festivals - American Independence Museum

Homeschool Days

by jen | Sep 22, 2021

Cost
$8 children 6+
$5 adults
free for children under 6

This is not a drop-off program. Parents must accompany children for the duration of the program.

Patriot, loyalists, neutral or something else? It wasn’t always easy to know what side to be on. Wrestle with the tricky decision of deciding your stance. Uncover hidden identities, secret lives, and traitorous deals. Become a spy in Washington’s famous Culper Spy Ring.

Please Note:

All efforts will be taken to hold this event outdoors under a tent if weather permits.
Masks are required indoors. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to provide a safe and educational experience for you!
Program fee includes a pass to visit the museum after the program or another day.
Due to the historic nature of the buildings, the museum is not handicap accessible
This is a 90 minute program.
Program capacity is set at 12 kids per session.

Homeschool Days

by jen | Sep 22, 2021

Cost
$8 children 6+
$5 adults
free for children under 6

Purchase Tickets

This is not a drop-off program. Parents must accompany children for the duration of the program.

Patriot, loyalists, neutral or something else? It wasn’t always easy to know what side to be on. Wrestle with the tricky decision of deciding your stance. Uncover hidden identities, secret lives, and traitorous deals. Become a spy in Washington’s famous Culper Spy Ring.

Please Note:

All efforts will be taken to hold this event outdoors under a tent if weather permits.
Masks are required indoors. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to provide a safe and educational experience for you!
Program fee includes a pass to visit the museum after the program or another day.
Due to the historic nature of the buildings, the museum is not handicap accessible
This is a 90 minute program.
Program capacity is set at 12 kids per session.

Kennebunk Savings sponsors Declaration of Independence reading in Exeter

by jen | Jul 13, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, Festival

Kennebunk Savings will sponsor one of the American Independence Festival’s enduring traditions, the public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 10, 17, and 24, at 2:00 pm the Declaration of Independence will be read aloud as part of the Festival’s in-person events. A virtual reading will also air on the museum’s website on July 16.

The declaration will be read by Greg Gilman. He is the direct descendant of John Taylor Gilman, who read the Declaration of Independence to the townspeople of Exeter on July 16, 1776. A copy of the Dunlap Broadside, the Declaration of Independence’s first printing, will be on display in Folsom Tavern and is one of the festival’s highlights.

“What is so special about the American Independence Museum and this festival in particular is that it illuminates a pivotal chapter in our nation’s history,” said Carlos Maldonado, Retail Experience Manager at Kennebunk Savings. “Seeing the words on a page is one thing, but hearing and seeing it recited this way truly brings history to life.”

Celebrating the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in Exeter on July 16, 1776, the American Independence Festival features a variety of entertainment, including music, military demonstrations, traditional artisan working village, and more. Sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, this year’s festival includes in-person events spanning the month of July.

To learn more, or purchase tickets, visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

2021 American Independence Festival: July 3-24

by jen | Jun 22, 2021 | Family Friendly, Festival, For Adults, For Kids, Living History, Programming, Tours

Saturday, July 3 will kick off the 31st American Independence Festival, a modified in-person event that will run through July 24 on the grounds of the American Independence Museum.

Presented by New Hampshire State Council of the Arts with additional support from Kennebunk Savings, Newburyport Bank, and RiverWoods Exeter, the Festival will feature a traditional artisan working village, entertainment, reenactments with military drills, and more.

The theme of this year’s Festival is diversity and inclusivity, which underscore that ‘liberty and freedom for all’ has not been experienced in the same way for many in the nation to this day.

“While the Festival celebrates American independence, it also provides a forum for discussion and reflection. We hope it can serve to bring people of all backgrounds and ages together,” noted Executive Director Emma Stratton.

This year’s in-person Festival will be held Saturday July 10, 17 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highlights include a concert by Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble on July 10, a British and French military reenactment on July 17, and a Family Camp Out on July 24.

“For this year’s Festival, we are offering something for everyone with our variety of events and features. We hope everyone will discover something they connect with or learn from,” added Emma Scheinmann, Program Assistant and Festival Coordinator.

This year’s Festival also marks the 300th anniversary of the Ladd-Gilman House, which served as the state treasury during the American Revolutionary War. One of the state’s first brick houses, but clapboarded three decades later, the home was birthplace to Nicholas Gilman, Jr., a signer of the United States Constitution and U.S. senator.

Built in 1775 by Samuel Folsom, Folsom Tavern is also located on the grounds of the museum. Site to the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire in 1783, Folsom Tavern was visited by George Washington in 1789.

“The Society owns the buildings and collection today, so the museum reveals so much about our past and its connection to the present,” noted Stratton. “The Festival will be a terrific time to get a sense for all this history.”

Taking place July 3- 24, the 2021 American Independence Festival will feature entertainment, historic military reenactments, traditional artisan working village, and more. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 4 to 18, and free to museum members. Virtual series, online community readings, and additional programming will go live throughout the festival. To learn more, or for a full schedule of events, visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

Concert: Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble

by jen | Jun 17, 2021

Purchase Tickets

End the Festival Day with an outdoor concert featuring master percussionist, dancer, and teacher, Theophilus Nii Martey. Originally from Ghana, West Africa and now living in Manchester, NH, Theo is a master of West African drumming and dance, a heritage that has many subtle variations in rhythmic patterns, dance styles, and costumes all specific to a wide diversity of tribal groups from the region. Theo started his drumming and dancing studies in Bukom Accra, Ghana at the age of 6, working under the wing of master drummers and dancers. As a young man, he journeyed to London, England and Australia where he studied with other master artists. Since moving to Manchester, he has founded the Akwaaba Drum and Dance Ensemble. The Akwaaba Ensemble’s energetic and engaging performances are a reflection of their name, which means ‘welcome’ in the Twi language of Ghana. They bring West African drumming and dance to vivid life, holding sway with the rich and subtle rhythmic patterns and styles specific to different tribal groups of West Africa.

This free concert is presented through sponsorship from Riverwoods Exeter.

*Visitors who are above the age of 2 and are vaccinated are no longer required to wear a mask outdoors. Following the CDC and NH DHHS guidelines, masks are required indoors at all times.