Take a step back in time on a drive
through Perth East, through the streets and sideroads of smaller hamlets
that lead into Milverton, Millbank and Shakespeare.
This area is home to many Amish and Mennonite residents who create
the fine wood furniture,
quilts, crafts and food available in area stores. Just past the historic
Fryfogel Inn, the first inn that welcomed visitors along the Huron
Tract, sits the village of Shakespeare. The nearby Shakespeare Conservation
Area.has an outdoor pool, playgrounds, and family fishing and picnic
spots. Plan to attend some of Perth East’s popular events, including
the Forbidden
Ride Motorcycle event in May, the Milverton
Rodeo, or the
Amish School Auction. Sample the old-fashioned home cooking and baking
from the famous Anna Mae’s Restaurant in Millbank.
Known as an antiques mecca, Shakespeare is also home to unique stores
that stock imported treats and gifts from the U.K, locally produced
cheeses, quilting supplies, scrapbooking and art finds, and funky vintage
and
costume jewellery. Stop by the Perth County Welcome Centre and Artisan Market, and pick
up a copy of the Perth
Arts Connect Map. While there, check out the work
of many talented local artisans – bears made from recycled fur
coats, locally crafted candles, jewellery and more. The Welcome Centre
hosts Artisan Weekends every weekend in August, with local musicians,
demonstrations by area artists, and tasty local treats.
With traditions deeply rooted in Mennonite and Amish cultures, visitors
can search for quilts and furniture in the villages of Milverton, Millbank
and Shakespeare, and can browse unique stores featuring products from
a local apiary, cheese from an historic factory, or garden treasures.
The traditional Amish and Mennonite ways of life are an important part
of Perth East’s culture. In July, the Amish School Auction attracts
huge crowds of people in search of handmade Amish treasures. The Perth
East Recreation Complex in Milverton will be blanketed with quilts during
the Gospel Echoes Concert and Quilt Auction on November
5th. The countryside around Millbank and Milverton is home to many different
groups of Mennonites
and Amish who share some common beliefs, but differ on a variety of practices.
Contact the Welcome Centre to arrange a tour, or call the Millbank Information
Centre at the Riverdale Mennonite Church, 1 km west of Anna Mae’s
Café. Call for a tour of tiny Brocksden Country School
Museum just north of Shakespeare, where kids can learn ‘what
it was like when’. During Heritage Weekend on June 3rd-5th, visit
the Perth County Welcome Centre in Shakespeare where the Perth
County Visitors Association will host an old-school BBQ during
screenings of documentary footage about the heritage of all the municipalities
in Perth. Antiques
and artefacts unique to Perth East are also on display at the Welcome
Centre.
For more information on all Shakespeare and Perth East has to offer,
be sure to pick up a copy of Shakespeare to the Shoreline at the Perth
County Welcome Centre and Artisan Marketplace, or download a copy at
www.shakespearetotheshoreline.ca
