18th Century Market Fair

First State
Heritage Park
18 Century Market Fair
th
on The Green in Dover, Delaware
Saturday, November 1
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Free Admission! • (302) 739-9194 • destateparks.com/MarketFair
Entertainments
on the Green
TIMOTHY THE IRISH LINEN WORKER
Meet Timothy, the Irish linen worker, an indentured servant
of the Widow Tobin, as he weaves a tale of everyday life in the
1700s, when folks of all classes wore clothing made of linen ...
and Irish linen had the best reputation for quality! Listen to
Timothy’s patter as you watch him turn ordinary looking flax
straw into linen fabric using authentic tools of the period. Timothy
will be unavailable during the noon repast from 12-12:30 p.m. (Rain
location: The Old State House)
Dr. Balthasar’s
traveling medicine show
During this comical interactive performance Dr. Balthasar offers
audiences a “magical miracle medicine that cures everything from
a common cold to death of two weeks’ standing.” Ailments and
afflictions such as consumption, baldness, the “summer complaint,”
dropsy, drunkenness and extreme nervousness were just a few of the
maladies that magical potions hawked by travelling medicine men of
the 1700s would supposedly cure. Performances: 11:15, 1:00 & 2:00.
(Rain location: Dover Century Club)
Signora Bella
“Signora Bella, the Great Italian Equilibrist,” delights audiences of
all ages balancing and juggling on the rola bola, the slackrope,
and the large sphere. She juggles knives and flaming torches.
With much zest, Signora Bella brings to life the tradition of the
travelling performer of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth
centuries. Her performances encourage audience interaction,
creating a unique performance every time. Performances: 10:15,
12:00, 1:30 & 3:15. (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
Golden Fleece
Tavern Site
ELIZABETH BATTELL,
Tavern KEEPER
Return to the 18th century at the site of the Golden Fleece tavern
where you’ll meet Elizabeth, the 18th-century mistress of the
tavern where Delaware became the First State, portrayed by living
history professional Rosemary Staniszewski. Through lively
conversation find out what it was like traveling and eating at an
18th-century tavern.
John Bell House
JOHN SHELTON,
GLASSMAKING
A recognized expert in early American glassblowing and a purist,
John Shelton learned glassblowing as an apprentice. Visit him to
learn about the tricks and techniques for making reproduction
17th and 18th century glassware and perhaps purchase some for
yourself!
The Old
State House
Department of The
Geographer to the Army
Meet members of the Department of the Geographer, Army of
the United States, 1777-1783. This premier living history group
recreates the unit established by the Continental Congress in
1777 at the request of George Washington. They will share their
knowledge of the science of surveying and cartography in the
18th century and of the War for American Independence. (Rain
location: Dover Century Club)
_
Weaver Gladys Shaw demonstrates on her loom and offers
Market Fair visitors can have their likenesses preserved as
hollow-cut silhouettes. Brian Miller portrays an itinerant artist
who uses a “camera obscura” to create profiles as they were
done during the 18th and early 19th centuries. (Rain location:
The Old State House)
Artisans and Tradespeople
Around The Green
mrs. r. black, itinerant painter
Have your portrait painted! Artist Linda Chatfield portrays 18thcentury itinerant painter “Mrs. R. Black, known for her Portraits
of Boston Society, who will take correct likenesses in watercolor
and silhouette for a reasonable sum.” Watch Mrs. Black engrave
copper plates and perhaps work with her miniature printing press.
(Rain location: Dover Century Club)
Blacksmith Mike Radebach
1st Delaware Regiment
chair caner shelley townsend
HANDS-ON QUILLING
_
This American Revolution living history organization will be
encamped on The Green to portray the 1st Delaware Regiment, Delaware Militia, and civilian supporters of the Cause
of Liberty. Children and adults alike can join in military drills
they will conduct throughout the day.
Military musters: 10:45, 12:30 & 2:45.
(Rain location: The Old State House)
THE MERCHANTS OF LEWES
Stop to see Shelly Townsend create the bottoms and backs to chairs using
only strips of plant material. This craft has been a way to make seats for
hundreds of years. Many 18th century Delawareans would have sat on
seats much like these! (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
_
The local merchant store gave personality and flavor to small
towns in Delaware during the 18th century. Take a look at
ledgers along with real items to see and touch as you find out the
importance of merchants and their trade.
(Rain location: The Old State House)
_
Children can learn how to do paper quilling with historical
interpreters from John Dickinson Plantation. Take home the
finished work of art. (Rain location: The Old State House)
Blacksmith Mike Radebach of Frederica has demonstrated the
art of blacksmithing in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania
since 1988. Watch him work at his forge and talk with him about
this traditional trade.
