September Awaits

It’s Labor Day weekend already (go here to see which Trails of History sites will be open on Monday). Where does the time go?

Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces
August 31-Sept. 1: Railfest 2013 activities—Scranton Iron Furnaces will host a Civil War encampment and present guided tours of the site (you can take a shuttle from Steamtown NHS if you’re attending other Railfest events). 9 am-5 pm.

Brandywine Battlefield
Sept. 28: Revolutionary War Encampment—reenactors, house tours, craft demonstrations and other activities. Admission charged; check the website or call 610/459-3342 for information. 10 am-3 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
Sept. 14: Fall Lecture—Speaker David Wilmes will discuss his book, All the Exertions of Courage: The Battle of Bushy Run and the Struggle for the Pennsylvania Wilderness. Cost is $5, free to members of Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society. 1 pm.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
Sept. 1: First Sunday—the site will be open today, noon to 4 pm.
Sept. 8: Weiser Interpretive Sunday—historical reenactors help bring the site and its history to life. Noon-4 pm.
Sept. 21: 33rd Annual Conrad Weiser Disc Golf Tournament—Registration starts at 8-9:30 am, tee-off at 10 am. Contact Mike Dunkle, mdunkle@verizon.net, for info.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
Sept. 10: Lecture—featured speaker Jan Morrissey will talk about The Historic Preservation Trust of Lebanon County and its mission to raise awareness for historic preservation and to identify sites of exceptional architectural and historic merit. (Go here for more info.) Part of the Friends Lecture Series held in Freeman Auditorium at Cornwall Manor. Free and open to the public. 7 pm.
Sept. 21: Cast Iron Cooking Demonstration—learn about cast iron cooking pots and see them in use. Demonstration is free. Regular admission fees apply for tours of the Furnace (see where cast iron comes from). Demonstration 11 am-3 pm; museum is open 9 am-5 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Interpretive Sundays—each week features a hands-on activity or demo of 18th-century crafts or skills; 9/1-Soap Making, 9/8-Textile Processing, 9/15-Basket Making, 9/22 & 29-TBA. Included in regular admission. Noon-4 pm.
Sept. 15: Basket Making Workshop—in addition to the demonstration, up to 15 people can participate in a workshop to learn colonial basket making techniques. Contact the site, 610/582-4900 or info@danielboonehomestead.org, to register. Fee is $35 to make an antler basket, $30 for a potato basket.
Sept. 21: The Homestead Open at Green Acres Golf Course—this is a fundraising event; registration is required and includes greens fees, lunch, and the chance to win prizes. Go here for more info and a downloadable registration form. (Entry deadline was Aug. 24, so call 610/582-4900 to see if space is available.)

Drake Well Museum
Sept. 1: Historic Pithole open—last day of the season for the visitor center exhibits and orientation film. Free admission; donations gratefully accepted. 10 am-4 pm.
Sept. 19: Heritage Lecture Series—Roxanne Hitchcock, “The Well Tender: A Civil War Soldier’s Journey from the Battlefield to the Oil Field.” Special admission. 6 pm.
Sept. 21: Fall Gas Up—the Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society will display antique gas engines on the grounds of the museum. Included in regular admission. 9 am-4 pm.
Sept. 28: Oil Valley Blacksmiths—this is a monthly demonstration program held the last Saturday of the month from April through October. Included in regular admission. 9 am-2 pm.
AND Drake Well by Moonlight—a special evening event with tours, food, music, and more (go here for info). Special admission. 6:30-9:30 pm.

Eckley Miners’ Village
Sept. 15: Ethnic Music Festival—enjoy music by the Donegal Weavers (traditional Irish band), the Pennsylvania Villagers (polka band), and the Hometown Boyz (bluegrass, country, etc.). Food, site tours, and the museum store will also be available; bring your own blankets and chairs. Included in regular admission. Doors open at noon; music begins at 1 pm and continues to early evening.

Ephrata Cloister
Sept 7: Founders’ Day—Discover the roots of the Ephrata community with a special admission price of $1 (ages 3 and up) and lots of interesting activities on the site. Tickets for tours of the rarely shown upper floors of the Sisters’ House are $12; reservations strongly suggested. 10 am-4 pm.
Sept. 21: Artisans Faire—local craftspeople will display and sell their wares. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
Sept. 5-8: Tall Ships Erie 2013—as part of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, this event brings together 9 tall ships, musicians, historians, filmmakers, actors, local vendors, and more. The basic schedule is here; go here for info on all the different activities. Most events take place in and around the Erie Maritime Museum or the Bayfront Convention Center.

