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...

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, 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.

Sunday, July 21 - River Edge, Bergen County Summertime Tours and Kite Flying On Sunday, Historic New Bridge Landing will be open for tours. Visit Bergen County's Premier Historic Site. All 3 Jersey-Dutch sandstone houses, including the Steuben House, a state historic site, are connected by an ADA compliant gravel walking path. The Westervelt-Thomas Barn will be open. Take-away kite making project included for children and kite flying in the Meadow if conditions are right. Admission: $12 adults, $7 students, BCHS members free.  Historic New Bridge Landing is located at 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ. Free parking available or take a train on the Pascack Valley Line from Secaucus via NJ Transit to the New Bridge Landing Train stop.  For more information, visit  www.bergencountyhistory.org .

Sunday, May 19 – Bergen County Pinkster Fest A Jersey Dutch Celebration of Spring Sunday, May 19, 2019, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Experience history in one of the storied places where it was made! Pinkster is celebrated with a Maypole Dance at 1:30 & 3:00 pm with a participation session during the country dances. Ridley and Anne Enslow are featured on fiddle and hammered dulcimer. In the outkitchen, cooks will be naturally dying eggs for Pinkster and making oliebollen, Dutch Donuts. This event features children’s games. All 3 Jersey-Dutch sandstone houses, including the Steuben House, a state historic site, are open and connected by an ADA compliant gravel walking path. Weather permitting the Westervelt-Thomas Barn will be open. Free parking is available or take a train on the Pascack Valley Line from Secaucus via NJ Transit to the "New Bridge Landing" train stop. Walk one block north & east. By car, HNBL is only 7 miles from the GWB. Historic New Bridge Landing: An American ...

Thursday, February 28 – Bergen County BCHS Lecture Series: Women's Fierce Fight for the Vote by Penny Colman at 7:30 pm at Steuben House, River Edge, NJ Penny Colman will present an  illustrated program about Women's Fierce Fight for the Vote. Penny Colman is the author of award-winning biographies and social histories. Her intriguing topics range from Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II to Thanksgiving: The True Story. A popular speaker, Penny has appeared on television, radio, including National Public Radio, and on Book TV, C-Span2. The lecture takes place in the 18th century State Historic Site, the Steuben House. 1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ. No charge. Please join us for refreshments at the conclusion.

Sunday, February 24 – Bergen County Washington's Birthday 287th Anniversary - A Country Ball    Dance mistress Denise Piccino  and the Tricorne Dancers will give two one-hour public performances in the Steuben House at 1:30 and 3:00 pm.  Ridley & Anne Enslow  will provide musical accompaniment on fiddle and hammered dulcimer. Throughout the afternoon, Rodger Yaden  will portray General George Washington. Hot cider and crullers will be served in the restored 18th-century tavern in the Campbell-Christie House, where our gift shop is also located. Visitors may also see open-hearth cooking demonstrated in the Out-Kitchen featuring items that General Washington might have eaten during his stay at New Bridge in 1780 and recipes from Martha's cookbook. Re-enactors from the 3rd New Jersey Regiment will demonstrate military life. Activities for children include soldier drills, sewing take-away project & scavenger hunt.      The Needl...