SALEM, W.Va. (WBOY) — Fort New Salem held its inaugural Family Fall Day, where people could learn about the fort and enjoy festive fall activities, on Saturday.

The fort, surrounded by trees full of fall foliage, allowed those in attendance to watch people work in blacksmithing, tinsmithing and paper marbling. For the kids, there was face painting, pumpkin painting as well as a maze with rabbits.

“Well, our goal is to preserve Appalachian culture, that’s what force was created for our idea is you. We bring you out, you can see what it was like to live in the 1800s, and we try to keep us authentic as possible,” Dr. Joseph Audia, the chairperson of the Fort New Salem Foundation, said.

Fort officials said they are currently working on two cabins that they hope to have open within the next year.

“The Reynolds cabin, which we started pre-pandemic bringing over a pause to get to work, we’ve done a massive amount of work in the past 10 months adding three porches to it. We did the chinking, and on the exterior of almost the complete outside, and it is our goal that by Christmas of 2024, that our gift shop and visitor center will be inside that facility,” Audia said.

On Dec. 2, Fort New Salem will be hosting its Spirit of Christmas in the Mountains event, welcoming in the winter holiday season.