Historic Happenings Blog

Are the days too frigid and the nights too long for you at this time of year? Is darkness depressing and the cold’s in your bones? One solution is a trip to the tropics, but if that doesn’t fit your schedule, come celebrate Brigid’s Day and Candlemas at Historic New Bridge Landing along the Hackensack River in River Edge on Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm. Escape the winter blues as people did for over a thousand years in celebrations of warmth, light, and music. Sit in the main room of the 267-year-old Steuben House and tap your feet to Irish music played by The Racket River Girls. With fiddle, guitar, concertina, and harmonious vocals, they’ll transport you back to old Ireland; you’ll swear you smell the peat fire! Performances are at 1:30 and 3:30 pm. We are rolling out new exhibits in the Steuben House featuring BCHS’s collections of New Netherland and Jersey-Dutch artifacts including artifacts we received from the George Way estate. Several items, for example, a large trivet, are marri...

Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two  Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue. Tossing the bouquet. Bride and Groom cake toppers. Putting a sixpence in your shoe. Where did these traditions originate? Why do we still honor them today? Please join us as we walk down the aisle and trace the history of Ridgewood’s wedding traditions. The Schoolhouse Museum celebrates the opening of its current featured exhibit “Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions.” This new exhibit features items dating from 1789-1989, showcasing many beautiful wedding gowns from the museum's collection - some of which have never been on exhibit before. While at the museum, see the curio cabinet exhibit “50 Small Things with Big Histories.” The exhibits are open until December 2019 and are free to the public with donations suggested at the door. Museum hours are Thursdays and Saturdays from...

Sunday, December 8 – Bergen County Bergen County Historical Society Sinterklaas Day, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm OPEN HOUSE THIS EVENT  - No admission charge Enjoy Jersey Dutch holiday treats, refreshments and a visit with Sinter Klaas in the restored tavern in Campbell-Christie House, 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661 from 1 to 4:00 P.M. on Sunday, December 8, 2019. See open-hearth cooking in authentic Jersey Dutch Out Kitchen. All three Jersey-Dutch sandstone houses are open for tours. For that special holiday gift, browse unique historical gift shop. We have a children's pine cone bird feeder and ornament workshop throughout the afternoon. Reservations for the 36th Annual Colonial Christmas Concerts, featuring Linda Russell & Companie, will also be on sale. PayPal link to follow. Our gift shop will be open. Experience History in one of the storied places where it was made! For further info on membership in the Bergen County Historical Society, a non-profit volunteer association, ...

December 7 – Bergen County Decorating Historic New Bridge Landing: December 7, 2019, Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm info@bergencountyhistory.org Tickets for the 36th Annual Colonial Christmas Concerts, featuring Linda Russell & Companie, will also be on sale (if there are any left). We use fresh greens and fruits to recreate period decorations that tell the stories of Christmas. This year we have clear toy candies we poured in antique molds.

Saturday, December 7 - Fair Lawn, Bergen County Dutch Christmas Garretson Forge and Farm will its annual Dutch Christmas celebration on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, replete with Sinter Klaas, baked goods, craft tables, and craft demonstrations. Admission is free. The Garretson, one of the oldest historic sites in Bergen County, was home to six generations of the Garretson family and remains a rare surviving example of simple farming life that was prevalent in the 1700s and 1800s. The Forge and Farm are located at 4-02 River Road, Fair Lawn, NJ. For more information, call 551-206-4380 or 201-797-7545 or visit  www.garretsonfarm.org .

Sunday, November 17 – Bergen County A History of Home Construction in the Pascack Valley William J. Martin, AIA at 2 p.m. On the suburban streets of the Pascack Valley you will find Dutch colonials, Victorians, ranches and McMansions, all reflecting the social mores, economic factors, and technological advances of different eras. Architect William J. Martin, AIA, of Westwood, will teach us about how and why home styles have evolved throughout the history of the region, showing examples of different types of structures. Educated at Carnegie-Mellon University and Pratt Institute, Martin, owns his own architectural firm in Westwood and is a licensed architect in five states. He is chair of Westwood’s Zoning Board and a member of Bergen County’s Historical Preservation Advisory Board. He is chairman of the Pascack Historical Society's Historical Preservation Board. A question and answer period will follow the talk. Visitors are encouraged to bring photos of their homes to share with th...

Sunday, November 3 - Hackensack, Bergen County 37th Annual Toy Soldier Show & Sale On Sunday, attend the 37th Annual East Coast Toy Soldier Show and Sale - the largest and best attended Toy Soldier Show on the East Coast. It is the largest show of its kind with over 300 exhibitor tables. Find millions of antique and collectible toy soldiers, military miniatures, gaming figures, railroad, Christmas, zoo, farm, diecast, G.I. Joe and action figures, militaria, and antique and collectible toys. This will be the seventh year of the Hess Toy Truck "Meet and Greet." You will have the opportunity to informally hobnob with other collectors and see many rare and scarce Hess trucks and Hess-related memorabilia. It’s an event where you can bring your Hess Trucks for appraisals or just hang out and chat with other Hess Collectors. The show is held from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack, NJ. Parking is free. Admission: $8.00 per adu...

Saturday, October 19 – Bergen County Calico Frolic at Historic New Bridge Landing 6:30 - 9:00 pm     Join the Tricorne Dancers under the direction of dance mistress Denise Piccino in the great parlor room of the Steuben House in an evening of dancing and music from the colonial period with live music by Ridley and Anne Enslow on the fiddle and hammered dulcimer.  Basic dance steps and instruction will be provided throughout the evening. Enjoy seasonal refreshments and cider in the Dwelling Room between sets.     Period dress is welcome but not required.Admission: $15 for non-members and $12 Students and BCHS members.     For additional information visit the society’s website www.bergencountyhistory.org, email them at contactBCHS@bergencountyhistory.org, or call 201-343-9492 and leave a message.

Saturday, October 12 – Bergen County The Pascack Historical Society invites you to the  GRAND REOPENING of the newly redesigned John C. Storms Museum 19 Ridge Avenue, Park Ridge, N.J. Saturday, October 12 from 1-4 p.m. Ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome The Pascack Historical Society’s museum has been renovated to better tell the story of our Pascack Valley. Beginning in the Lenape Indian days, experience the colonial era, Victorian period, and early 20 th  century through thousands of artifacts in redesigned exhibits. The grand reopening will feature: ·        Cake and light refreshments ·        Museum tours all afternoon ·        Artifacts never before on exhibit ·        A new section on the colonial era ·        Ask the Answer Girl—live!

Saturday - Sunday  - Teterboro, Bergen County Open Cockpit Weekend The Aviation Hall of Fame announces an “Open Cockpit Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm each day. Visitors can check out the cockpits of some of our extraordinary aircraft, including a very rare Lockheed bush plane, a “M*A*S*H” Bell-47 helicopter, the world’s last remaining Martin 202 airliner, a TWA Convair 880 jetliner circa 1959, and sit in the cab of an airport fire truck. People, young and old can learn how the flight systems work. Qualified pilots will help guests understand the instruments and controls of these special aircraft. Admission: $12.00 adults, $9.00 seniors and children under 12, 2 and under are free.  Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State's distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. The men and women, whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought worldwide rec...