The Poultney Historical Society will be celebrating its 86th Annual East Poultney Day on Saturday, August 14th from 9am to 3pm on the East Poultney green.
This year, as the nation begins to recover from COVID-19, the Society takes a look back 100 years to the decade following the influenza pandemic, the 1920s…years of “Recovery and Innovation.” Jon Mathewson, Curator of the Dorset Historical Society, will be the keynote speaker, talking about the explosion of energy, inventions and fortunes that were the hallmarks of the Jazz Age.
The day will feature kids activities including an ice cream tasting contest, art projects with a 1920s theme and a Bounce House. Adults will find more than 30 vendors selling crafts, handmade wooden pieces, vintage linens, jams and maple syrup, and farm fresh foods.
Enriching the festival will be special musical performances by Harry Drum’s combo with jazz offerings and the Hermit Hollow String Band playing classic bluegrass songs.
Martin Van Buren III will have a photo booth with 1920s costumes and props and will be taking portrait photographs plus digital pictures for visitors to take home. Thanks to the Poultney Snowmobile Club and the East Poultney General Store, there’ll be plenty of choices for lunch.
The Poultney Historical Society’s three historic museums will be open all day with new exhibits and a return of the popular Poultney 1929 Main Street model train. Model train expert Don Buesy will be there all day to lend his unique perspective, and will be bringing his 1919 antique car.
Andrea Mott is coordinating a “Poultney Farmscapes” exhibit, which is looking to add stories, memories, and photos of any farm that once operated in Poultney. She invites people to bring photographs for scanning that will become part of the research library. Ennis Duling will be displaying advertisements from The Poultney Journal 1920s editions, which are both fascinating and amusing.
At 2PM the Poultney Historical Society raffle winners will be announced. Grand Prizes include a large historic photograph of downtown Poultney, $100 cash, and a Vermont Teddy Bear plus many special donated prizes from local merchants.
The event is the Poultney Historical Society’s only fundraiser and the time when people join or renew their memberships. Proceeds enable the restoration of its 3 historic museums, maintenance of its extensive collections, and educational outreach through school visits and lectures.
Last year, the Poultney Historical Society made the difficult decision of canceling the 2020 East Poultney Day event due to rising concerns of COVID-19. This year, we are taking special precautions to ensure a safe and fun event that will take place as scheduled! This will include spaced-out vendor areas, access to wash stations with hand sanitizer, and holding mainly all outdoor activities.