Independence Day Celebration at Hanford Mills Museum
*The event has already taken place on this date: Thu, 07/04/2019
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Celebrate the Fourth at Hanford Mills Museum’s annual Independence Day Celebration. The event features old-fashioned fun, with two frog jumping contests, a fishing derby on the Mill Pond, tug o’ war, and sack races. Visitors also can tour the historic Mill and woodworking shop and see water- and steam-power demonstrations featuring the 1926 Fitz Overshot waterwheel, the steam boiler and steam engines.
Mill staff and volunteers will be making vanilla ice cream on a steam-powered churn, chilled with ice harvested from the Mill Pond in February. Free ice cream samples will be available while supplies last. “The ice cream is the sweet reward of last February’s successful ice harvest,” said Hanford Mills Museum executive director Liz Callahan. The ice is kept frozen in the Museum’s traditional ice house, packed with sawdust from the Mill.
Special Fun for Kids
Children 14 and under can take part in a fishing derby on the Mill Pond, with prizes being awarded at 2 pm. Children should bring a fishing pole and bait (or borrow one of the poles that will be available.) There also will be sack races, tug o’ war, and frog-jumping contests (BYOF: bring your own frog).
Unique Steam Power Demonstrations
“We are one of the few places in the country that features steam power,” explains Hanford Mills executive director Liz Callahan. “Firing up the steam boiler and operating it is demanding and labor intensive. Staff and volunteers make up the ‘steam team,’ whose experience, training and dedication enable us to run the boiler and steam engines just as the Hanfords did a century ago.” She noted that while the Museum operates the waterwheel during tours offered every Wednesday through Sunday, steam power demonstrations occur only a few times a year. Visitors on July 4th can see both power sources.
Local Music and Local Food
The Independence Day Celebration features food trucks, local vendors and great music. Details available at www.hanfordmills.org. Visitors also are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.
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