Homestead Fair

10% ONLINE DISCOUNT

Now Open

Three Weekends

A FESTIVAL FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

At Homestead Fair in Waco, Texas, hand-weave a basket, build a birdhouse, or make any number of nearly two dozen hands-on projects for adults and kids alike. Enjoy uplifting concerts by children and adult choirs and orchestras each day. Shop gifts, home furnishings and fine crafts made by skilled artisans. Attend a seminar to learn to grow your own food, or engage in discussions on challenging cultural topics.

November 24-26
Friday, November 24th 9am - 9pm
Saturday, November 25th9am - 9pm
Sunday, November 26th12pm - 5pm
December 1-2
Friday, December 1st (limited schedule)12pm - 6pm
Saturday, December 2nd9am - 9pm
December 8-9
Friday, December 8th (limited schedule)12pm - 6pm
Saturday, December 9th (limited)9am - 9pm

TICKETED EXPERIENCES

GENERAL ADMISSION

Required for entry to the fair, and includes access to all concerts, workshops and seminars, petting zoo, hay bale maze and dozens of fine crafts demonstrations. Open rain or shine, no refunds.

HAYRIDE TOUR​

Take a hay ride to our scenic overlook, where you can take in a panoramic view of the farm below. Possibly the best photos of your visit will be found here.

FARM TOUR​

Join one of our farmers for a 1 1/2 hour tour of our working farm. We’ll show you our sustainable farming methods and answer your questions.

HANDS-ON MILKING

Ever wanted to hand-milk a cow? Join us each morning during the fair to learn “hands-on” how to hand milk and what it takes to care for a family milk cow.

WHAT TO EXPECT

LIVE MUSIC

Gather each afternoon and evening for live gospel music, bluegrass, children’s and adult choirs and orchestras.

FOOD

Explore unforgettable culinary delights from around the world: Asian curries, Mexican Gorditas, tamales, oak-smoked brisket, brick oven sourdough pizza, burgers, apple cider donuts, kettle corn, and more!

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Engage in a delightful immersive Christmas shopping experience. Watch as world-class artisans craft home goods and gifts, and shop their unique collections which are in the White House permanent collection and have earned national awards and been featured on TV.

SEMINARS

Attend seminars and presentations that teach everything from beekeeping, bread baking, soap making, and food preservation, and engage in discussions on challenging cultural issues.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

+ Is the fair handicap accessible?
Our fairgrounds are wheelchair friendly and our facilities and restrooms are handicap accessible. We have a very limited supply of wheelchairs available at the fairgrounds on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please inquire at guest check-in if you need one or for any other assistance you may need to make your visit enjoyable and comfortable. If you need handicap parking, please let our parking attendants know when you arrive. Services include:
  • Designated handicap parking spots
  • Shuttles for transport from remote parking lots to the Fair admissions entrance
  • A golf cart in the handicap parking area can take you to the Fair admissions entrance
  • Wheelchairs may be available upon request – ask at guest check-in (limited availability)
  • Handicap restrooms
+ Are pets allowed?
No, pets are not allowed at the fair. Service animals must be accompanied with proper documentation.
+Will the fair be open rain or shine?
YES!

