2026-05-01 [CHF26] Monthly Missive - May CHF 2026 Participants: We are now 60 days from the beginning of CHF 2026\! The excitement is building, and we hope you can feel it too. This month's message addresses the following: * Incorporating our festival theme * Social media help * Help with the Culper Spy Ring * Review your points of coordination * Help with setup and teardown * Parade float participants requested * Clothing Classes * Living history events to promote CHF --- **Let Your Character Take a Stand — Our 2026 Theme Is Uniting America** In this milestone year our theme is: ***Uniting America — Our Shared Values are Stronger than Our Differences.*** The founders navigated a world of profound disagreement; and yet, they were able to accomplish a historic victory by setting their differences aside and working together for the common good. Please consider how you can highlight this in your presentations and interactions with festival guests. It is a mistake to imagine that the founding generation was of one mind. The debates of the Continental Congress were fierce. John Dickinson, one of the most respected legal minds in the colonies, refused to sign the Declaration of Independence — not because he didn't love liberty, but because he believed the timing was dangerously premature. He and Thomas Jefferson could hardly have been further apart on that question. And yet, when the moment came, these fractious, opinionated men found the common ground necessary to do something the world had never seen before. They were united not by sameness of opinion, but by a shared belief that human beings are capable of governing themselves. That is the miracle we gather to celebrate — and there is something in that story for every one of us. If you have thoughts about how we might promote this theme at CHF this year, please email, text, or call Holly ([holly@colonialheritage.org](mailto:holly@colonialheritage.org), 760-670-8832) --- **Your influence is important: Social Media Volunteers Needed** **Do you wish your child were doing something more productive on their phone?** Why not recruit them to be part of the CHF 2026 social media team? This is a wonderful opportunity for a motivated young person to build real skills while serving a cause worth serving. And then you BOTH can feel better about screen time. We are looking for **volunteers** to give about **one hour per week** to create **one short form video per week** during May and June. All materials, guides, training, and coaching will be provided — you just need to show up with enthusiasm for the cause of liberty. Think of yourself as the Paul Revere of CHF 2026 — spreading the word so the people can prepare\! If you, or someone you can recruit, would like to volunteer, please fill out the [**Social Media Volunteer Form**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOageJ5vXn4ryxmFkyBM6MxmBqBgS1f8bmnvHlnZFGoQLZPQ/viewform?usp=header)**.** Our Social Media committee will then be in contact. --- **We Need Spies\!** Not asking you to cross enemy lines — though we admire those who did. We are looking for participants or exhibits to bring the Spy Ring Program to life at CHF 2026\. This is shaping up to be one of our most exciting interactive experiences ever, and we need additional exhibits to make it work. Some examples of participation include: hosting a dead-drop or providing a password. ***Your mission***: Even if you’re unsure what you might do, as long as you are willing to help, click the link below to send your contact information to Mark Hobson. [Spy Ring Interest Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyC8sl-_PCOmevfl7jsX_HiwKL0S1TMO3tjniE64Xsr9RxhA/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1550921461=Culper+Spy+Ring) Benedict Arnold need not apply. --- **Review your points of coordination** To help us handle the increased attendance we are expecting in this semiquincentennial year, we are substantially increasing the total number of participants and exhibits. To be sure that we are getting everyone connected with the right people to coordinate their efforts, we have organized a set of “points of coordination” and have attached you where we think appropriate based on information from your “intent to participate” form. Here’s the master list. [https://festival.colonialheritage.org/2025/07/structure.html](https://festival.colonialheritage.org/2025/07/structure.html) We are pretty sure that we have your main connection correct; please chick to be sure. Please familiarize yourself with these three coordination groups: * Festival Program * Vendors * Classes If you offer a presentation at a particular time and place each day, you’ll need to coordinate with the “**Festival Program**” coordinator to be sure your presentation makes it on the schedule. If you are offering something for sale to the public, we’ll need to be sure you are connected to the “**Vendors**” coordinator so we can get the needed information for sales tax reporting. If you are offering a class in conjunction with your exhibit, we’ll need to connect you to the “**Classes**” coordinator to be sure you have a time and place for your class. Below are the coordination points we currently