Calendar of Events - Claude Moore Colonial Farm

January February March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Unless otherwise noted, events subject to favorable weather conditions.

Call the GateHouse Shop, 703-903-9330, to confirm the day's activities.

January 2009 top
Date to be determined	Friday 5 pm - 9pm and Saturday 10 am-5 pm	Book Sale Browse through our large selection donated to the Farm. Includes books for travelers, gardeners, cooks and kids. We have fiction, nonfiction, first editions and some rare and special volumes. Also videotapes, CDs, records and some ephemera. Located at the Chez Puce building near the Farm office
February 2009 top
February 14	Saturday 10 am-5 pm	Estate Sale
March 2009 top
March 7	Saturday 10 am-5 pm	Estate Sale
March 21 & 22	Saturday and Sunday 10 am-3 pm	Spring Cleaning Help get the Farm ready for the new season! On the 18th century farm, fields and trails need to be cleared, fences rebuilt, and wood moved and stacked. Behind the scenes, there is greenhouse work, wood splitting, cleaning animal pens and even some indoor jobs. Bring work-gloves and dress for the weather. The Farm will provide a picnic hot dog lunch. Families and groups are welcome. Rsvp to jengle@1771.org
April 2009 top
April 1	Wednesday 10 am - 4:30 pm	Farm Opens The Farm ends its winter hibernation and welcomes the public for the 2009 season. The Farm is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4:30pm, April 1 through December 13. The Farm is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and during inclement weather. Weather permitting - call ahead.
April 13	Monday 6-8pm	Workshop: 18th Century Clothing Come learn about the basics of 18th century clothing from our experts. You can also purchase linen fabric, trace patterns, and receive advice on your own clothing projects. $5 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
April 18	Saturday 1-4 pm	Dairy Day Have you ever wondered what curds and whey look like? Do you know how to wash butter? Join in as the farm wife makes soft cheese and churns butter, and gain a new appreciation for these foods, so precious to the farm family. Weather permitting - call ahead.
April 24 & 25	Friday and Saturday 10 am-5 pm	Spring Plant Sale Join us in the Farm's garden and greenhouses to choose plants for your yard. Plants include annual and perennial flowers and herbs, vegetables, and container shrubs with a special emphasis on heirloom plants. All sales proceeds benefit the Farm's educational programs.
May 2009 top
May 3	Sunday 1-4 pm	Salting Fish Visit the farm family as they clean and salt down their yearly catch of fish. They invite you to help scale, gut and pack the fish into jars, and to learn about the important contributions the river makes to their lives. Weather permitting - call ahead.
May 16 & 17	Saturday & Sunday 11 am-4:30 pm	Spring 18th Century Market Fair Celebrate spring at the first Market Fair of the season. Dance and sing songs. Purchase herb and flower plants and shop for the latest fashions in clothing, jewelry, potions and lotions from the Seamstress, Millinery and Stillatory stands. Bob for apples, play quoits and other games, and watch a children's puppet theatre. Order nails from the Blacksmith, or have your fortune told by the Gypsy Fortune Teller. Lunch might be fresh corn or asparagus, roast chicken, sausages and bread. Lemonade and sugar cakes from the Sweets stand and wine or ale from the Tavern provide a break from shopping and the other business of the Fair. Period food, beverages and wares are available for purchase from the many stalls. Special Event Admission applies. Get a Pass for 50% Off Admission to the Market Fair. Weather permitting - call ahead.
May 26	Tuesday 2-4pm	Workshop: 18th Century Dancing Put on your dancing shoes! We will teach you a few of the simpler dances of the time, plus how to bow, curtsey, and flirt in public. $5 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
June 2009 top
June 6 - 7	Saturday 8am - Sunday noon	Colonial Living Experience This 2-day overnight program will immerse you in the 18th century. You will wear period clothes, cook the meals, sleep in cotton tents, and learn 18th century survival skills. The Wednesday evening session (June 3, 6-8pm) is a required meeting for all who will participate in the weekend overnight. Paid reservations are required.
June 18	Thursday 6-9 pm	Workshop: Hearth Cooking Tired of your stove at home? Learn to prepare food over a fire like an 18th century cook... and taste your creations, of course. $10 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
June 20	Saturday 1-4 pm	Wheat Harvest Help the farm family harvest their rye and wheat, then help bake bread made from those grains. And what about yeast? You have to make that, too! The farm wife will show you how. Weather permitting - call ahead.
July 2009 top
July 1	Wednesday 6-8pm	Workshop: Natural Dyeing Turn plain natural fibers into lovely colors using only ingredients found in nature. $10 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
July 18 & 19	Saturday and Sunday 11 am-4:30 pm	Summer 18th Century Market Fair Sit in the shade and savor roast chicken and spicy sausages, enjoy summer dancing and singing, test your water color and writing skills with Mr. Andrews at the Stationer. Muster with the militia and re-outfit your home in furniture from the Cabinet Maker or have your fortune told by the Gypsy Fortune Teller. Only at Market Fair can you catch up on the latest news from the frontier and trade stories while enjoying local ale and porter at the Tavern. Try hands-on crafts such as spinning and shop for goods from the finest merchants in the colonies. Period food, beverages and wares are available for purchase. Special Event Admission applies. Get a Pass for 50% Off Admission to the Market Fair. Weather permitting - call ahead.
