by Leisa McCracken | Mar 22, 2023
April 8th & 9th – Museum Open for the Season
– Saturdays & Sundays this Spring & Summer 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
April 14th – 16th – Military Encampment
– Featuring the 69th PA & 23rd NC | Blacksmith Demonstrations
May 20th – Civil War Living History
June 3rd – Arts in the Park
– Featuring local vendors (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM) | Musical performance by Mountain Air
June 3rd – 25th – Annual Book Sale
– Great deals on new & used books
June 17th – Summer Concert Series
– Featuring the Plate Scrapers (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
June 23rd – 25th – W.S. Hancock Society Artillery Talks
– Cannon Demonstrations
July 1st & 2nd – 160th Anniversary Celebration
– Living History Demonstrations | Re-Enactments | Battlefield Tours
July 15th – Blue Ridge Summit Library Ice Cream Social
– Visit us at the library & enjoy some ice cream
August 12th – Relics Day
– Civil War relics from Monterey Pass & other sites
September 22nd – 24th – Living History Weekend
– Featuring the 2nd USSS Co. C
by Leisa McCracken | Mar 7, 2023
Free!
March is Women’s History Month, and Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites you to celebrate at “I Am…We are Valiant,” on March 25, 1 PM to 3 PM, at the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center in downtown Chambersburg.
Poet, author, pastor, and performer Carla Christopher is the featured speaker.
Ms. Christopher will bring her message of love, hope, and inspiration as she shares the every day courage of women.
The presentation will take place in the second floor Great Room of the 11/30 Visitors Center.
Women are courageous everyday and often do not realize their own courage.
President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation to establish National Women’s History Week, the precursor of Women’s History Month, during the week of March 2-8, 1980.
In his message, President Carter recognized women throughout America’s history, who:
“Too often…were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed.
But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”
Throughout March, the lobby of the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center pays tribute to valiant women on the Wall of Women, featuring local, regional, national, and international women of inspiration.
The public is invited to participate in the exhibit. Identify a valiant woman, share a photo, a few lines about why the chosen woman is valiant or her positive influence.
Join Franklin County Visitors Bureau and be part of spotlighting Women’s History as American History.
by Leisa McCracken | Mar 1, 2023
Saturday March 25th, 2023 * 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Part 1 | Drafting & Fitting
Limited Space for 15 guests
$50.00 for non-members and $25.00 for members (includes two additional construction dates TBD)
by Leisa McCracken | Feb 24, 2023
Opening Day, Saturday April 1st, 2023 * 12:00 PM
The Conrail Historical Society is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Conrail Museum.
Starting at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time) on Saturday, April 1, 2023 (Conrail’s 47th birthday), The CRHS will host a grand opening event at the boxcar.
CRHS members and the public alike are invited to attend and experience this all-new exhibit that has been three years in the making.
Any questions about this event can be found Here
We look forward to seeing you there!
Conrail Museum
51 East Fort Street
Shippensburg, PA, 17257
by Janet Pollard | Jan 3, 2023 | Blog, Festivals
Since 2020, the Conococheague Institute (a 30 acre historic site located near Mercersburg, PA) has been offering free 18th Century Living History programs every Saturday year round. This consistent community
resource has seen the organization grow in popularity with increased visitation. As such, the organizatio was named the 2022 Non-Profit of the Year with its Executive Director being named the 2022 Educator of
the Year through the Cumberland Valley Business Alliance.
Now as part of the organization’s growth, the Conococheague Institute (CI) will be offering additional changing-themed programs every month, to make each visit a new experience. From 10am to 5pm, the museum offers exhibits and life demonstrations (living history) of 18th Century frontier life such as gardening, hearth cooking and crafts. Visitors can draw water from a well, play period games in the tavern, try on colonial fashions or help out in the kitchen garden.
The new monthly themed programs are in addition to this ongoing living history. The organization’s website and social media will be updated with what’s going on including spinning wheel workshops, butter
making, archery, nature crafts, tree plantings and weapons demonstrations. The new monthly themed programs will have varying times from all day workshops, to timed hikes, or scheduled hour
demonstrations.
CI’s Executive Director Matthew Wedd explained “People have been loving our views into frontier life with our living history, and that will continue: Our garden and cabins need regular attention after all. But these
new themed months will allow us to explore more diverse topics, and utilize all of our cultural and natural resources. We tested it last November for Native American Heritage Month. We had a special program on
Indigenous uses of medical plants, and another on Arrowheads and Archery. Both were very popular and the latter created great connections between our more traditional museum exhibits that include 100’s of
Indigenous lithics, and our-hands on history with archery sessions. We also noticed that adults wanted to try a new skill as much as the kids.
Combining our living history, exhibits, these new themed programs and our nature trails and dog walks makes it even more appealing to spend an entire day here with your family”. The new themed programs will also allow for more guest educators such as birding groups, craftspeople and lecturers.
In January, programs on calligraphy, spinning and distaffs, winter bird feeders and a cloak making workshop have all been scheduled. Programs planned for February will explore the lives of enslaved
people on the frontier during Black History Month. Some programs may require an RSVP to organize program supplies, but the Conococheague Institute looks forward to exploring even more subjects with its community. For more information on CI and the new programs, contact info@cimlg.org.
