Celebrate all things American at Historic Cold Spring Village’s annual Independence Day Celebration, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A variety of patriotic family activities, programs and music will be taking place and the Village’s restored historic buildings will be open, featuring demonstrations of Early American trades and crafts. This event is generously sponsored by the Brigantine VFW.
At 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday, the Village’s Deputy Director for Education, Jim Stephens, will present The Story of Old Glory, a fascinating look at the origins and history of our nation’s flag. On Saturday at 2 p.m., the John Walter Cape Community Band will perform patriotic music at the Village Gazebo. The Family Activity Area will feature children’s dress-up clothes, historic games and take-home patriotic crafts including a tin-punch American flag. Kids can also take part in the “Patriot Spy Game,” visiting Village buildings to look for clues using a real Revolutionary War cipher. At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Dennisville Inn, children ages 5 to 12 can participate in a militia muster.
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. Tuesday through Sunday, from late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.” Fun and educational activities for children are featured Tuesday through Sunday, with special events every weekend through September.
The Village is located on Route 9, three miles north of Victorian Cape May and a mile and a half west of the southern terminus of the Garden State Parkway. Admission during the season is $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner’s Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. Visit the Country Store, Bakery, Ice Cream Parlor and Cold Spring Grange Restaurant. For more information on events, membership, volunteering, or booking private affairs, please call (609) 898-2300 ext. 10, or visit the Village website at www.hcsv.org.