Hilltown Families 
Hancock Shaker Village Celebrates 50 Years as a Living History Museum
Hancock Shaker Village 50th Anniversary Charter Day
Hancock Shaker Village Charter Day is a family-friendly event featuring children’s music, plays, storytelling, lawn games, wagon rides, free ice cream, and more!
It’s the Hancock Shaker Village’s 50th anniversary and they are celebrating with Charter Day, a family-friendly celebration of Hancock Shaker Village’s official “birthday” as living history museum on August 21st, 10:00am to 5:00pm in Pittsfield, MA. This fun-filled day will include:
- Lawn games
- Wagon rides
- Shaker story time
- Kids concert with Mister G
- Clara and Claire, a short play for young audiences
- Free ice cream
- Demonstrations
- Exhibits
- Community slideshow
Mister G. will perform children’s music concerts at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 2:30pm. His career spans twenty years as a performing musician and recording artist. He began blending his love of music and education in the late 1990s, and specializes in promoting literacy through song creation. He has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and his songs have been featured in television programs around the world.
Clara and Claire, a short play for young audiences written and directed by Berkshire resident Juliane Hiam and conceived by Sharon Smullen, will be performed at 12:00pm and 3:30pm. The play tells the story of two girls from different periods of history who have a magical, accidental meeting at Hancock Shaker Village. One is Clara Sperle, who was the last child to be raised by the Hancock Shakers. Clara went to live with the Shakers at age eight and remained there until she was a young woman. The other is a fictionalized modern day child who is visiting Hancock Shaker Village on a class field trip. Their encounter will bring the audience on a journey that reveals the wonders of simplicity. The production will feature two local 12-year-old actresses, Rebecca van der Meulen and Harper Glantz.
Charter Day will also include children’s lawn games, wagon rides, free ice cream by Crescent Creamery, Shaker Story Time, plus the full schedule of Village daily tours and demonstrations. Admission will be half-price and free for members and children 12 and under. For more information, call 800.817.1137 or go to www.hancockshakervillage.org.
