Kalona, IA, hardly makes it on to the map, but it is noteworthy nonetheless as having large Amish and Mennonite communities. (To be accurate, the Amish live in a smaller community outside of Kalona). These two faiths evolved out of the Anabaptist religion (a splinter group of Christianity that believe in adults entering the faith through baptism, rather than infants being baptized into the faith). Both groups, to a varying degree, live a simple life with simple surroundings. Just on the short drive to the festival, we passed several horse-drawn carts. It was this odd juxtaposition of old world simplicity with more contemporary entertainment that made the festival such a fascinating place to be. For example, while walking through the Mennonite Historical Society’s museum I stopped to watch two elderly women with hair bonnets hand quilting. At the exact same moment I could hear outside a youth drum troupe playing along to Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). Across from the Mennonite Apple Butter stand and demo tent was a funnel cake and deep-fried Oreo vendor. Elsewhere, Mennonite children were watching from behind a wire fence a chainsaw artist sculpting something like an eagle out of a tree trunk (and the artist had “Art at Full Throttle” on his protective chaps). It was wonderful. It was bizarre.
But I left thinking about what the purpose of the festival was. Was it an opportunity for visitors to learn more about the history and the unique people of Kalona? Or was it just a fun weekend. I can’t help but think, since the Mennonite Historical Society had such a large presence, that part of their aim was to share their heritage. Yet, does it take chainsaw artists and dogs on treadmills to entice an audience to this space?
I don’t know. But later, after my stomach calmed down from the Oreos and after Jasper fell asleep still clutching the balloon from the festival, I got on the internet to learn more about the Mennonite and the Amish.
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