And Now the Rest of July

But first, a brief bureaucratic interruption—State Civil Service Commission lists for Museum Registrars (2013-058) and Archivists (2013-005) are currently open. Positions are filled from these lists (the test announcements include some details about anticipated positions). Information on the SCSC process is here.

I hope you had a fun and festive Fourth of July and are now geared up for the month ahead. The Trails of History are awash in activity this summer—so come on down and join in.

Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces
July 16-19: A Journey through Time: Looking Back on Coal, Canals, and Railroads—Anthracite Heritage Museum summer day camp for kids ages 7-12. Fee charged and registration is required; go here for details.

Brandywine Battlefield
Through August 9: Summer History Camp—spots are still available for most weeks (7/15-19 is full). Go here for details.
July 12: Brandywine Battlefield fundraiser—enjoy Blue Rocks Baseball (Wilmington, Delaware) and support the battlefield. Chadds Ford Business Association is sponsoring this event, and the Recca Foundation will match your $20 ticket donation. Go here for details.

Bushy Run Battlefield
July 14: Annual 5K Trail Run/Walk—Bushy Run is the site for this annual event benefitting the Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission (PTARC); go here for info.
July 28: 3rd Annual Classic Car Cruise—first 200 cars receive a dash plaque. Contact the site, 724/527-5584, for details. 11 am-4 pm.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
July 7: Patriotic Concert in the Park—this annual event honoring all military veterans features a concert by the Ringgold Band (formed in 1852, one of the oldest community bands in the U.S.). Admission and parking are free, contributions are gratefully accepted. Womelsdorf Fire Company will have food for sale starting at noon and the concert starts at 1:30; please bring your own chairs or picnic blankets.
July 14: Weiser Interpretive Sunday—enjoy a summer afternoon at the homestead learning about life in the Tulpehocken. Noon-4 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
July 7, 14, 21, 28: Interpretive Sundays—spend summer Sunday afternoons learning about 18th-century crafts, trades, and activities. Included in regular admission. Noon-4 pm.
July 10, 17, 24, 31: Sawmill Operation Days—subject to staff availability, there will be two half-hour demos of the reconstructed sawmill on Wednesdays in July. Call 610/582-4900 to confirm. Demos are free, admission fees apply for guided and self-guided tours of the historic area. 11 am and 2 pm.
July 16-18: History Day Camp—participants will learn about the kinds of things Daniel Boone did as a child growing up in the Oley Valley. Camp is designed for kids entering grades 3-6; space is limited and pre-registration is required.
July 24 and 31: Junior History Workshop—These hands-on workshops for kids entering grades 3-6 teach about Hearth Cooking (July 24) and Camp & Native American Cooking (July 31); space is limited and pre-registration is required. You can download a registration brochure for History Day Camp and Junior History Workshop here.

Drake Well Museum
Saturdays and Sundays: Historic Pithole Open, 10 am-4 pm. UPDATE: Previous map link was INCORRECT (well, the link was correct, but the map wasn't). Try this instead, be sure you look at the location of Pithole Historic Site (thanks to the folks at Drake Well for the save).
July 27: Blacksmith Demonstrations—monthly demonstrations take place the last Saturday of the month through October. Included in regular admission. 9 am-2 pm.

Eckley Miners’ Village
July 27-28: 1940s Weekend—learn about wartime on the homefront and in the military, circa 1944. Military and civilian reenactors will be on site; Holocaust survivor Severin Fayerman will share his experiences. A swing-era USO Dance will be held off-site the evening of July 27. For more information, go here. 10 am-5 pm (dance is at 6:30).

Ephrata Cloister
July 21: Family Picnic Fun Raiser—bring a blanket or chair, the family, and your taste for fun. There will be hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, etc. for sale, and games to entertain. Details are here. Admission is $5 per family. 4-8 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
July 22: 2nd Annual Flagship Niagara Golf Tournament—more details here. Note on Facebook says it’s almost sold out as of July 3.

Fort Pitt Museum
July 14: Summer Sunday at the Fort—living history program included in regular museum admission. The Plymouth (Michigan) Fife and Drum Corps will begin playing at 1 pm on the city side of Point State Park and conclude at the museum. 10 am-5 pm.

