Special Events

The Colonial Heritage Festival runs from morning until early evening, but the experience of stepping into the eighteenth century does not have to end when the gates close. A number of special events are held in conjunction with the festival after public hours — gatherings designed to extend, deepen, and celebrate the work of the day in settings the daytime crowd never sees. These range from formal occasions, such as a colonial-style ball or a candlelit dinner in the company of the founding fathers, to more intimate evenings of music, conversation, and storytelling around a fire. Some special events are open to the general public and require only the purchase of a ticket; others are by invitation only, reserved for festival volunteers, participants, sponsors, or guests of honor. What unites them is their timing: each takes place outside the regular hours of the festival, after the exhibits have closed and the daytime visitors have gone home, when the grounds quiet and the eighteenth century has a chance to linger a little longer. The events listed below describe the special gatherings planned for this year's festival, along with details on how to attend.