Cooking biscuits on a stick during a ‘Blast to the 1830s Past’ pioneer activity in April of 2022.
Making rope during a school presentation.
A special California Heritage Days event has been organized for later this month, and participants can experience what life was like in the early days of California history.
Hands-on activities for all ages, demonstrations by skilled historic artisans, early pioneer style food sampling, and entertainment will bring history to life. The event is family friendly and free to everyone.
The one day event will be held on Saturday, July 30, from 9AM to noon. The location is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1080 E Yosemite Ave in Merced. The parking lot adjacent to the Family History Center is the meeting place to begin the day.
Heading up the Heritage Days is a group of California Living History Specialists who regularly visit 4th grade classes to speak on California history and give demonstrations of skills used in daily life in California’s pioneer days. Gold panning, “Load your Wagon,” Biscuit on a Stick, and Laundry on the Trail are some of the demonstrations in which attendees can take part.
A youth square dancing group and Mexican folk dancers will perform. Music will include a woodwind quintet, “The Valley Tradewinds,” Soloist Roberta Seno, 60-90’s rock hits from the group formerly known as “Wayfinder,” and Tim Davenport on the harmonica.
Other demonstrations and activities for all ages, include butter making, horse shoes, three legged races, water duck shooting, leather working, quilting, candle making, and square dancing. Crowd favorites are the Rain Gutter Regatta and the excitement of a “Pony Express” rider making a delivery.
A display of the Native American Miwuk tribal language and English translations by Tim Davenport will be available. Attendees can learn to count to ten in Miwuk. Davenport is active in preserving the language of the Southern Sierra Miwuk tribal language. With only three native speakers, language classes are held twice monthly in Mariposa at the American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Muwuu Mati building.
A Discovery booth will let participants trace their roots to ancestors through the free FamilySearch.org genealogy website. For information on how to expand the search for ancestors, volunteer Family History consultants will be available with all resources inside the Family History Center.
A BBQ lunch starting at 11AM with ribs, beans, corn bread, salad, home made root beer and snow cones will finish out the California Heritage Days.
Attendees will feel immersed into the history and rich heritage of pioneers and settlers that started what has become the great state of California.