Longhunter Festival planned at Mauch Chunk Museum

The Longhunter Festival will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11 at the Mauch Chunk Museum, 41 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The Longhunter Festival opens with Old Timey Music by McCarty, Finsel and Ruch, and a Carbon County Quiz with Jack Gunsser.

The Longhunter Festival returns visitors to the frontier days of America when pioneers' skills with a Pennsylvania flintlock long rifle determined whether they got their food and clothing, or perished during the long cold winters.

"Mr. Black Powder" Dave Ehrig of the Jacobsburg Historical Society, Henry Rifle Museum, and the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association will, dressed in buckskin and carrying a Pennsylvania flintlock longrifle, recreate a longhunt, the days-long hunt for game along America's frontier.

Ehrig, a retired teacher, was given a family heritage flintlock rifle and instantly fell in love with its art, technology and history. Since then, he's built his own reproduction rifles and used them to hunt - taking over 100 deer with his flintlock.

Erhig will take visitors into the lifestyle of the longhunter, explaining his rifle, his tools, method of hunting, and how he pioneered on the frontier. Ehrig is the author if six books and host of six videos related to the black powder muzzle loading culture.

There will be a presentation of photographs with "Mr. Black Powder" with participants in period dress and a docent tour of the Mauch Chunk Museum.

Refreshments will feature chili and baked beans.

The Longhunter Festival benefits the Friends of the Dimmick Library, the Mauch Chunk Museum and future programing. The Longhunter Festival is produced by Carbon County Magazine (carboncountymagazine.com).