Celebrate an 18th Century Thanksgiving in South Park on Sunday

The Allegheny County Parks Department has announced that the Oliver Miller Homestead in South Park will host an 18th Century Thanksgiving event from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. Admission to the event is $2 per person.

Long before President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday, it was common for frontier people to gather after harvest to give thanks and to visit with one another before winter set in.

In keeping with that tradition, the “Miller family and their friends” (volunteers dressed in period attire) will prepare and display foods common to the 18th century using an open hearth and bake oven. Past Oliver Miller Thanksgiving celebrations have included dishes such as colonial game pie, roast venison and pumpkin soup.

At 2:30, guests are invited to meet at the Oliver Miller log house to learn about a typical late 18th century church service. The “Rev. John Macmillan,” an 18th century minister, will present Biblical readings and homilies.

For additional information on the Oliver Miller Homestead, including driving directions, visit www.olivermiller.org or call 412-835-1554.