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

Schedule of Events

Updated Daily

  • Hand Milking
    9
    7:00 am — Farm Experience
  • Harnessing Draft Horses
    9
    9:00 am — Demonstration
  • Farm Tour
    9
    9:30 am — Farm Experience
  • Cotton Preparation & Spinning
    23
    9:45 am — Demonstration
  • A Culture of Healing
    32
    10:00 am — Seminar
    Presenter: Amanda Lancaster
    A lifetime member of Homestead Heritage and home-schooling mother of an autistic child shares her experiences and explores how an integrated community life can bring wholeness, meaning and healing to special-needs children—and to us all.
  • Changing Our Minds
    33
    10:00 am — Seminar
    Presenter: Dr. Kay Toombs
    Each year there is an exponential increase in the availability of digital technology. We will share research on how these technologies are affecting our children, changing the way people think, and radically altering our relationship with nature, with reality and with each other. In considering the effects of these unprecedented changes, we will share some of the ways our community has re-envisioned our relationship with technology and the benefits we have gained from this approach.
  • Carbon Steel Pan
    11
    10:00 am — Demonstration
  • Spinning Cotton on a Tahkli
    23
    10:00 am — Demonstration
  • Sustainable Gardening & Soil Restoration
    15
    10:00 am — Seminar
    Presenter: Hannah Wiley
    An introduction to producing your own healthy food in your own back yard or on your own farm, naturally and sustainably.
  • Cotton Preparation and Spinning off the Point
    23
    10:30 am — Demonstration
  • Sheepdog—Herding Sheep
    16
    10:40 am — Demonstration
  • Cotton Spinning on a Spinning Wheel
    23
    10:45 am — Demonstration
  • Faith over Faction
    32
    11:00 am — Seminar
    Presenter: Asahel Adams
    Recent public surveys expose that approximately half of both Republicans and Democrats view their political opponents as “a threat to America.” A shocking 41 percent of the left feels violence against the right is justifiable, and 38 percent of the right share the same sentiment about the left. This seminar delves deep into the faith community’s role amidst this intense political divide. How accountable are families and churches for our current societal discord, and what steps could initiate healing and hope for a culture teetering toward collapse? These times demand that the church offer a non partisan vision to the social and spiritual challenges tearing our nation asunder.
  • Barn Raising
    25
    11:00 am — Demonstration
  • Farm Tour
    9
    11:00 am — Farm Experience
  • Goat Care
    17
    11:00 am — Demonstration
  • Spinning Wool on a Drop Spindle
    23
    11:00 am — Demonstration
  • Spinning Cotton on a Charkha
    23
    11:00 am — Demonstration
  • Broom Making
    5
    11:00 am — Demonstration
  • Sourdough Bread Making
    15
    11:00 am — Seminar
    Presenter: Cynthia Vidaurreta
  • Combing, Carding & Spinning: Two Methods
    23
    11:15 am — Demonstration
  • Mini Barn Raising for Kids
    25
    11:30 am — Demonstration
  • Goat Milking
    17
    11:30 am — Demonstration
  • Two Kingdoms, Two Cultures
    32
    12:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Kevin Durkin
    A review of the roots and conflicts of culture and how we can return to a comprehensive, realistic, alternative culture conducive to faith.
  • A Day in the Life of a Home-Schooling Family
    19
    12:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Amanda Lancaster
    Explore how to make family life a classroom with Amanda Lancaster, home-schooling mother of eight. Take a look at the “nuts and bolts” of home schooling using the unique, Bible-based curriculum published by the Homestead community. Discover how home schooling and “learning to learn” are an integral part of our community life.
  • “I Feel Like You’re Judging Me!”
    33
    12:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Dan Lancaster
    What is the difference between unity and uniformity? Between tolerance and endorsement? How can believers stand for their convictions without judging others or sparking “doctrine wars”? How do we distinguish consecration from separatism or elitism? In a day when believers desperately need to stop infighting and stand together, we must rediscover the scriptural framework for mutual respect, for collaboration without compromise.
  • Seed Saving and a Sustainable Food Waste Solution
    15
    12:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Randy & Terri Brim
    Discover the inspiration and the simplicity of saving your own garden seeds and how to rely on a self-sufficient community for the essentials of life. Learn about GMOs and the need to propagate heirloom seeds in your own garden. Finally, find a real, alternative solution to the problem of food waste as a means of support for your farm.
  • Cheese Making
    13
    12:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Rebekah Nolen & Cary Jennings
    Watch a gallon of milk become mozzarella in this one-hour session as you learn what it takes to make your own soft and hard cheeses at home, with either cow’s or goat’s milk.
  • Throwing & Firing Raku Pottery
    11
    12:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Rope Making
    20
    1:30 pm — Demonstration
  • Culture, Agriculture and the Land
    32
    1:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Evan Birdsong
