This page courtesy of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum
For more information, contact Christopher Lee, office@boalmuseum.com or 814-466-9266.
Memorial Day festivities take place Monday, May 27, 2013. http://www.boalmuseum.com/memorialdayvillage.html
Boalsburg Festival To Celebrate Birthplace of Memorial Day
Photo caption (above): Union and Confederate soldiers will square off for two battles at the Boal Mansion Museum as part of Boalsburg Memorial Day festivities on Monday, May 27.
(Boalsburg, PA) -- The Village of Boalsburg will celebrate Memorial Day for the 149th time with a festive day of activities and a traditional ceremony of remembrance on Monday, May 27th.
Boalsburg is widely known as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The first celebration was held in 1864, when three townswomen gathered in the cemetery to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The tradition is now carried on by local Girl Scout Troop 1184.
Throughout the day, nearly 20,000 visitors will have a chance to spend a day in town, tempting their taste buds with local foods and shopping for wares from artisans from across the Northeast. Three museums – the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, the Boal Mansion and the Pennsylvania Military Museum – will have family oriented activities throughout the day, including encampments and a battle by Civil War re-enactors.
The day kicks off with a Fun Run at Blue Spring Park at 8:30 AM. The festival runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and features local musicians, a traditional Maypole dance at 12:30 PM and local artisans.
The 6:00 PM service caps the day with a community address by John Wainright, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and the retired Vice-President-International for the Archer Daniel Midland Company. Wainright and his wife Linda moved to Boalsburg in 2003 and since then he has engaged in numerous civic activities including serving as chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee, President of the Boalsburtg Village Conservancy, a volunteer guide at the Boal Mansion Museum and a board member of the Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum.
For a complete list of events, visit, http://www.boalmuseum.com/memorial-day-in-the-village.html or Facebook page “Memorial Day Boalsburg” or phone (814) 466-9266.
--End of news story--
For the web site of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, sponsor of Memorial Day events, click here
For Boal Mansion Museum web site, click here
Boalsburg, Pennsylvania: Birthplace of Memorial Day
Directory of this page (click on item for details):
It was an early fall day in 1864 when Emma Hunter and her friend, Sophie Keller, picked flowers and went to the old cemetery to lay them on the grave of Emma’s father, Reuben Hunter. Dr. Hunter was a young Boalsburg doctor at the time of the Civil War. When he volunteered to serve with the Army of the North, he was assigned to the hospital in Baltimore. In addition to attending the wounded soldiers, he also cared for the men who had contracted yellow fever while fighting in the southern swamplands. Dr. Hunter became ill and died of yellow fever and his body was buried in the Boalsburg cemetery.
On their way the two young girls met Mrs. Elizabeth Myers whose young son, Amos, had been killed the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg and was buried in the old cemetery. Learning where the girls were going, Mrs. Myers asked to join them. They shared the flowers and placed them on both graves. It was decided then that they would meet the following year with flowers for all who had died in the Civil War. The three young women told their friends of the plans and when the day came ‘round, most of the villagers joined them.
From that simple beginning came the observance of Memorial Day in Boalsburg. Every year since then, the people have met on the Diamond in Boalsburg Square for the walk to the old cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of all the soldier dead. They are led by a home town band and all ages join in the walk and participate in the simple service of remembering.
A Day in Towne
In 1864 three ladies from the village of Boalsburg walked to the village cemetery to decorate the graves of loved ones who had died in the on going Civil War. This simple act of remembering, which then became a local tradition, ultimately became the national holiday of Memorial Day. This year Boalsburg will continue the tradition it started 148 years ago when it celebrates A Day in Towne Memorial Day Festival on Monday, May 28, 2012. This year’s celebration will include music, food, crafts, and exhibits in Boalsburg village and at the Boal Mansion Museum. Boalsburg’s history will also be celebrated with tours of the Boal Mansion Museum and the Boalsburg Heritage Museum.
The Maypole Dance led by the Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop will take place at 12:30 pm on the Diamond. There will also be a North-South Civil War skirmish twice during the day at the Boal Mansion Museum, once at 10:30 am and again at 1:30 pm.
The highlight of A Day in Towne will be the traditional 6:00pm Service. This service is an expression of the community’s gratitude to all those who have contributed to the defense of our country and those who have served the community of Boalsburg and Harris Township. The service gets underway at 5:45 pm with the walk from the Diamond to the cemetery. The Service starts at 6:00 pm. Christopher Lee, president of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, will be this year’s Master of Ceremonies. Boy Scout Troop 380 will present the national colors. The Service will also feature the Boalsburg Fireman’s Memorial and two Civil War reenactment groups: Battery B, 3rd Pennsylvania Light Artillery and Company C, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry. This year’s speaker will be John Wainright, Navy veteran, retired corporate executive and current chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee , Following the address, the soldiers’ graves will be decorated.