Graeme Park
July 20-21: 17th Annual Celtic Heritage Festival—music, food, vendors, bagpipes and more to celebrate the Keith, Graeme, and Fergusson heritage of the site. For photos of previous festivals and updates on the entertainment schedule, go here.

Joseph Priestley House
July 24-26: History Camp—designed for elementary age students, this program takes place in the morning. Enrollment is limited; please register by July 22. Go here for details.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
July 14: Summer Afternoon Social—enjoy food, crafts, wagon rides, and more; plenty for the whole family. More details here. Noon-5 pm.
July 14-February 2014: “I Thee Wed: Rural Pennsylvania Wedding Attire, 1830-1930”—this new temporary exhibit includes 15 wedding gowns plus other clothing, and explores the evolution of the “country wedding.” Included in regular admission.
July 27-28: Civil War Days—the site is transformed into a rural Pennsylvania village in 1863, with reenactors portraying soldiers and civilians. Ages 12-64, $12; Ages 65+, $10; Ages 6-11, $8; Ages 5 and under, free. 10 am-4 pm.

Old Economy Village
July 6: Antique Car Show—pre-1950s antique cars will be on display around the village, along with food, games, entertainment, and artisans. Free admission. You can register your car by calling 724/266-4500 x 113. 10 am-4 pm.
July 22-26 and July 29-August 2: A Printer, A Baker, A History Maker—this interactive summer history camp invites kids ages 6-12 to explore the village with the help of volunteer artisans and demonstrators. For details and registration form, go here.

Peace Church
July 28: Rediscovering Peace Church—there will be Civil War reenactors and refreshments, music, a talk on the history of the church, and a tour of St. John’s Cemetery. 3 pm (cemetery tour at 4 pm).

Pennsbury Manor
July 7: Historic Trades—the blacksmith and the joyner will be demonstrating their skills with iron and wood. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
July 8-12 and 15-19: Colonial Camp—each week-long camp provides hands-on learning as students explore life in the 17th century. Camp is open to children who have completed 1st through 6th grade. You’ll find the camp brochure here.
July 14: Living History Theater—“Boundary Battle” explores the dispute between William Penn and Lord Baltimore over the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
July 21: Open Hearth Cooking—although winter seems a long way away, the cooks will be starting to preserve some of the summer bounty for use during the cold weather that will surely come. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
July 28: Garden Highlights—spend some time in the kitchen garden and see what the gardeners are up to (they’ll even let you help). Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
July 6-7: 39th Annual Bark Peelers’ Convention—this hugely popular event recreates the 4th of July celebrations of Pennsylvania’s early 20th-century lumber camp workers and “woodhicks.” For more info and event schedule, go here.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
July 5: Registration deadline for Boot Camp for Kids—camp takes place August 3 and is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 13; go here for details and registration info.
July 11-14: 21st Annual People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts—celebration of arts and artisans held on the museum grounds (go here for details). (Fee charged to park on museum grounds; regular admission applies to tour the exhibits.)
July 20-21: VIETNAM Revisited—living historians portray American combat and support troops “in country” in the late 1960s; visitors have the opportunity to accompany squads on short range patrols (closed shoes and long pants recommended if you plan to participate in these demos). 10 am-4 pm (tactical demo at 2 pm each day).

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
July 2-7: Reading Railroad Days—offered in conjunction with the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, this program features an enormous HO-scale model railroad and highlights Reading Company rolling stock in the Museum’s collection. Included in regular museum admission, go here for more info.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Fridays in July: Learn at Lunchtime—admission is free every Friday between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; free docent tours at 12:15 p.m. and 1 p.m. (continues through Aug. 31).
July 9 or 10: Native American Day Camps—pick either Tuesday or Wednesday morning; designed for kids 7 to 10 years old; call 717/772-6997 for reservations.
July 11-August 15: StoryTime in Curiosity Connection—on Thursday mornings, children ages 3-5 can enjoy a story, followed by a related activity or gallery visit. Included in museum admission. 10 am.
July 16, 17, or 18: Mammals of Pennsylvania Day Camps—also for kids ages 7-10; pick one of the three mornings; reservations can be made by calling 717/772-6997.
July 19: 3rd in the Burg—Lancaster County artist Sue Reno will be on hand to talk about her quilt, “Silk Mill #3,” which was recently awarded a State Museum Purchase Prize in the Art of the State Exhibition (which continues through Sept. 8). Program is free. 6:30 pm.