historical demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors and children's activities, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Poole Forge, 1940 Main St., Narvon (Churchtown). Admission is free and open to the public.

"The idea is there's something for everybody at all times during the day," said Dawn Rise Ekdahl, Poole Forge executive director. "We really design the event to be very kid friendly."

The event will feature activities for visitors of all ages. For children, there will be a craft area where they will be able to take part in Arie's Twig Art. An airplane will drop candy, and there will be a pony cart and pet parade.

The day will also include a wildlife show by Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, an organized Amish youth volleyball tournament, cornhole and demonstrations by the Lancaster Spinners and Weavers Guild.

A highlight of the day will be a turtle race at 3:15 p.m. Visitors who "purchase" green rubber turtles that will float down Conestoga Creek will be in the running for monetary prizes. The first turtle across the finish line will get the grand prize. There will also be smaller prizes for the other top finishers.

"We don't schedule any other activities at that point, so everything is focused on the turtle race," Ekdahl said. "We usually bring in either a tree service or someone that has a crane. The barrel's high, the cord gets pulled and the turtles dump down into the creek. Then everybody runs along the creek, following the turtles to the finish line."

Along with the extensive silent auction, the 18th-century Welsh iron master's mansion will be open for guided tours on the day of the event. Music will be played on the mansion porch.

Food and beverages will be offered throughout the day, including options from Father and Son Barbecue; The Waffle Wagon; and Beiler's Hand-Rolled Pretzels, which will serve pretzels and lemonade. Historic Poole Forge will serve soft ice cream and smoothies.

"Poole Forge Day is one of our favorite traditions because it brings together history, conservation, education and family fun," Ekdahl said. "Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning year after year, there's something for every generation to enjoy."

The preceding week, on Friday, Sept. 4, from 6 to 7 p.m., Poole Forge will hold its annual Fall Plant Swap.

Held twice a year, the plant swap encourages locals to bring annuals, perennials, shrubs, rooted cuttings, vegetable plants, seeds, bulbs, vines, trees and houseplants to share with others. The plants should be in containers and labeled with growing instructions, if possible.

The swap is free and open to the public. True to the season, the fall swap features more seeds and bulbs than the spring counterpart. The swap formally starts at 6:30 p.m., but Ekdahl encourages those interested to come early so that they don't miss it.

"It's become really like a favorite community tradition of people coming to both swaps and sharing their plants," she said. "It's a great opportunity to share gardening knowledge and information (and) learn about native plants, pollinator gardens and sustainable practices."

Historic Poole Forge is located on Route 23, 7 miles east of New Holland and 3 miles east of the Shady Maple Complex. For more information, visit http://www.historicpooleforge.org or http://www.facebook.com/pooleforge. Those with questions may email hpf1940@gmail.com.