August 2009 Archives

The Village of Hudson Falls knows how to throw a party. To celebrate 175 years as a village, the Annual Sandy Hill Days celebration in 2009 promises to be one of the biggest events the village has ever seen. With events in both Juckett Park and Paris Park on Friday, September 11th, and Saturday, September 12th, there is sure to be something for everyone from arts and crafts, to great food, continuous live music, rides, games, clowns, magicians, balloons, and a spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m., on Saturday.

Sandy Hill Days is sponsored by General Electric and is organized by a committee of local citizens. The goal is to bring the community together to have some fun, to celebrate the past, to look forward to the future and to reconnect with those you may not have seen for a while. For more details, please visit http://www.sandyhilldays.bizland.com/.

 

The Rogers Island Visitor Center, off Route 197, in Fort Edward, will be transported back in time as it becomes a 1758 French and Indian War camp, on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Enjoy the smells as meals are prepared over open camp fires and listen to stories of 18th century camp life.  Hear the musket fire as work parties are attacked beyond the fort and watch as the British and Provincial soldiers, along with their Native American allies, hurry to their defense.

To understand the significance of the French and Indian War, the Rogers Island Visitor Center in cooperation with the Post Star have created a special online presentation at http://poststar.com/highlights/fiw/. This website provides visitors with a French & Indian War 101 tutorial plus information on the key battles fought during this war. Special features include: how to fire a musket, eating in 1755, 18th Century medicine, and how to play "Nine Men Morris."

For more details or to plan a visit to the Rogers Island Visitors Center, please click here to visit their website.

Tickets are on sale for Salem's second annual HarvestFest, on Saturday, September 12. Come celebrate the end of the 2009 growing season with local food, music, art and activities for the entire family. Explore the all day HarvestFest Marketplace beginning at 10:00 am or join us for a "Farm to Fork" Dinner and Barn Dance which gets underway at 6:00 pm. All events take place at Salem Art Works on Cary Lane from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. HarvestFest is sponsored by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.

The HarvestFest Marketplace is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and there will be many opportunities to sample the summer's bounty, with local produce and homemade goodies for sale. The natural beauty of southern Washington County has drawn a variety of creative people to the area, and HarvestFest will also showcase the talented residents who live here, with locally made arts and crafts for sale. Visitors can also walk through Salem Art Works' sculpture park and galleries

HarvestFest concludes with a "Farm to Fork" dinner made from locally grown food that begins at 6:00 pm and features the music of three local bands, BlueGrassic Park , Dirty Old Strings and Moe Harrington and the White Chapel Band. Eat and dance to great local music until 10:00 pm. Beer and wine available for purchase.

Admission to the day time activities is free. Dinner is $20 for adults; $6 for children under 12; and free for children under 5. Tickets for music only starting at 8:00 pm are $10. Tickets for the dinner are available at area businesses or can be purchased at farmers markets throughout southern Washington County. For information call Salem Art Works at (518) 854-7674 or visit www.salemnychamber.com.

On August 13, 2009 at 2 p.m., in honor of the Quadricentennial, the Washington County Historical Society will present "Meet Samuel de Champlain," a first person account of 17th century life in the colony of New France.  Don Thompson, re-enactor will present the program wearing an authentic costume.  He will use artifacts and anecdotes.
 
The program will be held in Whitehall at Cook's Island Recreation Center on Main Street.  The program is designed to appeal to just about every age - from Grade 3 on up.  The performance is free and open to the public. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Don Thompson is a retired social studies teacher who divides his year between Florida and Vermont.  He participates in archaeological digs every summer, usually at Rogers Island in Fort Edward, NY.
 
For more information, please visit the Washington County Historical Society website.