Families celebrate Volga German heritage with Kinderfest
Posted Jun 16, 2026 10:01 AM
Two girls make ice cream by rolling a bag filled with cream and ice. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The Ellis County Historical Society celebrated Kinderfest on Saturday at the museum in Hays with activities for children and their families.
The event offered hands-on activities such as ice cream and butter making, writing with a feather quill, and horseback riding.
The museum also offered tours of the Volga German house, a barbed wire demonstration and German dancing.
Children ride horses Saturday at the Ellis County Historical Museum in Hays as part of Kinderfest. Photo courtesy of the Ellis County Historical SocietyA barbed wire-making demonstration Saturday at the museum. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostA volunteer demonstrates a machine to make barbed wire. The simple device twisted the bands of wire together, so the barbs would remain in place. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostTwo boys seal letters using a wax stamp after writing notes using a feather quill. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostA girl takes a big bite of her homemade ice cream Saturday at Kinderfest. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostDonna Maskus, volunteer, helps a boy with his homemade ice cream Saturday at Kinderfest. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostA girl learns about churning butter Saturday at Kinderfest. Churning butter was usually children's work, and the children of the family often had to churn for several hours to make enough butter for the family. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostA re-enactor leads a tour of the Volga German house on the historical society grounds in Hays. Large families often only had one table on which to eat and took turns using the small space. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostCooking was done on a stone hearth. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays PostA re-enactor explains that earlier settlers often burned dried bison or cow chips for heat. After they were dry, they lost most of their smell and burned hot enough to bake bread. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post
