October Program: Patti Matchett's OUTHOUSE ADVENTURE!
By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member
November 6, 2026
Patti Matchett stands with part of her Outhouse Festival display, her Elk Falls Pottery mug, and the evening's chamber pot filled with donations for the HAHS "When You Gotta Go" Campaign. Photograph by Dylan Bowman.
When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go
Hard to believe the year is already winding down...so many big moments were had this year at the HAHS, each leaving a specific mark on the history of Halifax and the community therein. However, amidst all of these events, one thing that the Society has really been hankering for is the building of a vintage composting toilet (not a traditional outhouse, which are illegal in Pennsylvania) at the Taylor's One-Room Schoolhouse Museum, and with no facilities on the property, this has caused some slight issue for those visiting the historic location.
Because, let's face it, when you gotta go, you gotta go.
From this call for donations and help from the Society for the building of such facilities (under the HAHS "When You Gotta Go" Campaign), there was one individual who not only wanted to help gather funds for the project, but was EXCITED about the prospect. Patti Matchett of Halifax. She volunteered to be a program presenter on her journey to a small-town outhouse festival in Kansas, and that is where our story begins.
Visitors enjoy the tales told by Patti Matchett from her time exploring Kansas's Outhouse Festival. Photographs by Dylan Bowman.
Taking Care of Business
Matchett told the audience about her discovery of the Annual Outhouse Festival in Elk Falls, KS, and her time spent with the good people of the rural small town (only a population of about 100!). Her presence was of great pleasure and shock to the locals who, having had this festival for 28 years, did not expect a Pennsylvanian to wander into their event without some previous connection. According to Matchett, they treated her like family.
"One of the locals I met, Kathi, approached me while I was exploring the Outhouse Festival and said, 'Mrs. Patti, what are you doing tonight?' After telling her 'hanging out at the Silver Bell Motel,' she said 'Oh no you are not,' and invited me to their family BBQ after the close of the event."
The 28th Annual Outhouse Festival in 2023 (which Matchett attended) had 21 themed and decorated outhouses present for judging (with names including "Brown University," "Dumpin' Donuts," "Fire in the Hole," and "Yabba Dabba Doo Doo"), as well as food vendors, craft and quilt shows, and other open houses for local businesses like Elk Falls Pottery, bringing a terrific sense of community to the forefront. The picture instantly reminded me of our Annual Belsnickel Parade & Festival right here in Halifax, PA.
A whopping 50 individuals came out in support of the October Program, with a massive amount of funds raised as a result for the composting toilet project. It was an evening filled with toilet puns, laughs, and an assortment of delicious refreshments (some of which were reflective of the source material of the evening).
We at the HAHS would like to thank Patti Matchett for her time in sharing this adventure with us, and thank the good people of Elk Falls, KS, for their American hospitality, sharing their culture with one of our own, and indirectly setting the seeds for a blissful evening which will be well-remembered in the Halifax community!
Visitors enjoy refreshments and one another's company at the October Program. Photographs by Dylan Bowman.
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