Memorial Day on Church and Main Streets
Memorial Day activities will provide just about anything guests can imagine. From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm there will be craft sales and demonstrations along Church and Main Streets, with 80 dealers on Main and 25 more on Church Street participating. Demonstrations include chair caning, whittling, wood-working and jewelry making. Village shops and restaurants in the Diamond area will be open during their normal hours, as will the restaurants on nearby Boal Avenue.
Harris Township’s service organizations will hold food sales featuring special food items and baked goods. Contact Margie Tennis at 466-6311 for more information.
~SPECIAL Notes ~
Remember! the Boalsburg Fire company carnival is May 23 -- 27. Their parade is on Saturday May 25 at 5pm.
VILLAGE RESIDENTS ARE ASKED TO HAVE ALL PARKED VEHICLES REMOVED from EAST and WEST MAIN STREETS by 5:00 am, MONDAY, May 27. Please: DO NOT PARK IN DOWNTOWN BOALSBURG AND DO NOT DRIVE DOWN CHURCH STREET DURING FESTIVITIES. YOUR COOPERATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
PLEASE: NO PETS, BIKES, OR SKATEBOARDS IN THE VILLAGE DURING FESTIVITIES.
RECYCLING BINS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE VILLAGE DIAMOND AREA
Vital Information on Street Closings, Parking, Conveniences
STREET CLOSINGS: Closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday (May 23-25, May 27): East Pine Street, from Church Street to Academy Street, is closed for the Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, starting at 5:30 pm each day of the Carnival and opening when it closes. Parking is PROHIBITED on both sides of Old Boalsburg Rd. during the Boalsburg Fire Co. Carnival.
Monday, Memorial Day - May 27: The following streets are closed from 6:30 am. – 5:00 pm. Rockey Alley, Loop Road, from Chambers Alley to East Main Street, Main Street, beginning east from Bus. Rt. 322 to Tennis Alley, Academy Street, from Chambers Alley across E. Main to Pine Street, Church Street, from Chambers Alley to Bus. Rt.322, Pine Street, from Bus. Rt. 322 to Tennis Alley and Old Boalsburg Road, between N. Church St. to the Boal Mansion. From 5:30 pm until the end of service, Church St. between Old Boalsburg Rd. and Rt. 322 also will be closed.
PARKING and SHUTTLE BUS INFORMATION:
Free Parking is available at a number of locations served by the Shuttle Bus, including the Medical Center, Heritage Run Office Building, and across from the Car Wash on Business Rt. 322 East. There is a charge for parking on the Military Museum grounds and on the Boal Estate Grounds.
The Shuttle Bus will run at approximately 20-minute intervals, stopping near each parking lot to pick up passengers. Shuttles will make three stops on Bus. Rt. 322 to discharge passengers: Boal Mansion, North Church Street at the traffic light, and East Main St. There is no charge to ride the Shuttle Bus.
Please Remember: No vehicles will be allowed in most of the Village.
A Handicap Parking Only Site is available in the front of the Tennis Lamp Shop, which is across from the Kwik Fill gas station. Please make sure your placard is displayed.
THE INFORMATION BOOTH is located on the Diamond. Maps and lists of activities are available at the Information Booth, as well as at locations throughout the Village area.
RESTROOM and HANDICAP RESTROOM FACILITIES are available at various locations in town, including Zion Lutheran Church.
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy Welcomes You
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy welcomes everyone to Boalsburg this Memorial Day. The Conservancy will sponsor a booth located on the Boalsburg’s Diamond where literature and memorabilia about Boalsburg will be sold. As usual, the Conservancy will organize the 5:45 p.m. Walk to the Cemetery and the 6:00 p.m. Service, which is the focus of our Memorial Day celebration.
The Conservancy was founded in 1973 as a civic organization dedicated to preserving the historic resources of the Boalsburg village and Harris Township and also dedicated to stimulating awareness of the area’s historic past. In 2008-2009, the Conservancy sponsored the Boalsburg’s 200th Anniversary Event including as very successful house tour. The Conservancy is now organizing a community committee to plan for 2014's 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day in 1864. Committees of the Conservancy also organize A Day in Towne Memorial Day Festival, the Boalsburg Heritage Festival in October and Hometown Christmas in December. Also, the Conservancy will be installing two additional street lights on village streets. For more information about the Conservancy or to join, please stop by our booth on the Diamond or contact Christopher Lee at 814 466 9266 or office@boalmuseum.com.
29TH ANNUAL FRUIT PIE CONTEST
On Memorial Day the Boalsburg Village Conservancy will sponsor a fruit pie contest. The contest is open to individuals Grade 6 through adult. The committee will have a booth on the Diamond and all pies should be delivered to this booth before 11:00 AM. Please bring your pies in disposable containers. Monday there is no parking in the Village after 6:30 AM so pies should be delivered using Loop Road and Chambers Alley. For more information please call Darlene Bachmann at 466-7453 or dar.bachmann@gmail.com.
