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| Strolling the Common at Old Sturbridge Village in autumn. Photographer: Thomas Neill |
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Article by Eric H.
If you're looking for an educational and entertaining New England travel attraction for the whole family, Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) in Sturbridge, Mass., continues as one of the region's best destinations.
The authentic, expansive Sturbridge Village living museum presentation expertly recreates rural New England during the 1790s through the 1830s. The village layout is tremendously thoughtful and detailed with 59 historic buildings on 200 acres, three water-powered mills and two covered bridges. Additionally, you can visit with knowledgeable New England historians in costume, ride in a stagecoach, view antiques, heirloom gardens, meet the farm animals, and take part in hands-on crafts. Additionally, the charming Oliver Wight Tavern looks like an 1830s rural New England tavern and offers lunch, Sunday Brunch and Friday night dinners, at this writing.
It's all a marvelously fun learning experience . Growing up in the Boston area, Sturbridge Village was always a school field trip staple and one with memories that still reside strongly in my mind. I remember, back in the day, getting the school field trip form and running home to exclaim, "Mom, we're going to Sturbridge Village!" Getting out of the classroom and into a "live" history book, of sorts, was thrilling and full of additional delights foreign to us from near the 'city"-- it just felt wonderful being in the countryside and breathing in fresh air!
I still hear great things from the younger generation about Sturbridge Village -- much like the way we used to talk about it, too. The younger generation, however, doesn't know that they have a much better version of Sturbridge Village with so many more attractions and events.
With some traditionally brilliant October fall colors to enhance your visit -- and get you in a New England state of mind -- Old Sturbridge Village resonates with a true New England feel rather than just being another cheesy, forced, contrived and overpriced New England travel attraction. Sturbridge Village can be enjoyed any time of the year but since we're now into the fall season, let's focus today on the appeal of visiting Sturbridge Village during the autumn time. Here are some of the wonderful events going on:
October 2010 |
 Apple Days 2010 |
| October 2, 2010 - October 3, 2010 |
Join us for a weekend dedicated to apple harvest, preservation and cooking. |
| Friends' Day |
| October 2, 2010 |
| 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
Old Sturbridge Village's day of recognition of and appreciation for you, our Village friends and members. |
| Take a Closer Look |
| October 9, 2010 |
| 10:00 am |
Take a Closer Look is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, this program invites a closer look with a Village specialist. |
| Garden Thyme |
| October 16, 2010 |
| Third Saturday, 10 a.m. |
Garden Thyme is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., this program looks at a variety of topics for the experienced and novice gardener. |
| Harvest Days |
| October 16, 2010 - October 17, 2010 |
| 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
As the days grow cooler and shorter, come celebrate the harvest with us. |
| Broadway delivers to the Oliver Wight Tavern: Cabaret Lulu $ |
| October 21, 2010 |
| $42.50 per person for lunch and program (includes tax & gratuity) |
Spend an afternoon on Broadway by way of Old Sturbridge Village. Enjoy lunch at the Oliver Wight Tavern followed by a direct-from-Broadway cabaret show in the Brewer Theater.Reservations required. |
| Things That Go Bump in the Night $ |
| October 30, 2010 - 5:00 PM |
| $12 per person, children under 3: free Advance registration is required |
| Old Sturbridge Village is the perfect setting for a family Halloween event. Spooky storytelling, magic, creepy games, and trick-or-treating around the Center Village. The Trail of Terror (for brave souls age 11 and up) is also back this year. Tickets on sale now for Members; public sale begins October 1. |
| Trail of Terror $ |
| October 30, 2010 - 6:30 PM |
| $8 per person (ages 11 & up); event admission additional and required |
| For brave souls age 11 and up...Prepare to be spooked as you venture away from the family-friendly Center Village and into the darkness of the countryside, where unnamed fears may be awakened on the Trail of Terror. |
November 2010 |
| American Girl Fashion Show |
| November 5, 2010 - November 7, 2010 |
| Friday, Saturday, Sunday |
| Dog Days for Members |
| November 6, 2010 - November 7, 2010 |
| 9:30 am-4:00 pm |
Attention OSV Members: as a thank-you for your support we are offering a series of special Dog Days at OSV just for Members. |
| Scout Day at Old Sturbridge Village |
| November 6, 2010 |
| 9:30 am-4:00 pm |
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lives on...in 1830! This fall event is for Boy and Girl Scouts, and their families, who want to learn about America's proud past. Enjoy the late fall foliage while visiting our early 19th-century rural community. |
| Dinner in a Country Village $ |
| Selected Saturday evenings from November through March, 5 to 9 p.m. |
| $85 per person; $75 for OSV MembersPre-registration is required |
| Enjoy a unique opportunity to prepare and eat a meal the way early New Englanders did. The Parsonage is the setting for this Saturday-night program, where costumed interpreters oversee the preparations, but the guests do the chopping, mixing, and stirring. |
| Home School Day - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow |
| November 10, 2010 |
| 9:30 am-4:00 pm |
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lives on...in 1830! During this Home School day, children and their families will have the opportunity to learn more about this tale and its time through storytelling, demonstrations and hands-on activities. |
| Old Sturbridge Village Celebrates the Nation's Veterans |
| November 11, 2010 |
Old Sturbridge Village is proud to honor veterans and active duty personnel of the nation's armed forces. |
| Take a Closer Look |
| November 13, 2010 |
| 10:00 am |
Take a Closer Look is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, this program invites a closer look with a Village specialist. |
| An Evening of Illumination $ |
| Saturday, November 13, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| $35 per person; $30 for OSV Members |
| Old Sturbridge Village opens in the evening and invites visitors to see what the Village would have looked like using only Village period lighting devices. View a slide show of this event. |
| Broadway delivers to the Oliver Wight Tavern: Cabaret Lulu $ |
| November 18, 2010 |
| $42.50 per person for lunch and program (includes tax & gratuity) |
Spend an afternoon on Broadway by way of Old Sturbridge Village. Enjoy lunch at the Oliver Wight Tavern followed by a direct-from-Broadway cabaret show in the Brewer Theater.Reservations required. |
| Garden Thyme |
| November 20, 2010 |
| Third Saturday, 10 a.m. |
Garden Thyme is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., this program looks at a variety of topics for the experienced and novice gardener. |
| Thanksgiving Buffet $ |
| Enjoy a 19th-century meal in the Oliver Wight Tavern |
| November 25, 2010 |
| Seatings from 11am to 4pm |
Enjoy a 19th-century Thanksgiving meal at the Oliver Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village. Reservations required. |
| Thanksgiving Day Celebration |
| November 25, 2010 |
To mark one of just a handful of holidays on the early New England calendar, Old Sturbridge Village re-creates various activities from an early New England Thanksgiving Day, including cooking at the hearth, demonstrations of 19th-century table manners, a Thanksgiving sermon, and after-dinner entertainment. |
| Thanksgiving Dinner in Bullard Tavern $ |
| November 25, 2010 |
| Seatings at 11am, 1:45pm and 4:15pm |
Enjoy a 19th-century Thanksgiving meal at the Bullard Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village.Reservations required. |
| Shooting Match |
| November 26, 2010 |
Come watch the Village marksmen display their musket-firing skills in friendly competition. |
| A New England Wedding |
| November 27, 2010 |
Thanksgiving was a favorite time for many early 19th-century marriages, as family gathered for the holiday. Visit with the bride as she prepares for the wedding and enjoy a dramatic presentation about the couple's courtship and marriage, including their re-created wedding ceremony. |