Graeme Park
Sept. 18: Homeschool Day—activities include tours of the Keith House, open-hearth cooking, militia drills, and colonial games (click here for flyer). Cost is $6 per person; students must be accompanied by a responsible adult. 10 am-2 pm.
Sept. 20: Registration deadline for Senior Day at Graeme Park—designed for older adults and scheduled for Oct. 2. Flyer with full details and registration form is here.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: September Ice Cream Sundays—enjoy a lovely Sunday afternoon with wagon rides, live fiddle music, and “make-your-own” ice cream sundaes. Included in regular admission. Noon-3 pm.
Sept. 14: Wool Frolic—this is a new event focused on the fiber arts. See demos of bobbin lace making, dyeing fibers, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. (Go here for the program flyer, if for no other reason than to see the artwork.) Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Old Economy Village
Sept. 21-22: Erntefest Harmonist Harvest Festival—Learn how the Harmonists celebrated the harvest and prepared for the winter ahead. Craftspeople will demonstrate 19th-century trades, and hands-on activities include churning butter, making apple schnitz (dried apples), and pressing apples for cider. Homemade German food will be available across the street at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Sat., 10 am-5 pm; Sun., noon-5 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Sept. 1: Historic Trades—the blacksmith and joyner will be on hand to demonstrate their work with metal and wood. Included in regular admission 1-4 pm.
Sept. 8: Living History Theater—“The Caribbean Connection” introduces Quaker Samuel Carpenter, who has just returned from Barbados and will be talking about his experiences there. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
Sept. 15: Open Hearth Cooking—the cooks will be preparing recipes from the “receipt” book of William Penn’s first wife, Gulielma. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
Sept. 22: Garden Highlights—it’s beginning to look and feel like fall in Pennsbury’s gardens; come see for yourself. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
Sept. 29: Animals at Pennsbury—meet the animals and learn about the work they do (and about the work their historical counterparts did as well). Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania State Archives
Registration now open for genealogy workshop, “Finding Your Pennsylvania Civil War Ancestors” on Oct. 5—the second installment of this successful workshop includes a morning session on research resources (limited to 25 attendees) and an afternoon session of research assistance from professional archivists (limited to 10 lucky people). The workshop is free, but registration is required. Act now! To register, contact Josh Stahlman, jostahlman@pa.gov or 717/772-3257.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Sept. 28: Members Day—tours, lectures, book signings, and a banquet with speaker Cesar Vergara, president and chief designer of Vergarastudio, specializing in public transportation infrastructure and rolling stock. Click here for details.

Somerset Historical Center
Sept. 6-8: Mountain Craft Days—since 1970, this event has brought together artisans and craftspeople of all types, and now includes children’s activities, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, and great food. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for kids 6-17. 10 am-5 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Thru Sept. 2: Harrisburg Kipona festival—State Museum archaeologists will be on City Island offering a free program from 10 am to 6 pm. (They will also be conducting excavations at historic Fort Hunter, Sept. 4 through Oct. 11).
Sept. 8: Gallery Walk—the museum will be open free of charge, 11 am-6 pm. 1 pm, Artist Conversation in the “Art of the State” exhibit (last day of the show). 2 pm, opening reception for Doshi Gallery exhibit, “Construction/Deconstruction” (runs through Dec. 1). All day, Susquehanna Art Museum’s VanGO! will be parked adjacent to the museum.
Sept. 20: 3rd in the Burg—exhibit opening for “Stories from the Homefront: Pennsylvania in the Civil War.” There will also be a book-signing with the authors of The Civil War in Pennsylvania: A Photographic History. Tickets are $40, $35 for State Museum Affiliates and PA Heritage Foundation members (purchase tickets online at www.shoppaheritage.com). 6-9 pm.
Sept. 25: HomeSchool Day—a special program tailored for families and community organizations teaching in a home setting. Program fee is $10 per person (free to members) and includes a planetarium show. Register by calling 717/772-6997. 10 am-2 pm.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Sept. 22: Market and Muster Day—enjoy a day out as historical interpreters and reenactors get in the spirit of a colonial marketplace and militia drill. There will be activities for families, and the marketplace will include local produce and baked goods in addition to crafts. Cost is $8 for adults (age 12 and up), $4 for kids 5-11. Go here for more info. 10 am-4 pm.