The Boalsburg Heritage Museum – 304 East Main Street
The Boalsburg Heritage Museum again will have the soup kettles in operation. Vegetable and ham and bean soups will be provided by numerous cooks in the community. They will be mixed in iron kettles over an open fire and served along with home-style baked bread. The proceeds benefit the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. Soup will be hot and ready to serve by 10:00 am and until gone in mid-afternoon. Heritage Museum Association members may expect a call asking for a donation of either a vegetable soup or loaf of bread. Drop them off behind the Blacksmith's Shop after 7:00 am. Identify you container if you would like to have returned. We will welcome any volunteers who can help stir soup or with serving during the day.
The Museum will welcome visitors from Noon until 4:00 PM with an exhibit on Hearth Cooking curated by Debbie and Charlie Nydegger. On the grounds, the Light House remains as the site of Boalsburg's first electric plant. It now contains furnishings from "Prexy's Pool Hall," formerly located in a corner of the village square. Inspect our Bank Barn. On the top floor there is a display of antique carriages, tractors, and implements used on the farm in bygone days.
Boal Mansion Activities Include Civil War Battle -- 300 Old Boalsburg Road
Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm., the Mansion will feature a family picnic and music party all day under the ancient oak and maple trees on the lawn of the two-century-old home of the pioneer David Boal and seven generations of his descendants. A wide variety of music, from Civil War brass bands to rock and jazz will play throughout the day and visitors are invited to bring a picnic and blanket and relax on the spacious lawn of the Boal Mansion. Scattered throughout the site will be food, music, crafts and two Civil War encampments – Confederate artillery and Union infantry.
Special for the children is the Dominion Science Center, an interactive blend of art and science located in the east garden of the Boal Estate. Once again this year the popular Civil War battle will take place on the pond field of the Boal Estate.
A Confederate artillery troop will square off against a Union infantry company on the pond field of the Boal Mansion Museum, as Hampton’s Legion Artillery takes on Company C of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
At 1 PM on the porch of the Boal Mansion, there will be special music selections, and then three service awards will be given to community members deserving of recognition: The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation, the Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service and the Judge George Boal Award for Education.
Visitors are also welcome to come inside the 200-year-old Boal Mansion with the original furnishings of eight generations of Boals and through the Columbus Chapel inherited and imported from Spain in 1909 containing Christopher Columbus’ Admiral’s Desk, fine European oil paintings and tow pieces of the True Cross of Jesus. The community is invited to come picnic all day, listen to the old/new/original music by young and old musicians from the ongoing Family Music Party, and to share in honoring the community volunteers at the awards ceremony at 1:00 PM.
Call for volunteers: Volunteer museum guides ages 14 to 84 are sought to bring history to life for children and visitors to the Boal Mansion. Guide orientation and free tour are offered. For information contact Chris Lee at 466-6210 or office@boalmuseum.com or see http://www.boalmuseum.com/volunteer-info.html
“A DAY IN TOWNE”
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY, May 27, 2013
ON THE DIAMOND – MAIN & CHURCH STREETS
8:30 am Blue Spring Park: Start – “Run for Fun”
8:00 am – 11:00 am Pies accepted for 28th Annual Fruit Pie Contest
9:00 am – 5:00 pm Village Shops Open
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Sidewalk Sales: Crafts, Foods, Beverages
10:30 am – 11:30 am State College High School Jazz Band
The State College Area High School Jazz Band is among the finest in the United States. The band has toured Europe five times and has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, at Disneyland Paris, at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, at Jazz a Vienne and Jazz a Juan in France, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They have been finalists four times for the prestigious Essentially Ellington Competition sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and were finalists this year for the Swing Central Jazz Festival held in Savannah, Georgia. For more information go to www.scasd.org/music.
12:00 – 1:00 pm Little German Band (Maypole Dance) -- featuring the Maypole Dance by the Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop
This year the Little German Band is celebrating its 51st year of “Oompah Music.” Since the band has played for 40 plus Memorial Days in Boalsburg, we look at this event as a highlight of the year and the beginning of several months of outdoor concerts throughout Central Pennsylvania. Watching the young people participate in the May Pole exercise is a great experience for those watching as well as those dancing. Come and join in the fun. For more information, visit www.thelittlegermanband.com.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Nigthcrawlers - Vocally sonic and rhythmically diverse, the NC shift from Indie,classic rock, soul, funk, and alt country with ease.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm State College Community Theatre –Selections from the 2013 Summer Season
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pure Cane Sugar -- Evokes exquisite vocals through sultry voices, soulfulharmonies and powerful lyrics
5:45 pm 149th Walk to Boalsburg Cemetery from The Diamond
6:00 pm 149th Cemetery Service (Will be held inside St. John’s UCC in case of inclement weather)
BOALSBURG HERITAGE MUSEUM - 304 East Main Street
Noon – 4:00 pm Guided tours, featured exhibit (free): Hearth Cooking by Debbie and Charles Nydegger
10:00 am – 2:00 pm Hot pretzels -- beehive oven
1:00 p.m. Essay Contest Winners Announced» “What Can My Family and I Do to Keep Our Country Strong?”
