2026-03-02 Next message # Colonial Heritage Festival Ambassador Information Sheet ## Why Become a Colonial Heritage Festival Ambassador? Be part of the largest libing-history celebration of our nation's founding west of the original 13 colonies. Ignite the spirit of 1776 during the celebration of our country! ## Your Role as an Ambassador: 1. Patrol a designated park section in period-appropriate clothing. 2. Assist visitors, ensure safety/comfort, and guide navigation. 3. Share history’s joy through poems, songs, and friendly interactions—blend modern and 18th-centuryknowledge while staying neutral on current issues. ## Impact and Benefits Create welcoming, immersive, educational experiences and lasting memories for guests—individuals or fami-lies welcome! Build family bonds through shared volunteer adventures, and gain a deeper personal connection to America's founding story. ## Requirements **Status:** Ambassadors are third-person history interpreters, meaning you portray yourself (not a historical character) and may acknowledge modern events but must avoid expressing opinions on controversial topics (e.g., modern politics). **Costume:** Wear passably accurate 18th-century clothing, appropriate for the 1770s working class or upper class, with no visible anachronisms (e.g., zippers, modern logos). If you are able to commit to the entire 3 days of Festival we may be able provide you with clothing. Lesser participation will require you to acquire your own clothing (which must be approved). See below pages for more information. ## Training Attend a mandatory ZOOM training session covering festival layout, lost children protocols, emergency procedures, historical engagement techniques, and period-appropriate poems or songs. Training includes walkie-talkie use (provided by the festival, to be concealed). ## Commitment Choose one or more shifts over the festival dates, July 2–4, 2026:\ Morning Shift: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM\ Afternoon Shift: 1:00 PM–5:00 PM. ## Physical Requirements Ability to walk and stand for extended periods while patrolling, carry light supplies (e.g., water bottle flats), and engage with visitors in a friendly, approachable manner. **Family Participation:** Families are encouraged to volunteer together. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult family member and can participate in reciting poems or singing songs, enhancing the family-friendly atmosphere. ## A Guide to Colonial Costumes for a Festival Ambassador The best outfit would be handsewn and made of natural fibers. As that is out of reach for many people, this outline will help guide you to a suitable costume that will still meet the standards of being an ambassador for the largest living history event west of the 13 colonies! ### Women and Girls In 1770s America, women of all classes wore the same basic garments—shift, stays, petticoat, and gown or jacket, modesty scarf (fichu), apron, and head covering—but class showed in fabric, finish, and quality. * **Upper-class women** wore silk or fine cotton gowns such as the robe à la française or robe à l’anglaise, richly trimmed with lace and embroidery, accessorized with gloves, jewelry, elaborate caps or coiffures, and a sheer muslin or lace fichu modestly tucked into the neckline. * **Middling women** wore wool or printed cotton gowns or jackets over quilted petticoats—practical but neatly tailored— accompanied by aprons, linen fichus or kerchiefs, and modest caps for respectability. * **Working women and girls** wore coarse linen shifts, linsey-woolsey skirts, and short gowns or jackets—plain, durable, and often patched—with a simple sturdy fichu or kerchief pinned at the neck and a plain linen cap and apron for daily work. Across all classes, the fichu was nearly universal—its sheer or sturdy fabric signaling both modesty and station: fine lace for the elite, homespun flax for the laborer. **SHOES:** Shoes were rarely seen, accept for the tip of an upper class women’s fine silk shoe. Please try for sturdy leather shoes with laces preferred: NO fake buckles. Clogs would be worn by lower class or no shoe at all. Stocking would be worn with shoes. **If you are looking to make or purchase something from Etsy, or the like, please check with Karen Peck, the Ambassador lead, to make sure it is the correct period. If you are not familiar they can all look the same! Kaepeck@gmail.com** These dresses from Amazon are acceptable. All images have links. Not all styles on Amazon page are colonial....beware. #### Woman’s Dress [](https://www.amazon.com/GRACEART-Pioneer-Colonial-Costume-size-14/dp/B07DQKRWTJ?th=1&psc=1) #### Child’s Dress [](https://www.amazon.com/GRACEART-Colonial-Prairie-Pioneer-Costume/dp/B07PW7JD6N?th=1&psc=1) **Aprons** were a mark of femininity. Upper class women wore "barely functional" delicate aprons while the lower class aprons were very much in use. Here is a half and a bibbed apron . The bibbed apron is pinned in place. Pins were widely used in every day dressing. [](https://www.samsonhistorical.com/collections/womens-accessories-18th-century/products/linen-half-apron) [](https://www.samsonhistorical.com/collections/womens-accessories-18th-century/products/bib-aprons)[](https://www.samsonhistorical.com/products/straight-pin-set) **Videos:** Watch these videos to learn about women’s 18th c. clothing. [ Getting Dressed in 18th Century Working Class Women's Clothing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLoqx1WF9RU) [ Layer by Layer: Women’s Clothing in the 18th Century | Living History Demonstration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVA65Y3ML5g) This pattern would also be a passable dress. Click on picture for link. PLEASE, have your material approved by Karen before mak- ing. Kaepeck@gmail.com [](https://simplicity.com/simplicity/s9251) **Basic Women’s Check List** * To the ankle dress * Apron * Modesty Scarf * Head covering * Passable footwear & Stockings **Caution** * No visible zippers * No short skirts; must be ankle length skirts/gowns. * No pioneer dresses * No 19th c. Regency dresses. * Sleeves are elbow length. [](LINK_URL) [](LINK_URL) [](LINK_URL) [](LINK_URL) [](LINK_URL)