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2021 American Independence Festival: July 3-24

Man in 18th century clothing kneels on a lawn outside and palys a stringed instrument for a group of children.

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.

Folsom Tavern Open House

Members: Free
Non-Members: $5

Tickets available at the door.

The Folsom Tavern is open for self-guided tours on Saturday, June 28 and July 3.

The Tavern will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the last entry available at 2 p.m.

Tickets for Saturday, June 28 include admission to our Family Friendly Saturday: Our Waterways Program.

Folsom Tavern Open House

Members: Free
Non-Members: $5

Tickets available at the door.

The Folsom Tavern is open for self-guided tours on Saturday, June 28 and July 3.

The Tavern will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the last entry available at 2 p.m.

Tickets for Saturday, June 28 include admission to our Family Friendly Saturday: Our Waterways Program.

Concert: Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble

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.

American Independence Festival

American Independence Festival July 10, 17 & 24

Tickets available at the door or online.
Adults: $5
Children 4-18: $3
Members: Free
Active Military and Veterans: Free
Festival 3-Day Pass Adult: $10
Festival 3-Day Pass Child: $6

Join us for the final Saturday of our modified Independence Festival.

Today’s Festival Highlights:

Artisans:

  • Steve Zoldak- Potter
  • Larry Leonard- Tinsmith
  • Chuck Walker- Horner
  • Ron Raiselis- Cooper
  • Tara Raiselis- Millinery

Reenactor Groups:

  • Acton Minutemen
  • Captain Dearborn’s Company
  • Danvers Alarm List Company

Other Festival Highlights:

  • John Taylor Gilman Declaration Reading Reenactment at 2 pm

Ongoing programs:

  • Folsom Tavern tours
  • Hands-on family activities
  • Beer garden (12-4 p.m.)

Evening Event: Family Camp Out with the Acton Minutemen

American Independence Festival

Tickets available at the door or online.

Adults: $5
Children 4-18: $3
Member Adults: Free
Member Children: Free
Active Military and Veterans: Free
Festival 3-Day Pass Adult: $10
Festival 3-Day Pass Child: $6

Join us for the second Saturday of our modified Independence Festival.

Today’s Festival Highlights:

Artisans:

  • Laurel Jamieson- Spinning and Weaving
  • Adam Hodges-LeClaire- Tailoring
  • Walter Hanson- Ranger in Colonial Times
  • R.P. Hale- Dulcimer
  • Denise and Paul Pouliot- Abenaki Culture

Reenactor Groups:

  • The 4th (King’s Own) Regiment of the Foot
  • 85th Régiment de Saintonge

Other Festival Highlights:

  • Welcome and Land Acknowledgment at 10:15 am
  • John Taylor Gilman Declaration Reading Reenactment at 2 pm
  • From Sheep to Socks in Colonial America hands at 11 & 2:30

Ongoing programs:

  • Folsom Tavern tours
  • Hands-on family activities
  • Beer garden (12-4 p.m.)

Evening Event: Historic Enemies and Rivals: European Armies in North America

Enjoy living history as two reenactor units of the British and French army perform military drills and engage in some friendly rivalry. This evening program is free of charge.

American Independence Festival

American Independence Festival July 10, 17 & 24

Tickets available at the door or online.
Adults: $5
Children 4-18: $3
Member Adults: Free
Member Children: Free
Actively Military and Veterans: Free
Festival 3-Day Pass Adult: $10
Festival 3-Day Pass Child: $6

Join us for the first Saturday of our modified Independence Festival.

Today’s Festival Highlights:

Artisans:

  • Linda Oakley- Needlework
  • Peter Oakley- Shoemaker
  • Peter Cook- Flax to Linen
  • Bill Wasson- Ropemaking

Reenactor Groups:

  • First Regiment of New Hampshire- special presentations at 11:30 a.m. & 2:45 p.m.
  • Ladies Association of Revolutionary America- special presentations at 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

Other Festival Highlights:

  • Meet “Black Jack” Staines- special presentations at 10:45 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:15 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
  • John Taylor Gilman Declaration Reading Reenactment- 2 p.m.

