Visiting Old Sturbridge Village During the Fall and Into Thanksgiving

Strolling the Common at Old Sturbridge Village in autumn.
Photographer: Thomas Neill
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Article by Eric H.
If you're looking for an educational and entertaining New England travel attraction for the whole family, Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) in Sturbridge, Mass., continues as one of the region's best destinations.

The authentic, expansive Sturbridge Village living museum presentation expertly recreates rural New England during the 1790s through the 1830s.  The village layout is tremendously thoughtful and detailed with 59 historic buildings on 200 acres, three water-powered mills and two covered bridges.  Additionally, you can visit with knowledgeable New England historians in costume, ride in a stagecoach, view antiques, heirloom gardens, meet the farm animals, and take part in hands-on crafts.  Additionally, the charming Oliver Wight Tavern looks like an 1830s rural New England tavern and offers lunch, Sunday Brunch and Friday night dinners, at this writing.

It's all a marvelously fun learning experience . Growing up in the Boston area, Sturbridge Village was always a school field trip staple and one with memories that still reside strongly in my mind. I remember, back in the day, getting the school field trip form and running home to exclaim, "Mom, we're going to Sturbridge Village!"  Getting out of the classroom and into a "live" history book, of sorts, was thrilling and full of additional delights foreign to us from near the 'city"-- it just felt wonderful being in the countryside and breathing in fresh air!

I still hear great things from the younger generation about Sturbridge Village -- much like the way we used to talk about it, too. The younger generation, however, doesn't know that they have a much better version of Sturbridge Village with so many more attractions and events.

With some traditionally brilliant October fall colors to enhance your visit -- and get you in a New England state of mind -- Old Sturbridge Village resonates with a true New England feel rather than just being another cheesy, forced, contrived and overpriced New England travel attraction. Sturbridge Village can be enjoyed any time of the year but since we're now into the fall season, let's focus today on the appeal of visiting Sturbridge Village during the autumn time. Here are some of the wonderful events going on:

October 2010

 Apple Days 2010
October 2, 2010 - October 3, 2010
Join us for a weekend dedicated to apple harvest, preservation and cooking.
 Friends' Day
October 2, 2010
9:30 am-5:00 pm
Old Sturbridge Village's day of recognition of and appreciation for you, our 
Village friends and members.
 Take a Closer Look
October 9, 2010
10:00 am
Take a Closer Look is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. 
Held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of 
each month, this program invites a closer look with a Village specialist.
 Garden Thyme
October 16, 2010
Third Saturday, 10 a.m.
Garden Thyme is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held the third
 Saturday of each month at 
10 a.m., this program looks at a variety of topics for the experienced and novice gardener.
 Harvest Days
October 16, 2010 - October 17, 2010
9:30 am-5:00 pm
As the days grow cooler and shorter, come celebrate the harvest with us.
 Broadway delivers to the Oliver Wight Tavern:
Cabaret Lulu  $
October 21, 2010
$42.50 per person for lunch and program (includes tax & gratuity)
Spend an afternoon on Broadway by way of Old Sturbridge Village. Enjoy 
lunch at the Oliver Wight Tavern followed by a direct-from-Broadway 
cabaret show in the Brewer Theater.Reservations required.
Things That Go Bump in the Night $
October 30, 2010 - 5:00 PM
$12 per person, children under 3: free
Advance registration is required
Old Sturbridge Village is the perfect setting for a family Halloween 
event. Spooky storytelling, magic, creepy games, and trick-or-treating
 around the Center Village.  The Trail of Terror (for brave souls 
age 11 and up) is also back this year.  Tickets on sale now for Members; 
public sale begins October 1.
Trail of Terror $
October 30, 2010 - 6:30 PM
$8 per person (ages 11 & up); event admission additional and required
For brave souls age 11 and up...Prepare to be spooked as you venture 
away from the family-friendly Center Village and into the darkness of the
countryside, where unnamed fears may be awakened 
on the Trail of Terror.

