HERITAGE DAY AND CHILDREN'S FALL FROLIC TO BE HELD AT THE RED HOUSE INTERPRETIVE CENTER ON OCTOBER 3 FROM 10AM-4PM

The Cape Girardeau Red House Interpretive Center will host Heritage Day and Children's Fall Frolic at the Interpretive Center, located on the riverfront at Aquamsi/South Main Street, on October 3 from 10a.m. -- 4p.m.

To celebrate the Heritage Day and Children's Fall Frolic Event, Aquamsi Street will be closed to traffic and the Red House has arranged for a variety of booths to line the street in front of the Red House. Participants from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Marble Hill, Advance, Kelso, and New Madrid will bring items for sale and display. The public is invited to bring their families to the Red House grounds to enjoy dulcimer music, storytelling, free children's activities, free tours of the Red House, artists' displays, crafts, handmade quilts, Christmas items, yarn creations, handmade soaps,local honey products, displays of artifacts and antique tools, and information about local organizations as they advertise their projects.

The Red House will be decorated with pumpkins, cornstalks and hay bales. The Rose Mary Oxley Dulcimer Group will play dulcimer music from the Red House porch. As part of the children's Fall Frolic the Red House docents will offer free tours of the Red House and free activities for children such as an historic dress-up area, face painting, apple give away, and storytelling by Dean Allison. The Red House Gift Shop will have an additional outside location and will feature rubber snakes, toys, t-shirts and other popular items for sale. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, will provide a Conservation Trunk filled with animal furs, animal footprints, and related activities for children. The Trail of Tears State Park Nature Center will bring a snake exhibit for visitors to learn about our native snake species. The James and Deb Baughn family will furnish fresh apples from their orchard and will be giving one apple to each child attending the Fall Frolic.

The Red House Heritage Day will feature the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center guest speaker, Liana Jenkins, as she brings a first person 1800's persona. Cindy LeGrand's class, from St. Augustine School in Kelso, will have two booths with s'mores available for purchase. Cape Girardeau Public Library Children's Services will participate with activities for the visiting children. The Cape Girardeau Evening Lions Club will have homemade breads available for purchase. Barb Bailey, Marble Hill crafter and soap maker, will have her own handmade soaps available for purchase, and she will also demonstrate spinning wool. Paula Fetherston, a Cape Girardeau artist, will have her own handmade purses, jewelry and miniature books available for sale. Paul Corbin, a resident of Advance, will have American Indian artifacts on display. Grace United Methodist Church, located in Cape Girardeau, will have two booths offering a variety of items for purchase including quilts, items made of yarn, baked goods, candy, hand painted note cards, lighted and decorated Christmas glass "bricks", and much more! Grant Gillard, a resident of Jackson, will have a booth which features honey and beeswax soap, and comb honey. Kelly Hughes, a Jackson artist, will display an exhibit of Caterpillar illustrations, which was featured at the Cape Giradeau Conservation Nature Center and other Nature Centers statewide. Sandy Hill, a New Madrid artist, will have a booth featuring artwork and Christmas items for sale.

Heritage Day and Children's Fall Frolic admission: Adults $3, children $1.

As the Red House hosts this new event the focus will be on celebrating our heritage as a region. Over two hundred years ago the original Red House was the home of the founder of Cape Girardeau -- Louis Lorimier. It was a meeting place for regional residents to socialize and obtain goods at the Trading Post. In 1803 the Red House hosted a visit from Captain Lewis, as he traveled with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 2003 the Red House Interpretive Center was completed by an army of local volunteers for the national re-enactment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The permanent structure houses exhibits, information about the area in the 1800's, how it was developed and the people involved. In 2009 and beyond it is the hope of the Red House to continue to bring together organizations, school children, crafters, re-enactors, artists, churches and businesses to celebrate our heritage and our future! The public is invited to come down to the riverfront on October 3 to enjoy this celebration!

For information about reserving $25 booth space please call 573 334-6954.

The Red House will be open until November 21 on Saturdays only from1-5p.m. For special tours or programs for area organizations please call the Cape Girardeau, Missouri Convention and Visitors Bureau 573-335-1631.