Celebrating a park's history

The Prince William Forest Park will celebrate its history as a Colonial-era farmland, a Civilian Conservation Corps work camp and a World War II-era spy training camp Saturday.

The park’s Heritage Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Musicians, artists, cultural demonstrators, antique car owners, exhibitors and park staff will gather in historic Cabin Camp 3 for a day of family fun.

Children will enjoy plenty of hands-on activities, crafts and games in the Kids Kabin and throughout the event.

A “Company Store” will be on hand to sell books and other interpretive and educational items.

Musical acts will include the Quantico Marine Corps Party Band, Hokum Jazz Band and The Fall Line Bluegrass Band. Together, these musicians will play music from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Colonial-life demonstrations such as blacksmithing, spinning, hearth or outdoor cooking, dancing and farming life demonstrations will echo the once-rural farmscape that was Prince William Forest Park in the 18th century.

Colonial demonstrations will be provided by volunteers from the George Washington Birthplace National Monument’s 4-H Club and Historic Dumfries Virginia Inc.

Visitors can learn about the park’s history as a Civilian Conservation Corps work camp during the 1930s by watching hand-hewn log making, masonry demonstrations and the operation of a portable sawmill by the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center.

Park staff will be on hand to demonstrate the various aspects of maintaining the park’s historic cabins, which number more than 150.

Mary Kerr, a certified quilt appraiser, will exhibit quilts from this time period.

Some may not know that Prince William Forest Park was a training camp for the Office of Strategic Services during WWII.

Members of the OSS Society and OSS Veterans Art Reinhardt and Walter Mess will be on hand along with OSS veteran and author of “Sisterhood of Spies,” Elizabeth McIntosh.

The park will also put on living history demonstrations of WWII camp life and soldiering.

Rounding out the event, the Historic Fredericksburg Region Antique Automobile Club of America will showcase antique autos from the early 20th century.

Leeslyvania State Park, Prince William County Historic Preservation Division, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and the Friends of Prince William Forest Park will provide displays or exhibits at the event.

Admission to the park is $5 per vehicle for a seven-day pass or free for those with a park annual pass, which costs $20, or an Interagency Annual Pass, which costs $80.

There is no additional charge for the event.

For more information, visit the park Web site at www.nps.gov/prwi or call the visitor center at 703-221-7181.

Volunteers are also needed to help staff the event. Contact the visitor center if you are interested or e-mail prwi_info@nps.gov.

Cycle Challenge on Sunday at the park

On Sunday, Prince William Forest Park will hold the Chopawamsic Cycle Challenge at 9 a.m. at the Pine Grove Picnic Area Ballfield.

The annual ride, coordinated by the Friends of Prince William Forest Park, will begin at the newly constructed Orenda Connector Trail.

The ride is approximately 12 miles long and is not recommended for skinny-tire bikes. The event is a “friends-raising” coordinated by the Friends of Prince William Forest Park in conjunction with Prince William Forest Park. New to the Chopawamsic Cycle Challenge this year will be a free bike rodeo for all ages.

For more information, visit www.fpwfp.org.