After news of many of the major summer and fall festivals and fairs being cancelled, you might be assuming that History Alive will not happen. Not true!
This year, a FREE special History Alive event is being planned for all local residents to sample what History Alive is all about, and to encourage our visitors to attend the wonderful events being planned next year August 21-22, 2021 when celebrating the 250 year history of the town of Hillsborough.
To eliminate all overhead costs and make it available to everyone, HISTORIC HILLSBOROUGH CENTER will be the ONLY site and the event will be for only ONE day, Sunday, August 16, 2020. Due to scheduling, social distancing, and attendance issues, Jones Road reenactments are not occurring this summer, but are planned to return bigger and better in 2021. However the Center will have a sampling of reenactors demonstrating trades and activities sparsely spread throughout the Center.
In order to enable safe social distancing, the Commons, church sites, Lookout and Cemetery will be used as well as a large part of the field south of the Methodist Church. Masks will be encouraged. All activities will ce held outside. Here is a chance to stretch your legs before summer is over and schools reopen. Some of the activities planned include:
• Church services at both the two churches- (Methodist and Congregational)
•Two NH Humanities speakers-
• John C. Potter on the History of Barns in NH (appropriately located by one of the larger barns in the Center) and
• Mary C. Kelly on the Immigration of Irish to NH.
We will have a picnic basket on the greens (bring your own basket of food and any blanket or chairs you prefer).
• A community picnic- bring your own food and beverages, popups, blankets, and chairs.
-there will be adequate space to spread out with friends and family.
• Music
•Demonstrations of historic craftsmen/artisans, displays of quilts, historic women from the Center, hands-on old fashioned laundry, and other exhibits and vendors of interest.
• Tours of the Cemetery and Lookout site and self guided tours around the historic village. Do you know which place was the Rising Sun Tavern? Or the Country Store? Or the “Nunnery”? Come explore the Center.
• A PARADE of all those in costume walking around the Center led by an old fashioned bicyclist.
Put Sunday, August 16th on your calendar. We hope to see you at Historic Hillsborough Center and to keep this exciting Hillsborough event ALIVE! If you have questions or want to volunteer, give Marian a call at 478-5650. More details to follow soon!