April Vacation Week Activities at OSV: April
16-24
Patriots Day activities, baby animals delight
children
STURBRIDGE, Mass.
(March 24, 2011) – Old Sturbridge Village has a full week of activities planned
to keep children engaged and entertained during April school vacation. On
Monday, April 18, the Village will celebrate Patriots Day with events that honor
the New England contribution to the Revolutionary War. Throughout the
week, visitors can also meet baby lambs and piglets; the Village already has
three new lambs, with more on the way. In addition, visitors will be able
to ride the OSV stagecoach and take part in hands-on activities, games, and
demonstrations. Registration is currently open for day camps during the school
break. For more details, visit www.osv.org or call
800-SEE-1830.
Patriots
Day
One of the
highlights of April vacation week at the Village is the celebration of Patriots
Day, commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War and the “shot heard ‘round
the world.” Though few veterans of this war were still alive in the 1830’s, the
fathers or grandfathers of many rural New Englanders may have been involved in
the conflict. Fife and drum music will be played throughout the day. Visitors
will meet soldiers from both sides – a Minuteman and a loyalist. They will
compare uniforms, accoutrements, and beliefs about the American revolutionary
movement. Children can drill and march with muskets using instructions from the
official 1776 drill manual. Visitors can also create a Revolutionary War musket
cartridge and see how musket balls were made. Village blacksmiths will discuss
how their skills were put to use during the war.
Lambs &
Piglets
Newborn lambs and
piglets are often highlights of the April school vacation, which are frequently
born in early to mid-April. In rural 1830s New England, farmers would have had
flocks of 10-60 Merino sheep, which were imported from Spain in about 1810.
Modern day Merino sheep bear little resemblance to their early 19th-century
ancestors. Because of this, Village historians looked for a different breed,
which more closely resembles the earlier Merino. They found the “Gulf Coast
Native,” a breed which also originated in Spain and was brought to the United
States in the 1500s. This breed closely resembles the 19th-century Merino,
especially in the look, fineness, and average weight of their fleece.
Hands-On
Activities
Visitors of all
ages can play 19th-century springtime games including French and English (tug of
war), 1830’s baseball, and paper fire balloon launching. Hands-on activities for
the week include churning fresh butter, making a spiral paper snake, and making
an herb sachet or seed packet. Special demonstrations include soap making,
sewing, plowing and other farm activities. Village craftsmen and mill operators
will also be demonstrating the vocations typical of an early New England rural
village. At the Craft Center visitors can forge an iron hook, paint a miniature
OSV building, sew a baseball, or make a wood dibble (simple garden tool.) (Craft
Center activities require an additional $5-$10 fee.)
Day
Camps
Registration is
currently open for Day Camps during the vacation week. The camps are open to
children ages 6-17 and include a two-day, costumed Discovery Camp and five
different one-day, non-costumed Exploration Camps. Add-ons such as extended day
care and lunch are also available. During the Discovery Camp, “Utterly
Fantastic,” campers will learn more about the day to day care of cows and
processing milk into food products. The Exploration Camps will explore Native
American traditions, food from garden to hearth, the local landscape,
19th-century desserts, and decorative arts.
Old Sturbridge
Village celebrates life in early New England from 1790 – 1840. Located just off
the Massachusetts Turnpike and Routes I-84 and 20 in Sturbridge, Mass., OSV is
open year-round, but hours vary seasonally. Beginning April 2, the Village will
be open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is: $20 for
adults; $18 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3-17; children under 3 are
admitted free. Each admission includes free parking and a free second-day visit
within 10 days. Woo
Card subscribers get
25% of adult daytime admission; college Woo cardholders receive 50% off adult
daytime admission. For details, visit www.osv.org or call
800-SEE-1830.
# # #
Upcoming events at
Old Sturbridge Village:
Mother’s Day – May
8
All mothers receive free admission and a free gift (while supplies last.)
Motherhood-themed activities are planned throughout the day including voting for
the best 19th century mom, learning more about the 1830s best seller “The
Mother’s Book” and the role of women beyond motherhood. Visitors can participate
in a scavenger hunt and a game of “French and English” (tug of
war).
Wool Days – May
28-30 This is the
weekend when the sheep get their annual haircuts and their wool becomes yarn.
See how the wool is carded, spun, and dyed. New this year – a sheep herder will
demonstrate how border collies can control sheep, ducks, and more on Saturday,
May 28.
Contact:
Ann Lindblad 508-347-0323;
508-886-2689 cell
Kate Brandt:
508-347-0293