Summer might be over, but there's still plenty happening at Historic Rock Ford.

For the first time on Sunday, Oct. 11, Historic Rock Ford will hold a multifaceted Cider Celebration on its grounds, 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster.

"This is a new event that we're trying," said Christina McSherry, executive director of Historic Rock Ford. "We think fall is such a nice time of year to enjoy Rock Ford and its grounds. We often have a lot of summer events, and then we have our holiday event, and we thought it would be nice to try a fall event. We're very excited."The first facet of the event will be a lecture from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Langmuir Education Room on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. The lecture will be given by historian and museum professional Mark A. Turdo. He will touch on everything from William Penn to prohibition, overviewing how cider was historically made, its presence and importance in Pennsylvania and where it is heading today.

"He's been working on recreating historic alcoholic cider," McSherry said. "Who's making it, who's drinking it, because it was one of the most common drinks in that period."

For more than 20 years, Turdo has been researching historic alcoholic cider, which was once more popular than beer. In 2013, he began the Pommel Cyder blog, found at http://www.pommelcyder.wordpress.com, where he shares his adventures in cider research and his experiments in cider making.

The second facet of the event will be a traditional fall cider celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. in front of the Rock Ford Barn.

Live music will be performed by Forbes Road Frolic, a local outfit that will "lend musical authenticity to our celebration with its traditional Colonial era tavern music," according to McSherry. Weather permitting, the music will be on the tent pad in front of the barn, with fire pits and the glow of string lights.

Food will be available for purchase, along with both hard and nonalcoholic cider.

Turdo will hang around to conduct living history demonstrations about 18th-century cider. It will be an interactive experience that uses accurate reproductions and artwork to help guests understand early American cider making from tree to table and beyond.

"Good food, good music and sort of enjoying the atmosphere with a touch of the 18th-century education through the music and the demonstrations," McSherry said of the second part of the event.

Registration can be done online at http://www.historicrockford.org by clicking on "Special Events" under the "Programs" tab or can be done on the day of the event. There is a cost to register, which is reduced for Rock Ford members. Tickets are available for one or both portions of the event.

Additionally, the Snyder Gallery's "Lancaster's Revolutionaries" exhibit will be open for one of the last times at the event.

Historic Rock Ford holds yearlong programming with the mission of connecting and exploring the life of Edward Hand, the diverse and material culture of early Lancaster County and the complex issues that shaped our nation in its formative years. More information can be found by visiting the aforementioned website or by visiting "Historic Rock Ford" on Facebook.