have marked for you, please review them and email Gove ([gove@colonialheritage.com](mailto:gove@colonialheritage.com)) if you need additions or corrections. [No individual coordniation points shown in this general message] --- **Help with Setup and Teardown** Behind every great festival is a small army of people who show up before the crowds arrive and stay long after they leave. That army is made up of people like you, and we need your help\! If you are able to assist with pre-festival tasks and **setup** or **teardown**, please sign up using this [SignUpGenius](https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0449A9A62BA2FFC52-62321194-festival#/) **Dates range from June 27- July 6th, 2026** Also please share this link with people in your circle who would like to be part of this grand event. Even a few hours of help makes an enormous difference. --- **Help with making your 18th-century clothing** Here’s a message from the chair of our Clothing Committee: CHF is fast approaching. Hopefully you've had time to begin developing and researching your character, social class, booth and so forth. Below I have attached a schedule of events to help you with your clothing. **Saturday, May 9th**, we will be going over all the layers of an outfit for both men and women. We will be focusing specifically on the working classes, but we can discuss the higher classes as well. The sewing circle will be similar to the shift/shirt class. It will provide a space to get together, chat while sewing, and receive help with outfits. If there is anything specific you would like to cover in a class or discussion, please let me know, I am here to help you\! You will also find a link to my master list of suppliers including ready made clothing, patterns, and fabric. I can't wait to see you all. Feel free to message me (801-616-0421) if you have any other questions, comments, concerns, etc. Katrina Kim [18th-Century Clothing & Supplies Master List](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ErM2HWqOsyS9ErM2yaNj-zod2CnOh-9G-9oVCz2DLCE/edit?gid=0#gid=0) Schedule May 9, 10am — What to Wear: Colonial Clothing (Zoom) May 23, 10am — Sewing Circle (Provo, in person) June 13, 10am — TBD: based on your input (Provo, in person) June 27, 10am — Hair and Makeup (Zoom) Zoom class will be recorded. [Click here to request specifics about classes](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyC8sl-_PCOmevfl7jsX_HiwKL0S1TMO3tjniE64Xsr9RxhA/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1550921461=Clothing+Classes), such as location and zoom links. --- **Freedom Festival Grand Parade** This is a bit of a different request. Because the Colonial Heritage Festival is an official event of America’s Freedom Festival, we are sometimes asked to help other events that fall under this umbrella. The largest such event is the Grand Parade, with about 300,000 attendees. As a tribute to America 250, this parade has had six new floats made depicting significant events from the American founding. Check out this [AI rendering of the floats](https://1-page-at-a-time.blogspot.com/2026/04/floats.html). The organizers of the Grand Parade have asked if we can spare any costumed interpreters to ride on these floats. We say “spare” because this parade runs on the 4th of July, during Colonial Heritage Festival, so to participate, you would be absent from CHF for the first half of Independence Day. Although Gove told the parade organizer that few history interpreters would want to leave the festival to wave on a float, he is trying to be a “team player” by sharing this information here to see if there are volunteers. To be clear, we are not encouraging you to do this, just letting you know of the opportunity in case that it is your preference to participate in the parade on the morning of the fourth. [Grand Parade Participation Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyC8sl-_PCOmevfl7jsX_HiwKL0S1TMO3tjniE64Xsr9RxhA/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1550921461=Grand+Parade+Float+Rider) --- **Living-History Events to Promote CHF** These are the times and places of opportunities for you to help promote the festival. In addition to the promotion we can do for CHF at these living-history events, both Orem and Vineyard are promoting CHF in significant ways, so if you can help it would be much appreciated. **Vineyard Heritage Day:** June 2, 2026 (11 am \- 8pm)\ **Vineyard Storytelling Event:** June 5th, 2026 (12:30-3:00 pm)\ **Vineyard Parade:** June 6th, 2026 (7 pm \- 8 pm)\ **OremFest Car Show:** June 8, 2026 (5 pm \- 8:00 pm)\ **OremFest** **Orchard's Jam:** June 10, 2026 (5 pm \- 8 pm)\ **OremFest** **Parade:** June 13, 2026 (5 pm staging)\ [Promotional Events Participation Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyC8sl-_PCOmevfl7jsX_HiwKL0S1TMO3tjniE64Xsr9RxhA/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1550921461=Living+History+Promotional+Events) --- As always, this and prior messages are available at [https://festival.colonialheritage.org/2000/01/messages.html](https://festival.colonialheritage.org/2000/01/messages.html). (password: chf) Ever your humble servants, Gove Allen Elary Hall Dezra Helgeson Holly White