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Dan & Galla - Feel good music” of many styles – Interactive and fun
The Dan & Galla Musical Show features "feel-good music" of many styles. Dan plays keyboard, accordion and trumpet and Galla plays guitar, flute, uke and balalaika. They are interactive and fun for all ages. For more information visit their website www.gallaanddan.com.
HARRIS TOWNSHIP OFFICES, Rear – 224 East Main Street
10:00 am – until sold out Ham & Bean and Vegetable Soups, Homemade Bread Sale, or until gone
BOALSBURG CEMETERY – Route 322 & Church Street
6:00 pm 149th Service at Cemetery. Elizabeth Ritter, speaker.
BOAL MANSION GROUNDS –300 Old Boalsburg Road
9:00 – 5:00
Historical re-enactments on site:
9:30 am Coburn Brass: 19th century brass band music
This 19th century brass band presents the familiar music of the Civil War era when music was live. Some familiar numbers are SHENANDOAH, JENNY LIND POLKA, LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD, AURA LEE, DIXIE'S LAND, HOME SWEET HOME, etc. Formed in 1996, the group has performed in Gettysburg, Danville, Centre Hall, and McClure. Coburn Brass can be reached at eeh1@psu.edu.
10:30 Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
11:00 am. Patriotic brass music - Bellefonte Community Band
12:15 pm Christopher Kent, singer/songwriter/storyteller
Christopher Kent is a singer-songwriter who spent 20 years in New York City writing, playing the clubs, recording and teaching songwriting; he now lives in Centre County. His third album of original music, packaged with his forthcoming self-help book "Getting Your Life Back," will be released later this year. Stylistically, his upbeat music follows in the steps of the artists who inspired him, including Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel. chris@christopherkent.com bryfiddle@aol.com
1:00 PM: Boal Awards Ceremony, on the porch of the Boal Mansion:
1. The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation
2. The Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service
3. The Judge George Boal Award for Education
1:30: Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
2:00 pm Rock and Roll - OverheaD,
3:00 pm Gina Ricci, rock singer; Chris Lee, piano
Rock vocalist Gina Ricci was brought up in State College and had her own band in Seattle. She has recorded with Don Henley of the Eagles, among other Los Angeles recording stars. She will be accompanied by Central Pennsylvania Musicians Association President Chris Lee on piano.
3:30 pm Rock and Roll - OverheaD
4:30 pm Gina Ricci, rock singer; Chris Lee, piano
5:00 p.m. Cannonade - Hampton’s Legion Artillery
PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY MUSEUM – Route 322 & Boalsburg Pike
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Allegheny Region Antique Automobile Club of America:
Pre-war and classic antique cars on the Shrine parade grounds
9:00 am – 5:00 pm Military Museum Open for Tours (fee)
OFF AND RUNNING!
The 32nd Annual Memorial Day Run will begin at 8:30 am at Blue Spring Park on West Pine Street. Check-in time is between 7:30 am and 8:00 am at the park. Registration forms may be dropped off at Rapid Transit Sportswear, 115 S. Allen St., in State College. Make checks payable to "MEMORIAL DAY RUN." Be dressed to run; no changing facilities are available. There is plenty of parking space available at the Military Museum and the Boal Mansion. The race will start at 8:30 am with the firing of the Battery B cannon.
Did you know….Other Boalsburg Activities (Not on Monday):
Boalsburg Fire Company Parade, 5 pm Saturday, May 25
Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, Thurs-Monday, 5/23-5/27, E. Pine Street, for details, click here
This page courtesy of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum
For more information, contact Christopher Lee, office@boalmuseum.com or 814-466-9266.
Memorial Day festivities take place Monday, May 27, 2013. http://www.boalmuseum.com/memorialdayvillage.html
Boalsburg Festival To Celebrate Birthplace of Memorial Day
Photo caption (above): Union and Confederate soldiers will square off for two battles at the Boal Mansion Museum as part of Boalsburg Memorial Day festivities on Monday, May 27.
(Boalsburg, PA) -- The Village of Boalsburg will celebrate Memorial Day for the 149th time with a festive day of activities and a traditional ceremony of remembrance on Monday, May 27th.
Boalsburg is widely known as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The first celebration was held in 1864, when three townswomen gathered in the cemetery to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The tradition is now carried on by local Girl Scout Troop 1184.
