Living History Festival moves to Dorris Ranch in Springfield

Families looking for a summer outing in Springfield will get a free day of hands-on Oregon history when Singing Creek Educational Center brings Trails of Time: An Oregon Living History Festival to Dorris Ranch on June 20. The festival runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Dorris Ranch Living History Village, giving parents and kids a chance to move through living-history stations instead of standing in a classroom or museum gallery.

The event is built around participation. Visitors will be able to wash clothes on a washboard, sit in a canoe with fur traders, hear Native stories inside the cedar plankhouse and learn about Latino culture in Oregon. Organizers say history interpreters, live music, Indigenous storytelling, local food, a raffle and kids’ activities will help turn the day into a family-friendly introduction to how people lived, worked and made things across different eras in Lane County and beyond.

Karen Rainsong said the goal is to help people understand local history so they can make more informed choices about the present and future. That approach fits Dorris Ranch, where the setting itself is part of the lesson. The 268-acre park and commercial filbert orchard sits just south of downtown Springfield and is recognized as the first commercial filbert orchard in the United States. George Dorris bought the property in 1892, and the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Singing Creek Educational Center said it relocated to the Dorris Ranch Living History Village in September 2025 and now operates there year-round with hands-on programming for families, teachers and the public. The ranch’s river frontage, hiking trails and village buildings, including a plankhouse, pioneer cabin and trapper’s cabin, give the festival a setting that makes the stories feel immediate rather than distant. The site also adds a land-stewardship and ecological education element, with Nigerian Dwarf goats named Oak and Orion appearing as part of the program.

The lineup reflects that broader place-based focus. The Grand Ronde Tribe, Oregon Black Pioneers, Comunidad Herencia Cultural, Lane County History Museum and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History are all part of the day, alongside sponsors Springfield Utility Board, The Copy Shop and The Law Office of Brian M. Thompson. Singing Creek says the festival is wheelchair accessible and is still looking for volunteers, making the June 20 gathering both a public history event and a community outing designed to be easy for Lane County families to reach and enjoy.