Watt a day! Let a blast from the past put a smile on your face. The Burk's Falls and District Historical Society is holding its annual Heritage Day this Saturday, July 25, and this year they're making history. For the first time, the event is being held at the Society's new location: the Watt century farmhouse on Chetwynd Road.

The 2015 Heritage Day is celebrating not only the history of the Armour, Burk's Falls, and Ryerson communities, but also the grand opening of the Watt location which is running in unison with the Midlothian Road Schoolhouse and commemorating the 125th anniversary of Burk's Falls.

"This is a new and exciting opportunity to promote the area, preserve the heritage of the area, and acknowledge the hard work of our forefathers in developing the area," Society president Linda Maurer says.

The Heritage Day begins at 11 a.m. with games, food, music, and more. Activities planned include sack races, a beanbag toss, and colouring. Antique rope making is also on the itinerary, provided by Elwood Addison. Wagon rides will circulate the farm to the tunes of music by Kenny Logan. The Almaguin Trefoil Guild is providing a barbecue and popcorn, cotton candy, tea, and coffee will also be served throughout the day. At noon, an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Watt farmhouse will take place with speeches and a big cake. The fun runs until 3 p.m. Admission is free.

"We are a very lucky community to now have two wonderful heritage centres to share with the public," Maurer says. "We hope everyone enjoys the day and appreciates what we have been able to preserve for future generations."

This is the first year the Historical Society has operated the Watt Farmhouse. Attendees will be able to tour the exhibits inside and out. In spring 2014, the Historical Society and Northland Power began talking about a possible partnership. Northland, a solar developer with two farms in the area, had recently completed its Solar East project at the former Watt property in Chetwynd. But the farmhouse, built in 1902, still stood and the company didn't want to needlessly tear it down.

That's where the Historical Society came in. In a partnership with Northland Power, where the solar developer donated $30,000 to the Society and associated maintenance costs for the farmhouse, and with help from a business plan prepared by Karen Jones Consulting of North Bay. The announcement of the second location for the Historical Society was made official in February 2015.

Currently, plans are underway to continue expanding the Historical Society. The group is advertising for a project manager to co-ordinate promotion and advertising initiatives. For more information on this position, visit www.armourtownship.ca

The Watt century farmhouse is located at 827 Chetwynd Road, look for the solar farm. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Watt Farm location. The Midlothian Schoolhouse is open Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.