Take a step back in time at Fayette Historic State Park’s annual Heritage Day Saturday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park will feature an active archaeological excavation, music, crafts, horse-drawn carriage rides, games and sporting activities, all from the 19th century. Fayette Historic State Park is located on the Garden Peninsula, between Escanaba and Manistique along the shore of Lake Michigan.
The 19th-century-themed event will celebrate Fayette’s rich social and industrial heritage. Special guests at the event include Michael Deren, who will immerse visitors in music and history as Scottish iron worker “Michael MacDuff,” and blacksmith George Potvin, who will demonstrate his skilled craft throughout the day. Also featured are the Dodworth Duo Strolling Serenaders, who will give a concert at 11:30 a.m. and performances at various locations across the townsite in the afternoon.
State Archaeologist Dean Anderson, Stacy Tchorzynski and Jessica Yann will conduct a limited archaeological excavation in the townsite.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to see an active archaeological excavation,” said Fayette Historic Townsite historian Troy Henderson. “The archaeologists are familiar with previous archaeological work at Fayette and will discuss the history of those excavations while they dig. Investigations like this greatly enhance the interpretation of the townsite.”
Henderson added, “Heritage Day offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy authentic 19th-century music, see a blacksmith operating a real forge, and participate in activities that children enjoyed more than 100 years ago – all in a restored historic townsite and beautiful setting.”
Children’s games and activities will include three-legged and sack races, lawn croquet and reproduction toys from the era. Kids of all ages can try their hand or just watch as costumed youth from the Michigan Iron Industry Museum’s student auxiliary – The Future Historians – demonstrate snap-apple, hoop and stick, stilts and blind man’s bluff. Anyone 13 years and older is invited to play a game of old-time base ball with the Fayette team. This base ball game will follow 19th-century rules, meaning no baseball gloves will be used and a ball caught on the first bounce is an out.
Heritage Day visitors can also enjoy a food tent sponsored by the Big Bay de Noc High School Booster Club and a bake sale.
The day’s scheduled activities include:
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Archaeological excavation at townsite.
11:30 a.m. – Dodworth Duo Strolling Serenaders concert.
Noon to 3:30 p.m. – Dodworth Duo Strolling Serenaders performances throughout the townsite.
12:30 and 2:15 p.m. – Michael Deren performs as “Michael MacDuff.”
3:30 p.m. – 19th-century base ball game, Fayette team vs. All Comers (anyone 13 and older is invited to play).
Fayette Historic State Park features one of the nation’s premier examples of a 19th-century industrial community and company town. In operation from 1867 to 1891, its furnaces produced more than 229,000 tons of pig iron, becoming the second largest producer of charcoal iron in Michigan. Today, 20 buildings are preserved, including the furnace complex, hotel, town hall, company office and several residences. Eleven buildings contain exhibits and are open to the public, including a modern visitor center with a scale model of the town site as it looked in the 1880s.
Fayette Historic Townsite is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. Located 17 miles south of U.S. Hwy. 2 on Hwy. 183 at Fayette Historic State Park, the museum village is open daily, 9 a.m. to dusk through Labor Day, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Labor Day through Oct. 19. For more information call 906-644-2603 or visit www.michigan.gov/fayettetownsite.
Click To Submit Press Releases, News, Calendar Items, and Community Events to mediaBrew radio stations WFXD, WKQS, WRUP, GTO, Fox Sport Marquette, and 106.1 The Sound
Marquette, Michigan Calendar; Ishpeming Calendar; Negaunee Calendar; Gwinn Calendar; Negaunee Calendar and Events; Upper Peninsula Calendar of Events; Escanaba Events and Calendar