November 2010
 American Girl Fashion Show
November 5, 2010 - November 7, 2010
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
 Dog Days for Members
November 6, 2010 - November 7, 2010
9:30 am-4:00 pm
Attention OSV Members:  as a thank-you for your support we are offering a series of special 
Dog Days at OSV just for Members.
 Scout Day at Old Sturbridge Village
November 6, 2010
9:30 am-4:00 pm
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lives on...in 1830!  This fall event is for Boy
and Girl Scouts, and 
their families, who want to learn about America's proud past.  Enjoy the late fall foliage 
while visiting our early 19th-century rural community.
Dinner in a Country Village $
Selected Saturday evenings from November through March, 5 to 9 p.m.
$85 per person; $75 for OSV MembersPre-registration is required
Enjoy a unique opportunity to prepare and eat a meal the way early 
New Englanders did. The Parsonage 
is the setting for this Saturday-night program, where costumed interpreters oversee 
the preparations, but the guests do the chopping, mixing, and stirring.   
 Home School Day - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
November 10, 2010
9:30 am-4:00 pm
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lives on...in 1830! During this Home 
School day, children and their families will have the opportunity to
learn more about this tale and its time through storytelling,
 demonstrations and hands-on activities.
 Old Sturbridge Village Celebrates the Nation's Veterans
November 11, 2010
Old Sturbridge Village is proud to honor veterans and active duty 
personnel of the nation's armed forces.
 Take a Closer Look
November 13, 2010
10:00 am
Take a Closer Look is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. 
Held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, this program 
invites a closer look with a Village specialist.
An Evening of Illumination $
Saturday, November 13, 6 to 9 p.m.
$35 per person; $30 for OSV Members
Old Sturbridge Village opens in the evening and invites visitors to see what
the Village would have looked like using only Village period 
lighting devices.  View a slide show of this event.
 Broadway delivers to the Oliver Wight Tavern:
Cabaret Lulu  $
November 18, 2010
$42.50 per person for lunch and program (includes tax & gratuity)
Spend an afternoon on Broadway by way of Old Sturbridge Village. 
Enjoy lunch at the Oliver Wight Tavern followed by a direct-from-Broadway
cabaret show in the Brewer Theater.Reservations required.
 Garden Thyme
November 20, 2010
Third Saturday, 10 a.m.
Garden Thyme is a monthly program open to all OSV Members. Held the 
third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., this program looks at a 
variety of topics for the experienced and novice gardener.
 Thanksgiving Buffet  $
Enjoy a 19th-century meal in the Oliver Wight Tavern
November 25, 2010
Seatings from 11am to 4pm
Enjoy a 19th-century Thanksgiving meal at the Oliver 
Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village.
Reservations required.
 Thanksgiving Day Celebration
November 25, 2010
To mark one of just a handful of holidays on the early New England
calendar, Old Sturbridge Village re-creates various activities from an
early New England Thanksgiving Day, including 
cooking at the hearth, demonstrations of 19th-century 
table manners, a Thanksgiving sermon, and after-dinner entertainment.
 Thanksgiving Dinner in Bullard Tavern  $
November 25, 2010
Seatings at 11am, 1:45pm and 4:15pm
Enjoy a 19th-century Thanksgiving meal at the Bullard Tavern at 
Old Sturbridge Village.Reservations required.
 Shooting Match
November 26, 2010
Come watch the Village marksmen display their musket-firing skills in friendly competition.
 A New England Wedding
November 27, 2010
Thanksgiving was a favorite time for many early 19th-century 
marriages, as family gathered for the holiday. Visit with the bride as 
she prepares for the wedding and enjoy a dramatic presentation about the 
couple's courtship and marriage, including their re-created wedding ceremony.

Comments

Ashley said…
Parents, please take your children here!!! It is hilarious to watch the confusion on the children's faces when the Sturbridge Village Actors refuse to get out of character. Believe me as a kid I tried and they are awesome at keeping their act!!
September 29, 2010 at 12:17 AM
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