Throughout the day, nearly 20,000 visitors will have a chance to spend a day in town, tempting their taste buds with local foods and shopping for wares from artisans from across the Northeast. Three museums – the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, the Boal Mansion and the Pennsylvania Military Museum – will have family oriented activities throughout the day, including encampments and a battle by Civil War re-enactors.
The day kicks off with a Fun Run at Blue Spring Park at 8:30 AM. The festival runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and features local musicians, a traditional Maypole dance at 12:30 PM and local artisans.
The 6:00 PM service caps the day with a community address by John Wainright, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and the retired Vice-President-International for the Archer Daniel Midland Company. Wainright and his wife Linda moved to Boalsburg in 2003 and since then he has engaged in numerous civic activities including serving as chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee, President of the Boalsburtg Village Conservancy, a volunteer guide at the Boal Mansion Museum and a board member of the Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum.
For a complete list of events, visit, http://www.boalmuseum.com/memorial-day-in-the-village.html or Facebook page “Memorial Day Boalsburg” or phone (814) 466-9266.
--End of news story--
For the web site of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, sponsor of Memorial Day events, click here
For Boal Mansion Museum web site, click here
Boalsburg, Pennsylvania: Birthplace of Memorial Day
Directory of this page (click on item for details):
- 149th Annual Memorial Day 6:00 pm Service in Boalsburg, Monday May 27, 2013: Walk from diamond to cemetery: 5:45 PM. Service: 6 pm. Address by John Wainright, Navy veteran, retired corporate executive and current chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee.
- Boalsburg Memorial Day Daytime Festival Sites on Monday, May 27 (mostly 9 am to 5 pm):
- History of Memorial Day
- A Day in Towne: food, music, crafts, maypole dance
- Boalsburg Village Conservancy, Memorial Day’s sponsor/organizer
- The Boalsburg Heritage Museum: Blacksmith shop, soup, special Boalsburg 200th exhibit; children’s art, petting zoo
- Essay Writing Contest
- Boal Mansion Activities Include Civil War Battle: two Civil War camps and a battle re-enactment; interactive science for children, Boal service awards ceremony; music, crafts, food
- PA Military Museum: Antique cars (more activities below)
- Boalsburg Fun Run, 8:30 am, Blue Spring Park
- Boalsburg Garden Club Activities: exhibit and plant sale
- Street closings, parking and visitors information
- Other Boalsburg Memorial Day activities (Not on Monday):
- Boalsburg Fire Company Parade, 5 pm Saturday, May 26
- Boalsburg Fire Company carnival, Thurs-Monday, 5/24-5/28
It was an early fall day in 1864 when Emma Hunter and her friend, Sophie Keller, picked flowers and went to the old cemetery to lay them on the grave of Emma’s father, Reuben Hunter. Dr. Hunter was a young Boalsburg doctor at the time of the Civil War. When he volunteered to serve with the Army of the North, he was assigned to the hospital in Baltimore. In addition to attending the wounded soldiers, he also cared for the men who had contracted yellow fever while fighting in the southern swamplands. Dr. Hunter became ill and died of yellow fever and his body was buried in the Boalsburg cemetery.
On their way the two young girls met Mrs. Elizabeth Myers whose young son, Amos, had been killed the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg and was buried in the old cemetery. Learning where the girls were going, Mrs. Myers asked to join them. They shared the flowers and placed them on both graves. It was decided then that they would meet the following year with flowers for all who had died in the Civil War. The three young women told their friends of the plans and when the day came ‘round, most of the villagers joined them.
From that simple beginning came the observance of Memorial Day in Boalsburg. Every year since then, the people have met on the Diamond in Boalsburg Square for the walk to the old cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of all the soldier dead. They are led by a home town band and all ages join in the walk and participate in the simple service of remembering.
A Day in Towne
In 1864 three ladies from the village of Boalsburg walked to the village cemetery to decorate the graves of loved ones who had died in the on going Civil War. This simple act of remembering, which then became a local tradition, ultimately became the national holiday of Memorial Day. This year Boalsburg will continue the tradition it started 148 years ago when it celebrates A Day in Towne Memorial Day Festival on Monday, May 28, 2012. This year’s celebration will include music, food, crafts, and exhibits in Boalsburg village and at the Boal Mansion Museum. Boalsburg’s history will also be celebrated with tours of the Boal Mansion Museum and the Boalsburg Heritage Museum.
The Maypole Dance led by the Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop will take place at 12:30 pm on the Diamond. There will also be a North-South Civil War skirmish twice during the day at the Boal Mansion Museum, once at 10:30 am and again at 1:30 pm.
