EVENT IS A DAY FULL OF FUN, FOOD AND ART FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO ENJOY
The Conrad Weiser Park and Homestead is a beautiful Pennsylvania state historic site in Berks County that interprets the life of Conrad Weiser. Weiser was an 18th century German immigrant who served as an Indian interpreter and who helped coordinate Pennsylvania’s Indian policy. He played a major role in the history of colonial Pennsylvania.
The Conrad Weiser Homestead sits on 26 acres of land located at 28 Weiser Lane, Womelsdorf, PA 19567. This is all the acreage that is left of the original 900 acres of land that Conrad Weiser owned in the 18th century. Seven total buildings exist on the property; three are open for touring. Two large monuments, a gazebo, the Weiser Family Cemetery, and a pond are also on the site. Two picnic areas are present in the western section of the park and can be utilized at any time without reservation. The park is an attractive venue to walk, run, or play Frisbee and public restroom facilities are available.
The property is currently owned by the state of Pennsylvania. As with most of the historical landmarks in the state, the government funding has been so drastically cut, that in 2008, the two state employees were removed from the historic area and it was closed to the public. Through a management agreement with the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission (PHMC), a group of volunteers, the Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead, are now responsible for operating the Historic Area.
The Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead is a not-for-profit community group that supports the Conrad Weiser Homestead. The Homestead relies on funds from Friends’ memberships, donations and sales from their bookstore to help fund the programming that is done at the Homestead each year. The Friends group is responsible for sponsoring most special events on site such as lectures, living history, reenactments, candlelight tours, etc. It also provides much needed funding on site for special projects and provides volunteers for events.
To help raise money, the Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead (www.conradweiserhomestead.org) has joined together with the Artisans In The Park Organization, Inc. (www.ArtisansInThePark.com) to bring you a great annual event that takes place the first Saturday in May. The 3rd annual Artisans In The Park Spring Show will take place on Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9 am to 4 pm at the beautiful Conrad Weiser Homestead. The funds raised through this event have helped the “Friends” to update old equipment, invest into their programming and help them to make improvements and repairs to the buildings and grounds in order to keep the park open to the public.
The Artisans In The Park Organization, Inc is formed by people that share a love of history and want to aid in its preservation. They organize and promote community fundraisers for historical landmarks in the form of art shows and festivals. By showcasing a variety of handmade art, they are able to donate a portion of the event proceeds directly to the hosting organization in an effort to help preserve history for generations to come. All of their wonderful events are admission free and take place rain or shine.
This year’s Spring Show Gold Partner is the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen. The Spring Show Silver Partners are Freas Farm Winery, Ebersole Auto, Robesonia Redware and Fulton Bank. Organizer Michelle Pearson ([email protected]) said the event will showcase the skills of several artisans including pottery, body & household products, wood carvings, paper art, glass art, furniture, fiber art, hooked and penny rugs, paper mache, metal art, jewelry, blacksmith, photography and much more! Pearson said that the show will include an expanded food area with mouthwatering Chicken, Pork and Brisket BBQ, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Chicken Noodle Soup, Soft Pretzels, Kettlecorn, decadent candy and warm nuts, delicious farm to table wine from Freas Farm Winery, hot and cold drinks from The Perkup Truck and more. There will be several live artist demonstrations and beautiful music from Cathleen Hollen and Bodhi’s Ransom throughout the park all day. The Conrad Weiser Homestead Visitor Center and bookstore will be open to the public and tours of the buildings and land will be going on throughout the day. It is a great opportunity to find out about the amazing programs and events that are held at the Homestead throughout the year.
For more details on the Artisans In The Park events or the advertising or volunteer opportunities that are available, visit the website www.ArtisansInThePark.com, follow Artisans In The Park on Facebook or contact Michelle Pearson at [email protected]. This is a community event you do not want to miss!
