Marcha, Marcha, Marcha!

This week’s title brought to you by sleep deprivation and spring fever. Sorry.

Well, it’s March already and you know what that means. Spring. March Madness. Easter. Passover. St. Patrick’s Day. International Women’s Day. Daylight Savings Time. Read Across America Day. Charter Day. (Not necessarily in that order.) We’ll do a post with more details on Charter Day next week, but for now you can mark your calendars for Sunday, March 10. Almost all Trails of History sites will be open free of charge that day in celebration of Pennsylvania’s birthday. (Go here for the list of sites that plan to be open.) Sites with special events or activities planned for March 10 are included in the listings below, along with the rest of the month’s stuff. (Please note, most sites will be closed on March 31 for Easter; we’ll let you know later in the month which ones will be open.)

Anthracite Heritage Museum
March 10: Exploring the Civil War through Poetry—speaker Bert Barnett will share insights about the Civil War as expressed in a variety of poems from before, during, and after the war. Part of the Museum’s Charter Day celebration and in support of the PHMC’s 2013 Civil War theme. 2 pm.
March 17: Lackawanna Audubon Society—Program is “A Lifetime of Birds,” with photographer Dave Fisher. 2:30 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
March 16: Spring Meeting and Lecture--author/historian Brady J. Crytzer will present "Bushy Run Reconsidered: The Death of the New Ohioan"; Crytzer is the author of Major Washington's Pittsburgh and the Mission to Ft. LeBoeuf, Fort Pitt: A Frontier History, and the forthcoming Guyasuta and the Fall of Indian America. Admission is $5 (free for members of Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society). 1 pm.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
March 10: Charter Day re-opening—join living history interpreters and others to mark the start of the 2013 season. 2 pm (site is open noon to 4 pm).
March 17: Spring lecture—speaker is Doug Miller, site administrator at Pennsbury Manor. 2 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
March 12: Friends Lecture—The Rev. Dr. Paul Fullmer, local historian and chaplain at Lebanon Valley College, will talk about Annville’s architectural archives. He’ll discuss the types of information found in the archives, how they are being made available to the public, and the model they represent for other communities interested in preserving their architectural history. Friends lectures are held in Freeman Hall auditorium at Cornwall Manor. 7 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
March 3: Fireside Tales in the Wayside Lodge—children ages 4-8 and their families are invited for an afternoon of storytelling and hot chocolate; please dress for the weather and bring a blanket of it’s really cold outside. $2 suggested donation (regular admission fees apply if you’d like to tour the historic area and/or homestead). 2 pm.
March 10: Charter Day Open House and Craft Festival—featuring local vendors with hand-made gifts, music and dancing, open hearth cooking, and much more. Noon-4 pm.
March 17: Women’s History Lecture—speaker Hallie Vaughan will present “Untold Stories: Women in the American Revolution.” $2 suggested donation (regular admission fees apply for touring the historic area and/or homestead). 2 pm.
March 24: A Pennsylvania German Easter and Spring Nature Program—celebrate spring, learn about traditional Easter customs, and participate in an egg hunt (plus more). Admission is $4 for ages 3 and older. Noon-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum
March 10: Charter Day presentation—Join Fred Threlfall in the museum lobby anytime from noon to 3 pm to learn about the Native inhabitants of the oil region and the importance of the fur trade.
March 30: Drake’s Birthday—in honor of Edwin Drake’s birthday, the curator and educator will lead a special tour of the museum’s new exhibits (and there will be cake!). Tour begins at 1 pm. Also, March kicks off the monthly meeting and demonstrations of the Oil Valley Blacksmiths (last Saturday of every month through October). 9 am-2 pm. Both are included in regular museum admission.

Eckley Miners’ Village
March 10: The Molly Maguires—the program on Charter Day will include a screening of the 1970 movie, plus a talk by Jim Burke, who was the chief financial officer for Paramount Pictures when the film was shot in Eckley. (M & E Raine shared a photo (on Flickr) of the breaker that was built as a prop for the movie.) Program runs 1-4 pm, site open until 5 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
March 7, 14, 21: Winter History Class—class began in February; contact the site for information if you’re interested in joining.
March 10: Concerts—as part of the site's Charter Day festivities, the Ephrata Cloister Chorus will perform in the Saal (meetinghouse) at 2, 3, and 4 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
March 9: Erie BayHawks basketball game—Flagship Niagara League night at the Erie BayHawks (Erie’s minor league basketball team). Tickets are $10; buy your tickets through FNL and a portion of the proceeds benefits the sailing program. Call Julie Wagner, 814/452-2744 x222, to reserve tickets. Game time is 7 p.m.