The highlight of A Day in Towne will be the traditional 6:00pm Service. This service is an expression of the community’s gratitude to all those who have contributed to the defense of our country and those who have served the community of Boalsburg and Harris Township. The service gets underway at 5:45 pm with the walk from the Diamond to the cemetery. The Service starts at 6:00 pm. Christopher Lee, president of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, will be this year’s Master of Ceremonies. Boy Scout Troop 380 will present the national colors. The Service will also feature the Boalsburg Fireman’s Memorial and two Civil War reenactment groups: Battery B, 3rd Pennsylvania Light Artillery and Company C, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry. This year’s speaker will be John Wainright, Navy veteran, retired corporate executive and current chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee , Following the address, the soldiers’ graves will be decorated.
Memorial Day on Church and Main Streets
Memorial Day activities will provide just about anything guests can imagine. From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm there will be craft sales and demonstrations along Church and Main Streets, with 80 dealers on Main and 25 more on Church Street participating. Demonstrations include chair caning, whittling, wood-working and jewelry making. Village shops and restaurants in the Diamond area will be open during their normal hours, as will the restaurants on nearby Boal Avenue.
Harris Township’s service organizations will hold food sales featuring special food items and baked goods. Contact Margie Tennis at 466-6311 for more information.
~SPECIAL Notes ~
Remember! the Boalsburg Fire company carnival is May 23 -- 27. Their parade is on Saturday May 25 at 5pm.
VILLAGE RESIDENTS ARE ASKED TO HAVE ALL PARKED VEHICLES REMOVED from EAST and WEST MAIN STREETS by 5:00 am, MONDAY, May 27. Please: DO NOT PARK IN DOWNTOWN BOALSBURG AND DO NOT DRIVE DOWN CHURCH STREET DURING FESTIVITIES. YOUR COOPERATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
PLEASE: NO PETS, BIKES, OR SKATEBOARDS IN THE VILLAGE DURING FESTIVITIES.
RECYCLING BINS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE VILLAGE DIAMOND AREA
Vital Information on Street Closings, Parking, Conveniences
STREET CLOSINGS: Closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday (May 23-25, May 27): East Pine Street, from Church Street to Academy Street, is closed for the Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, starting at 5:30 pm each day of the Carnival and opening when it closes. Parking is PROHIBITED on both sides of Old Boalsburg Rd. during the Boalsburg Fire Co. Carnival.
Monday, Memorial Day - May 27: The following streets are closed from 6:30 am. – 5:00 pm. Rockey Alley, Loop Road, from Chambers Alley to East Main Street, Main Street, beginning east from Bus. Rt. 322 to Tennis Alley, Academy Street, from Chambers Alley across E. Main to Pine Street, Church Street, from Chambers Alley to Bus. Rt.322, Pine Street, from Bus. Rt. 322 to Tennis Alley and Old Boalsburg Road, between N. Church St. to the Boal Mansion. From 5:30 pm until the end of service, Church St. between Old Boalsburg Rd. and Rt. 322 also will be closed.
PARKING and SHUTTLE BUS INFORMATION:
Free Parking is available at a number of locations served by the Shuttle Bus, including the Medical Center, Heritage Run Office Building, and across from the Car Wash on Business Rt. 322 East. There is a charge for parking on the Military Museum grounds and on the Boal Estate Grounds.
The Shuttle Bus will run at approximately 20-minute intervals, stopping near each parking lot to pick up passengers. Shuttles will make three stops on Bus. Rt. 322 to discharge passengers: Boal Mansion, North Church Street at the traffic light, and East Main St. There is no charge to ride the Shuttle Bus.
Please Remember: No vehicles will be allowed in most of the Village.
A Handicap Parking Only Site is available in the front of the Tennis Lamp Shop, which is across from the Kwik Fill gas station. Please make sure your placard is displayed.
THE INFORMATION BOOTH is located on the Diamond. Maps and lists of activities are available at the Information Booth, as well as at locations throughout the Village area.
RESTROOM and HANDICAP RESTROOM FACILITIES are available at various locations in town, including Zion Lutheran Church.
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy Welcomes You
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy welcomes everyone to Boalsburg this Memorial Day. The Conservancy will sponsor a booth located on the Boalsburg’s Diamond where literature and memorabilia about Boalsburg will be sold. As usual, the Conservancy will organize the 5:45 p.m. Walk to the Cemetery and the 6:00 p.m. Service, which is the focus of our Memorial Day celebration.
The Conservancy was founded in 1973 as a civic organization dedicated to preserving the historic resources of the Boalsburg village and Harris Township and also dedicated to stimulating awareness of the area’s historic past. In 2008-2009, the Conservancy sponsored the Boalsburg’s 200th Anniversary Event including as very successful house tour. The Conservancy is now organizing a community committee to plan for 2014's 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day in 1864. Committees of the Conservancy also organize A Day in Towne Memorial Day Festival, the Boalsburg Heritage Festival in October and Hometown Christmas in December. Also, the Conservancy will be installing two additional street lights on village streets. For more information about the Conservancy or to join, please stop by our booth on the Diamond or contact Christopher Lee at 814 466 9266 or office@boalmuseum.com.