Ongoing programs:

  • Folsom Tavern tours
  • Hands-on family activities
  • Beer garden (12-6 p.m.)

Evening Event: Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble

This free event is made possible through the sponsorship of Riverwoods Exeter.

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Family friendly event exploring local waterways at the Independence Museum

Table displaying Abenaki artifacts with an indigenous presenter demonstrating fletching

On Saturday, June 26 the American Independence Museum will host an outdoor community event, Our Waterways, exploring the waterways that have drawn people to the Exeter area for thousands of years.

Through presentations and hands-on activities, attendees will discover how different uses such as fishing, water power, and transportation transcend cultures and have different impacts on the waterways.

“Visitors will recreate rivers and dams to see how obstructing the river not only creates falls, but limits fish migration,” said Sarah Jaworski, American Independence Museum Program Manager. Make and take craft kits will also be provided.

The program runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m on the lawn at Folsom Tavern. Formal family-friendly presentations will occur at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. From 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective will share the importance of waterways in the daily life of the Pennacook-Abenaki People.

This will be followed from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. by a presentation by the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

“Waterways are an interwoven link to the history, art and traditions of Native people, past and present. This brief discussion will share some insights into canoes and wampum beads, as they relate to Native people and the Waterways of the Northeast,” said Andrew Bullock, Executive Director of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

The entire program takes place outside on the grounds of the American Independence Museum. The cost is $10 a family (up to four individuals) and $5 for an individual. Members attend free.

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.

Family Friendly Saturday: Our Waterways

Cost:
$10- Family (up to four) non-member
$5- Individual non-member
$0- Members

Join us as we explore the importance of the river to all inhabitants of the area, as well as the human impact on the ecology of the river over time. The day will consist of hands-on activities with water and make-and-take crafts. Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki will share the waterways importance to the daily life of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, including foodways, transportation, and culture. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum will share how birch bark canoes allowed transportation across N’dakinna (the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present) via waterways and how Wampum (beads with important culture meaning and significance) even have ties to the water.

Discover how the use of the waterways from fishing, water power, and transportation transcend cultures, and how those uses had different impacts on the waterway themselves.

The entire program takes place outside.

The program runs from 10:00-2:00, with formal family friendly presentations happening at 10:30 & 12:30.

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Tavern Tours Highlight Inclusivity and Diversity

Outdoor shot of the entrance to Folsom Tavern with an OPEN sign showing and four people on a tour.

In 2021, inclusivity and diversity will inform much of the programming and exhibits at the American Independence Museum, an emphasis that underscores Folsom Tavern Tours.

In these tours, Curator Jennifer Carr said visitors can expect to learn how many kinds of people used and experienced colonial taverns.

“A tavern was experienced differently by an enslaved person compared to a white merchant or woman, for instance,” she said.

Executive Director Emma Stratton said the museum is actively working to interpret history through diverse perspectives and to help with our understanding of the present.

“‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is a complicated subject that has different meanings to different people in our history as a nation,” she said.

Built in 1775 by Samuel Folsom, Folsom Tavern boasts a unique history, as George Washington visited it in 1789. Folsom Tavern was also the site to the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire in 1783. The nation’s oldest patriotic organization, the Society was founded by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution.

“Visitors will learn about this fascinating history, too,” added Carr.

Folsom Tavern Tours also feature audio recordings that replicate sounds that may have been heard in 18th century taverns. After the guided tours, which will last approximately 45-minutes, visitors will be encouraged to remain on-site and enjoy 1-acre landscaped property.

Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the museum is currently developing a variety of public and education programs in virtual and online formats to encourage digital inclusion for all ages.

All tours are limited and masks and pre-registration are required. Tours will be held every hour on the hour on Thursdays 10-12 and Fridays/Saturdays 10-3.

To register for Folsom Tavern tours, visit independencemuseum.org/visit/.

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.

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