Graeme Park
March 9: Hearth and Home—this class focuses on seasonal cooking in the colonial kitchen and is taught in the summer kitchen of the Keith House. Cost is $55; for $100 you can take this class and another on May 11. Registration is required; deadline is March 7. Go here for details.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
March 2, 9, 16: Folk Art Classes—basic crochet, tin Easter basket, and scratched eggs are the topics for three successive classes hosted by the museum store. Register by calling 717/569-9312. 1 pm.
March 10: Exhibit, logo and e-commerce unveilings—Charter Day is the launch point for a new permanent exhibit, “The Mennonite Faith in Landis Valley,” which has been installed in the Sexton’s House, a small building behind the Visitor Center. Also, the site’s museum store will officially change its name from “The Weathervane” to “Landis Valley Museum Store,” debuting its new logo and new e-commerce website, www.landisvalleymuseumstore.com (it’s not yet active, so I haven’t linked it). Noon-5 pm.
March 23: Heirloom Seed Project Grafting Workshop—for anyone who’s wanted to learn how to graft apple varieties, this program, a collaboration between the HSP and the Backyard Fruit Growers, is it. For $30, you get instruction, hands-on practice, and scion and rootstock to take home with you. Registration is required; call 717/569-0401 x204.

Old Economy Village
March 3-May 25: Beaver County Tourist Days—OEV is welcoming the neighbors, inviting county residents to enjoy free admission and get to know the site. This offer is being made on a rolling basis, depending on residents’ zip code. If you’re a Beaver County resident (or know someone who is), go here to seen when your free days fall.
March 10: Center for Hope Day—in conjunction with free admission on Charter Day, the site will be collecting canned or boxed food items for a local community organization (go here for details on the types of foods desired). Noon-5 pm.
March 23: Easter Egg Hunt—children ages 10 and under, along with their families, will explore the historic site while hunting for Easter eggs. Crafts, treats, a visit with the Easter bunny, and a family membership raffle are also on the menu. Register by March 13 by calling 724/266-4500 x101. 9-11 am.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
March 6: Friends’ Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture Series—“Civil War Patriotic Envelopes as Weapons of War,” with speaker Ken Lawrence, philatelic writer and researcher, antebellum and Civil War historian, and stamp collector. 7:30 pm.
March 9: Military Movie Madness Festival—PMM kicks off the 2013 museum season with three films exploring World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War (go here for details). Donation requested (museum admission applies if you wish to visit the galleries). 10 am, noon, and 2:30 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
March 2: Read Across America Day—celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by wearing your favorite hat and listening to stories read by an array of local notables (and me). There will also be a Suitcase Adventure activity, with travel stickers from Pennsylvania places, and a chance for kids to read to service dogs from KPets. (I believe that Breakfast with The Conductor and Catcher is sold out as of this writing, but you can call the museum—717/687-3892—to check on last-minute openings.) Stories in Rolling Stock Hall every half hour (except noon) from 9:30 am to 4 pm.

Somerset Historical Center
March 2: Pysanky Egg Workshop—okay, so it’s probably sold out at this point, but if you’re really lucky and call right away, maybe there’s a spot. This is a beginner class for people who want to learn the art of egg decoration (I took the class 8 or 9 years ago and really enjoyed it). Call 814/445-6077 to see if they can squeeze you in.
March 16: Tatting Workshop—this is also for beginners, with instructor Carolyn Graves, an experienced lace maker. You’ll end up with a nice starter kit and booklet to keep making needle-tatted lace. Limited to 10 participants. Call 814/445-6077 to register.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
March 1, 8: StoryTime—this Curosity Connection reading series features museum staff and volunteers and a selection of great children’s books. Suggested for (but not limited to) ages 3-5. March 1 is Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle; March 8 is Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia. Included in museum admission. 10 am.
March 9-Apr. 28: Student Art Exhibit—“Personal Perspectives” presents work by winners of the South Central Pennsylvania Art and Writing Awards, students in grades 7-12. Sponsored by Commonwealth Connections Academy. Open during regular museum hours and included in admission.
March 10: Charter Day—scheduled activities include a visit by William Penn, the annual exhibit of the actual Charter of Pennsylvania, recognition of National History Day in PA winners, and much more. Go here for details. Admission free. Noon-5 pm.
March 15-May 6: DOSHI Gallery exhibit—“Course and Discourse” pairs works by students and their professors in the Susquehanna Art Museum’s gallery at the State Museum. On March 15, as part of Harrisburg’s 3rd in the ‘Burg program, there will be a free opening reception, 6-8 pm. Otherwise, the exhibit is included in regular museum admission.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
March 10: Visitor Center Grand Opening—celebrate Charter Day with a look at the newly renovated and updated visitor center. You can find details here. 1:30 pm.