29TH ANNUAL FRUIT PIE CONTEST
On Memorial Day the Boalsburg Village Conservancy will sponsor a fruit pie contest. The contest is open to individuals Grade 6 through adult. The committee will have a booth on the Diamond and all pies should be delivered to this booth before 11:00 AM. Please bring your pies in disposable containers. Monday there is no parking in the Village after 6:30 AM so pies should be delivered using Loop Road and Chambers Alley. For more information please call Darlene Bachmann at 466-7453 or dar.bachmann@gmail.com.
The Boalsburg Heritage Museum – 304 East Main Street
The Boalsburg Heritage Museum again will have the soup kettles in operation. Vegetable and ham and bean soups will be provided by numerous cooks in the community. They will be mixed in iron kettles over an open fire and served along with home-style baked bread. The proceeds benefit the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. Soup will be hot and ready to serve by 10:00 am and until gone in mid-afternoon. Heritage Museum Association members may expect a call asking for a donation of either a vegetable soup or loaf of bread. Drop them off behind the Blacksmith's Shop after 7:00 am. Identify you container if you would like to have returned. We will welcome any volunteers who can help stir soup or with serving during the day.
The Museum will welcome visitors from Noon until 4:00 PM with an exhibit on Hearth Cooking curated by Debbie and Charlie Nydegger. On the grounds, the Light House remains as the site of Boalsburg's first electric plant. It now contains furnishings from "Prexy's Pool Hall," formerly located in a corner of the village square. Inspect our Bank Barn. On the top floor there is a display of antique carriages, tractors, and implements used on the farm in bygone days.
Boal Mansion Activities Include Civil War Battle -- 300 Old Boalsburg Road
Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm., the Mansion will feature a family picnic and music party all day under the ancient oak and maple trees on the lawn of the two-century-old home of the pioneer David Boal and seven generations of his descendants. A wide variety of music, from Civil War brass bands to rock and jazz will play throughout the day and visitors are invited to bring a picnic and blanket and relax on the spacious lawn of the Boal Mansion. Scattered throughout the site will be food, music, crafts and two Civil War encampments – Confederate artillery and Union infantry.
Special for the children is the Dominion Science Center, an interactive blend of art and science located in the east garden of the Boal Estate. Once again this year the popular Civil War battle will take place on the pond field of the Boal Estate.
A Confederate artillery troop will square off against a Union infantry company on the pond field of the Boal Mansion Museum, as Hampton’s Legion Artillery takes on Company C of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
At 1 PM on the porch of the Boal Mansion, there will be special music selections, and then three service awards will be given to community members deserving of recognition: The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation, the Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service and the Judge George Boal Award for Education.
Visitors are also welcome to come inside the 200-year-old Boal Mansion with the original furnishings of eight generations of Boals and through the Columbus Chapel inherited and imported from Spain in 1909 containing Christopher Columbus’ Admiral’s Desk, fine European oil paintings and tow pieces of the True Cross of Jesus. The community is invited to come picnic all day, listen to the old/new/original music by young and old musicians from the ongoing Family Music Party, and to share in honoring the community volunteers at the awards ceremony at 1:00 PM.
Call for volunteers: Volunteer museum guides ages 14 to 84 are sought to bring history to life for children and visitors to the Boal Mansion. Guide orientation and free tour are offered. For information contact Chris Lee at 466-6210 or office@boalmuseum.com or see http://www.boalmuseum.com/volunteer-info.html
“A DAY IN TOWNE”
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY, May 27, 2013
ON THE DIAMOND – MAIN & CHURCH STREETS
8:30 am Blue Spring Park: Start – “Run for Fun”
8:00 am – 11:00 am Pies accepted for 28th Annual Fruit Pie Contest
9:00 am – 5:00 pm Village Shops Open
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Sidewalk Sales: Crafts, Foods, Beverages
10:30 am – 11:30 am State College High School Jazz Band
The State College Area High School Jazz Band is among the finest in the United States. The band has toured Europe five times and has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, at Disneyland Paris, at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, at Jazz a Vienne and Jazz a Juan in France, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They have been finalists four times for the prestigious Essentially Ellington Competition sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and were finalists this year for the Swing Central Jazz Festival held in Savannah, Georgia. For more information go to www.scasd.org/music.
