Weekend Winner: Mark Twain Days
Dateline: 07/15/98
Calling all frog jumpers! (And anyone who'd love to treat the family to a wonderful, old-fashioned time this weekend.) Mark Twain Days comes to Hartford, Connecticut, July 18 and 19, and with a Wild West Show, frog-jumping and fence-painting contests, storytelling, music, and other assorted Twain-inspired mayhem, you're sure to revel in the fun and frolic of summertime the way one of America's best-loved authors would have celebrated it himself.
Mark Twain, the beloved American author with his tongue almost perpetually stuck in his cheek, made Hartford his home from 1874 to 1891. While living in Hartford, Twain penned some of his most famous novels, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and The Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
This weekend's third annual celebration of Mark Twain Days features events at three Hartford sites: Bushnell Park, the Mark Twain House at Nook Farm, and on the riverfront.
Highlights include free evening concerts in Bushnell Park by Livingston Taylor, Odetta, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; a daytime Wild West Show in Bushnell Park in tribute to Twain's years on the American frontier and the cowboy and Native American storytellers who inspired him; and many interactive exhibits that reflect the late 19th century world in which Twain resided, including a Civil War encampment. Also, from noon until 5 p.m. each day, tours of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, the oldest Civil War monument in the U.S., will be available.
Hartford's Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
in Bushnell Park. Photo by your New England for Visitors Guide, Kim Knox.
While you're in Hartford, you'll want to tour Mark Twain's home,
which is part of the Nook Farm complex which also houses the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
and the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society. Special events at the historic residence
planned in conjunction with the festival include croquet matches, readings of Twain's
works, tarot card readings, a Punch and Judy puppet show, and portrayals by actors of
characters from Twain's America.
At the riverfront, you'll find games, contests, music, and activities designed to recreate
the feel of an 1890s St. Louis fair. Plus, don't miss the riverboat rides!
If you're going, The Hartford Courant has a complete
schedule of events available online and has also compiled a list of where to dine while
you're in Hartford. For any other information you'll need to plan your visit, call the Mark Twain House at
(860) 247-0998. Or, since I live in the Hartford area, feel free to email me and I'll be glad to help you
make the most of your weekend.
For more on Mark Twain, visit The Mining Co.'s Mark Twain site.
Also this weekend...
The 51st annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival wraps up this weekend in Fort Fairfield, Maine. Did you know that potato plants have beautiful white, pink, or lavender flowers? Join in the celebration of one of Maine's most important crops with more than 85 events! For more information, call the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at (207) 472-3802.
The Vermont Quilt Festival is July 17 to 19 in Northfield, Vermont. See hundreds of beautiful, hand-crafted quilts at one of America's oldest quilt events. Call (802) 485-7092 for information.
Reggae fans won't want to miss the largest free reggae festival in the U.S., the Vermont Reggae Festival, on Saturday, July 18 in Hardwick, Vermont. A weekend-long camping pass is $50, or, if you just want to enjoy the music for the day, parking is available at the festival site for $25 per car. Call (802) 862-3092 for more information.
The first annual Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, Maine, concludes this weekend. The Film Festival features a variety of American and foreign independent films, plus films made in Maine. Call (207) 861-8138 for more information.
...Enjoy!!
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