LIVERMORE – Norlands plans to celebrate life in the 1800s today with a mix of activities for the whole family.

The 30th annual Heritage Days Festival begins at 10 a.m. at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center at 290 Norlands Road in Livermore. Admission is $3.

An auction with donations from around the state is planned to run from noon to 2 p.m. with proceeds to help re-roof the schoolhouse and the farmer’s cottage. Among the items are a weekend stay, a massage, an evening at the movies or a favorite restaurant and a month long membership to a local health club.

The American Baptist Women have picked 30 flats of strawberries, made dozens of biscuits and will whip up real cream on site for its annual strawberry shortcake fund-raiser. Cost is $3 a shortcake.

Children’s events from 10 a.m. to noon include ox-cart driving and rides; making boiled pot, cornbread and cookies; and face painting, fun and games on the lawn.

At 1 p.m., children can help a farmer with chores and at 2 p.m. it’s sing-song Circle Time or square dancing fun with fiddlers.

For the adults from 10 a.m. to noon, there is spinning and knitting, ox-cart driving and rides, and cooking on the old wood cookstove.

At 2 p.m., adults can compete in a fence post driving competition; at 2:30 p.m. there’s a cross-cut sawing contest.

For the whole family, from 10 a.m. to noon, there are mansion tours and a genealogy workshop in the basement of the library. There is also a spelling bee at 1 p.m. at the schoolhouse.

From 2 to 4 p.m. there will be square dancing with Bruce Thompson calling and fiddlers Sarah Gilbert and Angie Richards, as well as Adam and Josh Case and friends.

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