South Dayton’s Depot hosts a special celebration next weekend.

Village of South Dayton’s Depot celebrates 150 years on Saturday, Sept. 6 from noon to 3 p.m. Enjoy the 1800s by wearing your favorite old hat, bring your picnic lunch, a blanket to dine on the Village Green. Also the Firebells will have a one price hot dog, chips, and a drink available in the side room of the Village Hall with an amazing dessert

A Food Truck will be open for cool desserts and the Saturday Farmer’s Market will have fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, pies, cookies, breads, homemade aprons, bags, and etc.

As you approach the Village Green, from noon to 1:30 p.m., greeters Benny and Sharon Bottita will guide you to 1800s activities and, also, sign their visitors’ book using the quill pen. Sharon will be wearing a long home made early American dress accented with a white straw hat. From 1:30 to 3 p.m., greeter Becky King wearing the blue home made dress accented with the straw hat will direct you to events and also have you sign the visitors’ book using the quill pen.

The 1980s Depot history includes the start of freight and passenger service by the New York & Lake Erie Railroad, Gowanda. Former Mayor Larry Zollinger was instrumental in parts of the movies “The Natural” and “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles” being filmed in South Dayton. Former Mayor Zollinger will be available for conversation about the movies, as he, also, was an extra.

Through funding from former state Sen. Cathy Young and a grant from the Margaret Wendt Foundation, the Depot was restored and is the Depot Movie and Rail Museum and home to the ticket window that was in both movies. The events for the day are free, exciting 1800s’ experiences, and fun for the entire family.

Relax and enjoy the complimentary Banner Farms Horse & Carriage rides around the North side of the village. Ask Civil War questions of Bruce Sanders and other members of the Civil War 9th N.Y. Cavalry as they spend the afternoon on the Village Green. Miss Heidi’s Piano Studio students will provide an afternoon of pleasant music.

For natural covering, events will be set up under the spreading maple trees on the Village Green. All the participants are local. The following are free to the visitors.

Jace Wightman will share his knowledge of kite making with the children. He will have enough material to make 50 kites.

Stop by the Depot, make a Kentucky Derby hat with Peg VanWormer, and her sister Terry Rogers, members of The Friends of the Depot. The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875. There will be enough material for 50 hats. Claudia Youman’s, master quilter, will be stitching an 1800 style quilt, she might allow her visitors to sew a stitch or two.

Becky Wightman likes making corncob dolls and she will have enough material for 50 dolls. Along with the display of her collection of wash boards, Becky’s granddaughters Amelia & Darcy Wightman, and Ellie Wightman will help visitors experience the olden laundry days of wash board and washtub of soapy water. The entire family can paint rocks with Sherry Taber, member of the Friends of the Depot.

Glen and Sylvia Morey will show visitors how to make hearth brooms, reminding visitors of early days of fireplaces as the main source of heat. Also, Glen’s famous walking sticks and a working grinding wheel will be on display. The children can be creative with sidewalk chalk and have fun making bubbles.

In the Depot, Tim Stockman, retired Pine Valley Music Teacher, will share history of the Depot along with history of the local train agents Clayton Perry, who had a 39-year career and last agent Bill Neubeck, who had a 32-year career including sending telegrams. Also, in the Depot, there will be a display of pig scrapers. Cherry Creek Woodcraft gave the event wooden trophy plaques for visitors to decoupage with a choice of pictures of Zollinger’s Restaurant, the Village Green, Austin Milling, or the Depot.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes. Business sponsors for this event are Austin Milling and Zollinger’s Restaurant.

Sunday, Sept. 14 is the annual South Dayton Fire Department Fall Tractor Pull starting at noon.