File Photo Karen Sims, of the Pisgah United Methodist Women, takes a turn at stirring apple butter at last year's Wirt County Pioneer Day.

ELIZABETH — The 16th annual Wirt County Pioneer Day will be Saturday in the courthouse square in Elizabeth.

The Elizabeth Beauchamp Chapter Daughters of American Pioneers organizes the heritage event which will feature vendors, concessions, craft demonstrations, a Ladies Tea, Civil War re-enactments, music and other activities beginning at 9 a.m. and running through the day.

Crafters will demonstrate the arts of basket making, blacksmithing and apple butter stirring. Vendors will have homemade crafts and be serving lots of food. A Civil War street skirmish with cannons is part of the activities.

There will also be music, square dancing, children’s activities and the Pioneer Day quilt show. The Beauchamp-Newman Museum, Morgan-McClung House and Kanawha Hotel will be open for tours.

Pioneer Day is sponsoring a Wirt County Middle School girls essay contest. The winner of the essay, “The Life of Pioneer Women on 1800’s Frontier” will be awarded a $50 prize and will be crowned at 9 a.m. at the 2018 Pioneer Day Princess and reign over the day’s activities.

File Photo Wanda Wayne, of Roane County, shows her basket weaving during last year's Wirt County Pioneer Day in Elizabeth.

For the Quilt Show, entries can be registered from 4-6 p.m. Friday and until 9 a.m. Saturday. A Civil War skirmish will be 2 p.m. Saturday.

After Pioneer Day is completed, the Wirt County Civil War encampment and battle re-enactment will continue on Sunday.

Infantry and artillery units will open their campsites to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday. The re-enactors will share their historical knowledge of the Civil War. The battle will take place at 2 p.m. Participating are Jim Miracle, Carlin’s Artillery Battery D (cannons) from Parkersburg, and John Haddox’s, Western Virginia Artillery of St. Marys. Wirt County’s local infantry units 19th VA Cavalry Co. A and 17th VA Cavalry Co. F, will also participate in the battle.

Saturday’s schedule includes:

* 9 a.m.: Vendor booths open; Crowning of Essay Contest Winner as 2018 Pioneer Day Princess

* 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Quilt Show in Courthouse Lobby

* 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Basket Weaving and Blacksmith demonstrations; Civil War Ladies Tea provided by Porchfluff Sutlery

* 10 a.m.: Farmers and Charmers Square Dancers

* 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Beauchamp-Newman Museum tours

* 10:15 a.m.: Little Kanawha Hotel tour

* 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Children’s Activities and Carnival Games on Museum Lawn; McClung- Morgan House tours

* 11:30 a.m.: Little Kanawha Hotel tour

* Noon: New Picture performs

* 1 p.m.: Tracy Miller and Friends perform

* 1:30 p.m.: Little Kanawha Hotel tour

* 2 p.m.: Civil War Skirmish on Roberts Lot

* 3 p.m.: 4 on the Floor performs.