August 2009 top
August 2	Sunday 1-4 pm	Pickling Produce Salty, sour pickles from the kitchen garden will bring flavor to the farm family's meals. Help prepare vegetables for pickling as the farm wife shows you how she combines salt, water, and homemade vinegar to preserve her summer crops. Weather permitting - call ahead.
August 29	Saturday 1-4 pm	Tobacco Harvest All summer, the farm family has carefully tended the tobacco crop, which they use to pay the rent and to purchase goods not produced on the Farm. Now that the leaves have ripened, harvest time is here. Help the family clean the leaves, and watch how they cut and split the stems. Help gather the cut plants and hang them on tobacco sticks to cure. Weather permitting - call ahead.
September 2009 top
September 3	Thursday 6-8pm	Workshop: Farm Animals Meet the Farm’s animals up close and personal! Learn how to correctly handle each of the animals, plus some history of each of the breeds. Wear something you would not mind holding a chicken in. $5 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
September 19	Saturday 1-4pm	Spinning & Dyeing Day How do you go from sheep to clothing? Come help the farm family as they card, spin, and dye wool for knitting. Compare wool processing with flax, and note the differences in how they are prepared. Weather permitting - call ahead.
October 2009 top
October 7	Wednesday 6-8pm	Workshop: Woodworking Try several tools that are as useful today as they were centuries ago, and learn how to care for them. $5 fee; reservations required. Contact kcannon@1771.org. Workshops are intended for adults; mature children are also welcome.
October 17 & 18	Saturday and Sunday 11am-4:30pm	Autumn 18th Century Market Fair Warm yourself by the fire and enjoy the splendor of fall with crisp local apples, warm savory meat pies and hearty breads. Let Market Fair entertainers, tradesmen and the militia amuse and educate you. Have your fortune told or purchase a charm from the Gypsy Fortune Teller. Allow Mistress Barrow and Mr. John to entice you with their wares at the Dry Goods and the Gentlemen's Goods stand. Learn to dip a candle or turn a piece of wood on the carpenter's lathe. Stop by the Tavern for a cup of mulled wine before you begin your holiday shopping at the many tradesmen's and merchant's stalls. Period food, beverages and wares are available for purchase. Special Event Admission applies. Get a Pass for 50% Off Admission to the Market Fair. Weather permitting - call ahead.
November 2009 top
November 8	Sunday 1-4 pm	Autumn Chores Help the farm family clear brush from their fields, stack wood for the winter, repair old fencing, and perform many other necessary farm tasks in preparation for the coming winter. They will welcome any extra hands! Clothes that can get dirty and work gloves are recommended. Weather permitting - call ahead.
November 17	Tuesday 5-8 pm	GateHouse Holiday Shop Open House Enjoy traditional mulled cider, butter cake and ginger cookies, the warmth of the open fire and Christmas music while you shop in the peaceful atmosphere at the Farm.
November 21	Saturday 1-4 pm	Chew the Fat What can you do with fat? Many things! Come help the farm family make soap, candles and dubbin, all of which use lard (pig fat) or tallow (beef fat). Weather permitting - call ahead.
Through December 21	Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm	Gatehouse Holiday Shop Avoid the craziness of the malls and enjoy easy parking. Do your holiday gift shopping at the Farm while helping to support the only privately operated National Park in the United States. Choose from a unique selection of 18th century reproductions toys, housewares, jewelry, toiletries and consumables. All sales proceeds benefit the Farm's educational programs.
December 2009 top
December 2	Wednesday 6-8 pm	Workshop: Winter Traditions Ah, a rest from farm labor! Join us as we explore the customs of 18th century Wassail and Christmas celebrations. Singing, dancing, storytelling and more. $5 fee; reservations required. Contact kjackson@1771.org.
December 13	Sunday 1-4 pm	Wassail Stand fast, root! Bear well, top! God send us a howling crop! In the dead of winter the apple trees need encouragement to bear well during the coming year. Gather in the Farm's orchard to wassail the trees with singing, dancing and chants to ensure a "howling crop." Enjoy hot spiced cider, sugar cakes, a bonfire and 18th century games. Weather permitting - call ahead.
December 13	Sunday 4:30 pm	The Farm Goes Into Hibernation The 18th century visitor site at The Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run closes for the winter months and will open to the public for the 2010 season on Wednesday, April 1 at 10 am. The GateHouse Holiday Shop will remain open through Sunday, December 20, 2009.
Through December 21	Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm	Gatehouse Holiday Shop Avoid the craziness of the malls and enjoy easy parking. Do your holiday gift shopping at the Farm while helping to support the only privately operated National Park in the United States. Choose from a unique selection of 18th century reproductions toys, housewares, jewelry, toiletries and consumables. All sales proceeds benefit the Farm's educational programs.

Events may be cancelled due to weather conditions unless otherwise noted.