1 PM – 2:30 PM
Archaeologists from Northeast Archaeology Research Center will talk about their Mount Independence digital mapping project, part of the site’s American Battlefield Protection Program grant for site collection stewardship.
2 PM
Featuring Elizabeth Borowsky, piano and Cecylia Barczyk, cello, enjoy a free concert featuring Grace Coolidge’s piano. Mrs. Coolidge received the piano as a gift from the Baldwin Company during her tenure in the White House and enjoyed playing it in the president’s residence.
2 PM
Featuring Abby Charbeneau and Susan Cobb playing four-handed piano repertoire, enjoy a free concert featuring Grace Coolidge’s piano. Mrs. Coolidge received the piano as a gift from the Baldwin Company during her tenure in the White House and enjoyed playing it in the president’s residence.
2 PM
An appreciative and encouraging audience is sought for the first concert of the Grace Coolidge Musicale series. This recital will showcase the blossoming talents of piano students from across Vermont and honors the nurturing spirit of First Lady Coolidge. Grace was an educator before her marriage to Calvin Coolidge and harbored a profound appreciation for music. Under these auspices, the students have been invited to perform on a unique instrument. The piano to be played was a gift from the Baldwin Company to Grace during her tenure in the White House. It was once performed on by Russian virtuoso Sergei Rachmaninoff and was the first piano known fly in an airplane. Admission to the concert is free.
11 AM – 3 PM
Winter is ready to fall upon the quiet village of Plymouth Notch. Before the snows deepen, join the residents of the village as they celebrate the holiday season. The Coolidge birthplace will be festooned with fresh greenery as it would have been during Christmastime in Calvin Coolidge’s childhood. The greenery continues throughout the village where wreaths don the doors of the homes and lanterns light the paths. Craft demonstrators and hobbyists will show off and sell their handiwork. At 1:00 a tree lighting ceremony will call into remembrance the moment President Coolidge threw the switch on the very first lit National tree in 1923. Immediately following, the warmth of the village’s Union Christian Church will welcome visitors for a time of caroling. Don’t forget to pick out gifts at the museum gift shop clearance sale.
10 AM – 3 PM
In this total immersion into history day, we’ll look into significant perhaps less well-known aspects about Mount Independence using a variety of ways to learn. Historians, archaeologists, reenactors, and others will present illustrated talks, historic personages, reading the landscape, and a report on the site’s American Battlefield Protection Program collection stewardship project. The day is a special opportunity and suitable for all levels of interest—from beginners to avid experts. Call (802) 948-2000 for details on admission fee, schedule, and how to pre-register. Lunch included.
1 PM – 4 PM
AWARD WINNER! “Top Ten Fall Events” —Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Bring the whole family to a harvest festival at the Homestead. Listen to live toe-tapping fiddle and accordion music. Meet farm animals—the kind that Justin Morrill would have had on his small 19th-century farm. Make your own cider in an antique press, taste heirloom apples, fine artisan cheeses, Vermont ice cream, and homemade apple pie. Play period games, and hike the lookout trail. Also includes wagon rides, gardens, basket-making demo, exhibits, an icehouse, and a historic Gothic Revival home. $5 adults – under 15 free. Please pay when you arrive.
4 PM (FREE EVENT!)
Archeologists from UVM’s Consulting Archaeology Program will share what they found and learned from last summer’s dig on the grounds of the Homestead. This excavation yielded some surprising results! Please call to preregister: 802-765-4288
1 PM – 3 PM
Learn the history of what surrounds you as you walk across the Lake Champlain Bridge. Chimney Point site administrator Elsa Gilbertson and Crown Point, NY, site manager Sam Huntington lead this guided round trip walk. Meet at Chimney Point. Rain or shine, dress for the weather. Bring a picnic to enjoy before. Fee includes admission to both museums to visit before or after the walk. Light refreshments afterwards. Vermont Archaeology Month event.
Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday, 10 AM – 3:30 PM
Reenactors honor the 1776-1777 history of Mount Independence during this living history weekend. Saturday’s popular interactive Baldwin Trail Walkabout, 10:30 to 1:30, features experts at trail stations bringing the site’s history to life. Military tactical, annual reading of Declaration of Independence, and camp life and skill demonstrations. Admission $9. Call (802) 948-2000 for details.