    For two centuries, the shift from the land to the city has been the predominant movement of human culture. Yet today, many question that trend, some even seeking to go back to rural roots. This seminar will explore the deeper spiritual forces that drive and give meaning to these yearnings.
  • Foundation Stones for Child Training and Building Christian Character
    33
    1:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Amanda Lancaster
    Why has my child’s behavior and character not developed along with their mental and physical capabilities? Take a look into the practices and assumptions that stunt the development of your child’s character. Look into the windows of opportunity to establish the foundation stones of good behavior and close-knit relationships.
  • “What Do I Do?” A Conversation with Two Homesteaders
    15
    1:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Butch Tindell & Grady Phelan
    Many folks looking at national and world events these days see unprecedented and unsettling changes. The tenuous threads of an unsustainable food supply and support system are fraying and, at times, have broken. Given the current socioeconomic instability in our country, you may be seriously considering how you can provide a more stable food supply and lifestyle for your family. However, you may not know what to do and where to begin. During this question-and-answer forum, two homesteaders share key insights from their many years of experience that may help you successfully begin a small family homestead.
  • Woodworking Elements
    11
    1:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Horse Farming
    18
    1:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Barn Raising
    25
    1:30 pm — Demonstration
  • Sheepdog—Herding Sheep
    16
    2:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Beekeeping
    15
    2:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Randy Oakley
    A seminar on the need for keeping bees as an essential part of a homestead, as a source for both honey and pollination.
  • Basic Soap Making
    13
    2:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Liz Adams
    Discover how to create creamy, homemade soap in your own kitchen. We will introduce the basics of soap making with a few simple ingredients.
  • Flax Preparation & Spinning
    11
    2:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Sheep Shearing
    17
    2:20 pm — Demonstration
  • Farm Tour
    9
    2:30 pm — Farm Experience
  • Afternoon Concert
    2
    2:30 pm — Music
  • Metal Spinning a Large Copper Vessel
    11
    3:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Bread Making
    15
    3:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Melissa Yantis
    An inspiring seminar on the ease of baking bread from whole grains in your own kitchen, using utensils and ingredients you already have.
  • Questions & Answers on Christian Community
    33
    4:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Panel
    Join members of the Homestead Heritage community for an interactive Q&A session about their beliefs and way of life. It’s an open forum, so bring your questions!
  • Farm Tour
    9
    4:00 pm — Farm Experience
  • Rope Making
    20
    4:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Log to Chair
    11
    4:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Goat Care
    17
    4:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Getting Started with Chickens
    15
    4:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Matthew Pressly
    Chickens are easy, enjoyable and rewarding to raise and can provide farm-fresh eggs for you and your family right from your own yard. We’ll go over the basics of what you’ll need to know in order to start raising and caring for your first flock. If you’ve never raised chickens before, this seminar is a good place place to start. The presentation will last about 25 minutes, followed with time for questions and answers about raising poultry.
  • Historic Buildings Tour
    19
    4:30 pm — Demonstration
  • Goat Milking
    17
    4:30 pm — Demonstration
  • Collecting, Storing and Purifying Water for the Small Homestead
    15
    5:00 pm — Seminar
    Presenter: Pat Chesney
    A lively discussion about sustainable water essentials for the homestead and small farm, with an emphasis on how to safely collect bulk water, rainwater catchment, water storage and water delivery. We will include an emphasis on the important topic of water purification. Bring your questions. Topics will include calculating the water needs of the homestead and how to determine available rainwater according to specific locations as well as other sources of water and how to make it safe for human consumption.
  • Cow Milking
    17
    5:00 pm — Demonstration
  • Sand Casting
    28
    5:20 pm — Demonstration
  • Evening Concert
    2
    7:00 pm — Music

Concert Schedule

November 24

2:30pm — Heritage Children’s Choir and Orchestra

7:00pm — Heritage Choir and Orchestra

November 25

2:30pm — Heritage Children’s Choir and Orchestra

7:00pm — Heritage Choir and Orchestra

November 26

2:30pm — Heritage Children’s Choir and Orchestra / Heritage Choir and Orchestra

December 2

2:30pm — Heritage Children’s Choir and Orchestra

7:00pm — Heritage Choir and Orchestra

December 9

Christmas Concert

2:30pm — Heritage Children’s Choir and Orchestra

7:00pm — Heritage Choir and Orchestra

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