Come to the Old Manse Columbus Day Weekend Fall Arts and Humanities Festival!

Concord Players is stepping out into the community to raise awareness of our organization!  On Oct. 10, 11, and 12 we will participate in the Fall Festival for the Arts and Humanities at the Old Manse on 269 Monument Street in Concord.   The Fall Festival is an arts-boosting community event held on the grounds of the Old Manse, and it’s our first time ever participating.  The festival will raise awareness of the Old Manse and other Concord cultural and arts institutions, including Concord Players.  From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday there will be free music, poetry, art exhibits, historical re-enactments and demonstrations, tours of the Old Manse, and performances by Concord Players.  Various vendors will sell food, beverages, and other goodies.
Concord Players will perform two pieces on Sunday, Oct. 11 starting at 11 a.m.  First, Jay Newlon, Board Member and VP-Operations, will entertain festival goers by portraying renowned American author Nathaniel Hawthorne!  Jay will read from the author’s works and tell the audience a bit about Hawthorne’s life and writings.  Second, Sarah Telford, Shonna McEachern, Kevin Cirone, Chuck Holleman, and Kathy Lague will sing a selection of show tunes.  Bob Carter will mingle with the crowd as the historical character Bronson Alcott (Louisa May Alcott’s dad.)  On Monday afternoon, Lida McGirr will stroll through the festival grounds as Margaret Fuller, the first American female international journalist and a renowned literary critic.

Throughout the weekend, various Concord Players Board members will work at a festival booth to promote our amazing theater, the upcoming shows for the 2009/2010 season, and the fun of being involved with Concord Players.   We’ll be sharing table space with FOPAC, the Concord Band and Orchestra, the 51 Walden School for Ballet Arts, and the Orchard House, all of whom are providing
volunteers to provide booth coverage throughout the entire weekend.   We hope to draw new audience members and Players volunteers from this event.  Please come, visit, and support us!

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OLD MANSE
Fall Arts & Humanities Festival to be held at the Old Manse 
Three days of art, food, music and history in support of local artists and community preservation. 

Concord, MA - The Old Manse will hold its Fall Arts & Humanities Festival over Columbus Day Weekend, the 10th-12th of October, 2009 on its eight acres of picturesque grounds. Festival hours will be 11 AM – 6 PM daily.

Visual artists from throughout the local area will display and offer their work to the general public, while many and varied musicians will keep the atmosphere lively. In addition, multiple vendors from the Concord area have the opportunity to set up a booth for sales and messaging of their choosing in support of the nationwide 3/50 Project ( www.the350project.net)

“Our goal in holding this festival is to show appreciation for our community and to highlight and celebrate what makes this area unique” said Faith Ferguson, Director of Education and Outreach at the Man se. “There is a strong movement in this country to focus locally and to support the businesses and talent we most appreciate. In this way we’re actually sustaining our friends and neighbors and strengthening the very towns we live in. This festival is a way for us to help those ideas become reality, plus have a lot of fun.”

Among some of the planned events and activities: Megan Marshall, prize-winning author of "The Peabody Sisters" will give a talk on Manse resident Sophia Peabody Hawthorne at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 11th, in honor of Sophia's 200th birthday; The Concord Poetry Center will present original poetry from 1-2 and again from 3-4 PM on Saturday, featuring nine of their poets. The long weekend will also feature exhibits by local painters and photographers, including a new art installation, A Fragmentary Sonata, in the Nursery gallery on New England Literature and the Landscape (prints and photographs) by site intern Stephanie Cardon.  The Drinking Gourd Project -- Concord's Abolition history project will be at the festival (www.cchumanrights.org/category/drinking-gourd/) highlighting human rights in Concord’s rich history. The 10th Regiment of Foot will be on hand Saturday and Sunday, in addition to other representatives of the area’s history. 

For families, there will be plenty of fun, local food and entertainment. There will be musical theater performances by the Concord Players from 11-1 on Sunday, music from members of the Folk Music Society, members from the Concord Orchestra, a capella music from the Copley Cats and more throughout the entire three days. Slowpokes BBQ (southern style pulled-pork sandwiches), Nashoba Brook Bakery (homemade bread and granola) and Millbrook Farm (caramel apples and fresh produce) are just a few of the culinary attractions. A raffle drawing for a free Trustees of Reservations Family Membership will be held on Monday at 6pm. Trustees members enjoy no-cost access to over 100 Special Places in Massachusetts, plus discounts on all Trustees merchandise. 

The Old Manse will be open for regular tours all three days, plus a special Chautauqua event on Saturday which features in-character interpreters who will guide visitors through the house as real people who lived during the 18th century. Please contact the Manse for information on times and pricing of all events. The schedule of events is available in the Manse bookstore, or by request. Email oldmanse1769@gmail.com.

Admission to the festival and grounds are free, though donations are greatly appreciated. 

In addition, the Old Manse is proud to have partnered with one of Concord’s most historic and venerable establishments, The Colonial Inn. During the month of October, enjoy an al fresco meal on the front porch or inside the cozy Colonial Inn and then take a short walk up famous Monument Street for a delightful journey through history during your guided tour of the Old Manse. Bring a copy of your receipt from a Colonial Inn meal and receive $1 off the admission to the guided tour. For more information on dining options or to book a room, contact The Colonial Inn (www.concordscolonialinn.com) or call 1-978-370-9200. 

About the Old Manse
The Old Manse is a property of the Trustees of Reservations.  The Trustees of Reservations preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts.  The Old Manse is located at 269 Monument St., Concord, adjacent to the North Bridge. For more information, contact the Old Manse at (978) 369-3909 or visit our web site at: www.oldmanse.org