12:00 – 1:00 pm Little German Band (Maypole Dance) -- featuring the Maypole Dance by the Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop
This year the Little German Band is celebrating its 51st year of “Oompah Music.” Since the band has played for 40 plus Memorial Days in Boalsburg, we look at this event as a highlight of the year and the beginning of several months of outdoor concerts throughout Central Pennsylvania. Watching the young people participate in the May Pole exercise is a great experience for those watching as well as those dancing. Come and join in the fun. For more information, visit www.thelittlegermanband.com.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Nigthcrawlers - Vocally sonic and rhythmically diverse, the NC shift from Indie,classic rock, soul, funk, and alt country with ease.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm State College Community Theatre –Selections from the 2013 Summer Season
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pure Cane Sugar -- Evokes exquisite vocals through sultry voices, soulfulharmonies and powerful lyrics
5:45 pm 149th Walk to Boalsburg Cemetery from The Diamond
6:00 pm 149th Cemetery Service (Will be held inside St. John’s UCC in case of inclement weather)
BOALSBURG HERITAGE MUSEUM - 304 East Main Street
Noon – 4:00 pm Guided tours, featured exhibit (free): Hearth Cooking by Debbie and Charles Nydegger
10:00 am – 2:00 pm Hot pretzels -- beehive oven
1:00 p.m. Essay Contest Winners Announced» “What Can My Family and I Do to Keep Our Country Strong?”
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Dan & Galla - Feel good music” of many styles – Interactive and fun
The Dan & Galla Musical Show features "feel-good music" of many styles. Dan plays keyboard, accordion and trumpet and Galla plays guitar, flute, uke and balalaika. They are interactive and fun for all ages. For more information visit their website www.gallaanddan.com.
HARRIS TOWNSHIP OFFICES, Rear – 224 East Main Street
10:00 am – until sold out Ham & Bean and Vegetable Soups, Homemade Bread Sale, or until gone
BOALSBURG CEMETERY – Route 322 & Church Street
6:00 pm 149th Service at Cemetery. Elizabeth Ritter, speaker.
BOAL MANSION GROUNDS –300 Old Boalsburg Road
9:00 – 5:00
Historical re-enactments on site:
- Hampton’s Legion Artillery, Capt. Stephen Harter
- 148th PA Volunteer Infantry, Co. C., Capt. David Felice, contact: pa148dave@juno.com, dfelice@centreregioncode.org
- Guided tours of the internationally-recognized Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum. Details: http://boalmuseum.com
- Dominion Science Center: Interactive art and science display for kids of all ages: http://dominionsciencecenter.org
- Hand-made craft demonstrations and sales
- Food, drink and dessert booths. including Amish pretzels and whole hog BBQ sandwiches.
9:30 am Coburn Brass: 19th century brass band music
This 19th century brass band presents the familiar music of the Civil War era when music was live. Some familiar numbers are SHENANDOAH, JENNY LIND POLKA, LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD, AURA LEE, DIXIE'S LAND, HOME SWEET HOME, etc. Formed in 1996, the group has performed in Gettysburg, Danville, Centre Hall, and McClure. Coburn Brass can be reached at eeh1@psu.edu.
10:30 Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
11:00 am. Patriotic brass music - Bellefonte Community Band
12:15 pm Christopher Kent, singer/songwriter/storyteller
Christopher Kent is a singer-songwriter who spent 20 years in New York City writing, playing the clubs, recording and teaching songwriting; he now lives in Centre County. His third album of original music, packaged with his forthcoming self-help book "Getting Your Life Back," will be released later this year. Stylistically, his upbeat music follows in the steps of the artists who inspired him, including Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel. chris@christopherkent.com bryfiddle@aol.com
1:00 PM: Boal Awards Ceremony, on the porch of the Boal Mansion:
1. The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation
2. The Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service
3. The Judge George Boal Award for Education
1:30: Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
2:00 pm Rock and Roll - OverheaD,
3:00 pm Gina Ricci, rock singer; Chris Lee, piano
Rock vocalist Gina Ricci was brought up in State College and had her own band in Seattle. She has recorded with Don Henley of the Eagles, among other Los Angeles recording stars. She will be accompanied by Central Pennsylvania Musicians Association President Chris Lee on piano.
3:30 pm Rock and Roll - OverheaD
4:30 pm Gina Ricci, rock singer; Chris Lee, piano
5:00 p.m. Cannonade - Hampton’s Legion Artillery
PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY MUSEUM – Route 322 & Boalsburg Pike
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Allegheny Region Antique Automobile Club of America:
Pre-war and classic antique cars on the Shrine parade grounds
9:00 am – 5:00 pm Military Museum Open for Tours (fee)
OFF AND RUNNING!
The 32nd Annual Memorial Day Run will begin at 8:30 am at Blue Spring Park on West Pine Street. Check-in time is between 7:30 am and 8:00 am at the park. Registration forms may be dropped off at Rapid Transit Sportswear, 115 S. Allen St., in State College. Make checks payable to "MEMORIAL DAY RUN." Be dressed to run; no changing facilities are available. There is plenty of parking space available at the Military Museum and the Boal Mansion. The race will start at 8:30 am with the firing of the Battery B cannon.
Did you know….Other Boalsburg Activities (Not on Monday):
Boalsburg Fire Company Parade, 5 pm Saturday, May 25
Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, Thurs-Monday, 5/23-5/27, E. Pine Street, for details, click here
This page courtesy of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum
