(DOVER, Del.—April 13, 2015)—During the month of May 2015, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be offering 10 special programs at sites across the state. Except where noted, programs are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-744-5055.

Highlights of the month include the 82nd Annual Dover Days Festival on May 1 to 3 which will feature several division-sponsored programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War including historical theater, music and a display. Meanwhile, the John Dickinson Plantation, located at 340 Kitts Hummock Road in Dover, will celebrate the festival from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 with colonial games, hearth cooking utilizing 18th-century recipes and special tours.

The adventure, romance, excitement and hardships experienced by 18th- and 19th-century seafarers will be brought to life at the fourth annual Zwaanendael Maritime Festival: “A Sailor’s Life for Me” that will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes. The festival will provide opportunities for adults as well as children to experience the everyday lives of sailors by scrubbing the deck, learning about shipboard food, playing “Crown and Anchor” and other Colonial-period games, exploring a vessel’s cargo and the merchants who shipped it, and serving on a block-and-tackle station where visitors will be drilled by a demanding mariner looking for new crew members.

Finally, on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the New Castle Court House Museum, located at 211 Delaware St. in New Castle, will host “The Early Colonial Delaware Valley—An Archaeological and Historical Symposium.” Now in its eighth year, the symposium is dedicated to building a regional-level dialog that can identify the uniqueness of the cultures that existed in the Delaware Valley during the early period of European colonization.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special events, May 2015

Saturday, May 2, 2015
“Sounds of War: Patriotic Music.” Guided tours examine music’s influence during America’s wars when patriotic songs were composed throughout the nation. Hear music played on authentic Victor Talking Machines that was popularized during the Civil War and later recorded by the Victor Talking Machine Company. Part of the Dover Days Festival. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Saturday, May 2, 2015
Dover Days at the John Dickinson Plantation. Activities include tours, Colonial games and hearth cooking utilizing 18th-century recipes. Part of the Dover Days Festival. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, May 2, 2015
“Fried Okra: Civil War Era Music.” Performance by Rick Hudson and Friends. Part of the Dover Days Festival. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Programs at Noon and 2 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Saturday, May 2, 2015
“Two Civil War Soldiers.” Historical play about two Confederate soldiers captured at the battle of Gettysburg and subsequently imprisoned at Fort Delaware. Part of the Dover Days Festival. Dover Century Club, 40 The Green, Dover. 1 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Eighth annual Symposium on the Early Colonial Archaeology of the Delaware Valley Region. Featuring informal presentations, the program is designed to build a regional-level dialog that can identify the uniqueness of the early Colonial cultures of the Delaware Valley. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453. To reserve a place, send an e-mail to craig.lukezic@de.state.us.

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Demonstrations by the Thistledown Fiber Arts Guild. Program explores spinning, weaving, knitting and other fabric arts. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 1–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, May 16, 2015
A Day in Old New Castle. The oldest house and garden tour in the nation includes programs at the New Castle Court House Museum and the New Castle Green. Downtown New Castle. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission free at the New Castle Court House Museum. Admission charge at other venues. 302-322-5774.

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Fourth Annual Zwaanendael Maritime Festival: “A Sailor’s Life for Me.” Maritime-themed activities, games, displays by local organizations and more. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Monday, May 25, 2015
“Victor’s Music of Summer.” Jump into summer with hit songs from the past played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Monday, May 25, 2015
“Stories of Freedom and Courage.” Special guided tours focus on the unique stories of freedom and equality that impacted Delaware citizens. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Exhibits and displays, May 2015 In addition to special programming, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is sponsoring the following exhibits and displays:

Opening April 21, 2015
“Delaware Mourns Lincoln: A Demonstration of Love and Sorrow.” Utilizing graphics, clothing and memorabilia, the display explores how Delawareans expressed their deep sorrow upon the death of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865. From the collections of the state of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5055.

Ongoing
“Delaware and the War of 1812.” Exhibit examines the service and sacrifice of Delawareans of 1812 to 1815, and the important role that the state played in a conflict that helped shaped the development of the United States. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. . April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
“Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey From Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.” Exhibit chronicles the compelling story of Emeline Hawkins and her family and their 1845 odyssey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland, through Delaware to freedom in Pennsylvania. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
Items from the permanent collections. Designed by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the exhibit includes items from the permanent collections of the Laurel Historical Society including images from the Waller Photographic Collection. Laurel Heritage Museum, Mechanic St., Laurel. Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–Noon. 302-875-9319 or 302-875-1344.

Ongoing Thru spring 2015
“Middletown Goes To War.” Designed by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the exhibit spotlights the contributions of Middletown’s veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present. Middletown Historical Society, 216 N. Broad St., Middletown. Fri., 9 a.m.–3 p.m. First Sat. of each month, 9 a.m.–Noon. Third Wed. of each month, Noon–4 p.m. Other times by appointment. 302-378-7466. Note change in closing date.

Ongoing
Sculpture by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
“Simple Machines.” Exhibit demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel—that constitute the elementary building blocks of which many more-complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
“World War II Through the Lens of William D. Willis.” Designed by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the display features photographs taken in Western Europe from 1943-45. From the collections of the state of Delaware. Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover. Limited visitation hours; call 302-739-9194 before planning a visit.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

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