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The sights, sounds, and spirit of the Revolutionary War will come alive at Old Sturbridge Village this weekend with 1,000 historic reenactors gather for the 10th anniversary of the Village’s Redcoats & Rebels event. Now the largest military reenactment in New England, the two-day event features realistic mock battles and skirmishes between the Colonial and British troops and their allies. Supplement your child’s interest before going with our suggested titles, and screen a short video of what to expect when your family arrives…
Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines The Roots of Valentine’s Day Traditions Old Sturbridge Village: Feb. 9th & 10th [02/08/13 UPDATE: OSV will be closed Sat., Feb. 9th and opened Sun. Feb. 10th] The tradition of having chocolate on Valentine’s Day is a longstanding one – it has been around since the early days of New England, even! Today’s Valentine’s traditions tend not to involve a lot of homemade chocolate or laborious preparations,… Read More
Old Sturbridge Village hosts Christmas by Candlelight Celebration of favorite holiday traditions, music & food Nine evening events set for Dec. 7-9; 14-16; 21-23 Take a break from the overwhelming wave of commercialized holiday “spirit” that the post-Thanksgiving season brings – visit Old Sturbridge Village for Christmas by Candlelight, which offers an incredibly wide variety of family-friendly holiday activities, performances, demonstrations, readings, crafts, and more! Villagers dressed in period costume will share… Read More
A contemporary Thanksgiving dinner might feature pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, & a butterball turkey. An 1830’s Thanksgiving was a bit different!
QUESTION AND ANSWERS One of our readers is looking for places to take kids on horse-drawn sleigh or hayrides in Western MA for their child’s winter birthday party. Any recommendations? Lauren Koblara Kostantin writes, “Blue Star Equiculture! It’s in Palmer, MA on a beautiful farm.” Tara Brock Winters writes, “Kip Porter on Kinnebrook Rd in Worthington (O’Shea & Porter Draft Horses) has draft horses & does horse drawn rides; they are beautiful!”… Read More
Robert Frost to Monarch Butterflies. War of 1812 to Urban Townhouses. Guided Tours to Open Houses. These are just a few of the learning highlights we’re featuring this week! Get out into your community and learn while you play! And be sure to check our list of supporting book titles to supplement the learning on the different topics highlighted each week. Purchase them for your family library, or check them out from… Read More
Corn Mazes to County Fairs. Beavers to Estuaries. 19th Century Games to Gallery Tours. These are just a few of the learning highlights we’re featuring this week! Get out into your community and learn while you play! And be sure to check our list of supporting book titles to supplement the learning on the different topics highlighted each week. Purchase them for your family library, or check them out from the public… Read More
Be Mine: Chocolate & Valentines Non-Commercial Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day February 11th & 12th at Old Sturbridge Village Even when you’re immersed in the 19th century at Old Sturbridge Village, Valentine’s Day is still about sharing cards and eating chocolate. OSV’s “Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines” takes place from 9:30am to 4pm this coming weekend, February 11th and 12th. Visitors to the village will learn about the history of chocolate in… Read More
Fire and Ice Days at Old Sturbridge Village January 28th & 29th, 2012 If your family was without power during the Halloween blizzard, what did you do to keep your refrigerated goods cold? It’s likely that you, like many families, buried them in the snow. Before we had electric refrigeration, that used to be the only way to keep foods cold! Ice was once an important “cash crop” in New England, and… Read More
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrated at Old Sturbridge Village In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Old Sturbridge Village is offering a program on Monday, Jan 16th for families that highlights the story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, a former slave (from Sheffield, MA) who successfully gained her freedom in court- a case that eventually lead to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts. Freeman is played by historian and storyteller Tammy Denease,… Read More
History and the Holidays Come Alive at Old Sturbridge Village Is your family craving a simultaneously delightful and non-commercial holiday adventure? Old Sturbridge Village has just the thing- Christmas by Candlelight! The event will take place during three weekends in December (Fri-Sun from 4-9pm), and the activities and learning opportunities featured emphasize history, tradition, and the spirit of the holidays. Activities include horse-drawn sleigh rides, listening to Victorian carolers, hands-on art activities… Read More
Fall 2010 Programs for Home School Families at Old Sturbridge Village “Hop into History” overnight program August 14th Home School Days September 14th and November 10th Living history museum Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) will offer programs just for home school families, beginning with a Hop into History Overnight sleepover on Sat., August 14th, and continuing with a special September 14th Home School Day on Travel: People and Goods in Motion, and a… Read More
Memorial Day Weekend at Old Sturbridge Village May 29th-31st, 2010 The sheep at Old Sturbridge Village will get their annual “haircuts” during Memorial Day Weekend May 29th-31st, 2010 as the Village celebrates “Wool Days.” Farmers will shear the sheep, and OSV historians in costume will demonstrate the entire wool textile process, from scouring and carding the wool to spinning, knitting and weaving the handspun wool yarn. Visitors can try hand carding (brushing… Read More
Follow Hilltown Families on Discover fun and educational events happening this weekend in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast. SUGGEST AN EVENT If you have a family friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that… Read More
Historical Look at Motherhood at Old Sturbridge Village on Mother’s Day Moms get free admission to Old Sturbridge Village on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 9th, and family events are planned throughout the weekend. Children can meet the baby animals on the farm, and enjoy indoor crafts, including making block printed note cards for a Mother’s Day gift. Moms can gain insights on childbirth, raising children and running a frugal household from OSV… Read More
April School Vacation Week at Old Sturbridge Village Four new lambs have already arrived at Old Sturbridge Village, with more expected in the days and weeks to come – good news for children who look forward to meeting the new arrivals during April school vacation week. Visitors can also meet the Village oxen, cows, and chickens, and help the Village farmers with their spring work, from spring planting and plowing to splitting… Read More
Kids Free at Old Sturbridge Village in January Includes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and “Fire & Ice” celebrations Old Sturbridge Village is celebrating the new year with a special thank-you gift for visitors: free admission for children in January (a $7 value per child). From Jan. 1-31, all kids age 17 and under get free admission to the Village when accompanied by an adult (the offer does not apply to educational… Read More
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