LADY AIMEE’S FINE SEWING & SUTLERY
Lady Aimee is a sutler, a travelling merchant who goes to fairs, selling reproduction clothing,
haversacks, snapsacks (back packs) & other domestic goods for 17th or 18th Century persons or
reenactors. (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
AUGUSTIJN HERMAN, LORD OF BOHEMIA MANOR
18th Century Games
Woodworker Rick Schuman
Rick Schuman demonstrates traditional woodworking methods
including the use of a spring-pole lathe, a shave horse, and vintage
hand tools. Rick will be selling his craftwork, including spoons,
spatulas, kitchen utensils, rolling pins, stools and an unusual
Scandinavian bowl with handle called a“kuksa.”
(Rain location: Dover Century Club)
_
Visit with demonstrators from Greenbank Mill & Philips Farm. They
will bring to market fair several of the two breeds of heritage sheep
(Leicester Longwools and Delaine Merinos) raised at their site and
will demonstrate historic spinning and weaving techniques. Available
for purchase will be yarns that were spun from their heritage flock and
dyed with historically-accurate natural dyes. Children will enjoy petting
the sheep and learning to card wool.
(Rain location for demonstrations & sales: Dover Century Club)
KATIE CANNON’S CRAFT home medicine
What do you do if it’s the 18th century and you get sick? While
there were doctors, many people treated their minor illnesses
at home the way we do now. Learn what our ancestors did for
coughs, bruises, headaches, and more... plus test your skill at
identifying ingredients! (Rain location: The Old State House)
Fine handcrafted furniture in the 18th-century tradition is
displayed along with Theorem paintings by Delawareans Jeff
and Noreen Taylor. (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
Living History
Around The Green
Thistledown Fiber Guild
Silhouette Artist Brian Miller
Enjoy one of Delaware’s premier groups of 18th-century
dancers and musicians as they perform at The Old State House.
Performances: 11:45 & 2:30
Taylor Woodworks and
NOREEN’S theorem Painting
Maria and Ron Bessette will demonstrate how handcrafted,
plant-based soaps are made from natural botanicals. These
traditional soaps will also be offered for sale along with Maria’s
painted floor cloths. (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
wall and table mats and runners, shawls and skirts for sale.
Helen Gieske displays quilting techniques. Alice Guerrant
shows how socks and caps were knit. (Rain location: Dover
Century Club)
dover English country dancers
Greenbank Mill and Philips Farm
THE BESSETTES: MAKERS OF FINE
SOAPS AND PAINTED FLOOR CLOTHS
_
Find out how children amused themselves in the 1700s.
(Rain location: The Old State House)
Augustijn Herman, a merchant & cartographer from New Amsterdam with a large estate on the
upper Eastern Shore displays his map for ship captains & merchants and tells how Delaware became
a separate political entity & not part of Maryland or Pennsylvania.
(Rain location: Dover Century Club)
SLATE BUTTON MAKING
HORNER ED LONG
Ed Long, journeyman and past Guildmaster of the
Honourable Company of Horners, demonstrates how to
make a powder horn, including the intricate stage of carving.
Beautifully finished horns will be offered for sale and have won
numerous blue ribbons. (Rain location: The Old State House)
_
Back by popular demand! Try your hand at making a slate
button of your very own using primitive skills. Start with a
simple shard of slate and by grinding and drilling you will
shape that piece into something that can be used to hold your
clothes shut. (Rain location: Dover Century Club)
PLEIN AIR PAINTER
Watch the Plein Air Painters, Joyce Lapp and Diane Bauer, at
work around The Green as they capture the scene.
(Rain location: The Old State House)
Good Things To Eat
MARKET FAIR INN
MARKET FAIR Minstrels
The Dover Century Club is transformed into the Market Fair Inn
from 10:00 – 3:30 to sell hungry visitors pulled pork and smoked
chicken sandwiches, hot soup, beef hot dogs, fall sweet treats, coffee, hot chocolate, cider and water. All sale proceeds benefit the
Dover Century Club Scholarship and Building Funds.
Enjoy the sounds of traditional tunes on fiddle as musicians Rick
Hudson and Nate Grower rove about the Market Fair, with the
potential for some friendly competition between the two.
(Rain location: The Old State House)
FIFER ORCHARDS
MARKET FAIR MEMORIES
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Stop by the free photo booth and get your picture taken with fun props
from the 1700s to capture a memory that will last a lifetime. All photos
will be made available online. (Rain location: The Old State House)
Fifers Orchards returns to sell their famous cider donuts and cider.
(Rain location: Battell’s Golden Fleece tavern site).
biggs museum of american art
Visit the parking lot of the Biggs Museum to check out the food truck food court around the circle!