The Berks County Parks and Recreation Department is excited to announce the return of programming after more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to several programs this weekend, the Epler’s One Room Schoolhouse at the Berks County Heritage Center will open for the first time to the public on Saturday, July 17, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
The Parks and Recreation Department will be giving a historic walking tour of the grounds of the Berks County Heritage Center on Saturday, July 17, starting at 1 p.m. The tour will highlight many of the still existing farm buildings as well as the on-site historical features and attractions. The tour will be led by Jim Ohlinger, a Heritage Center volunteer who lived at the site in the 1940s-1950s. The tour is free, but registration is required by Friday, July 16. To register, contact Daniel Roe, Historic Resource Supervisor, at [email protected] or 610-374-8839, ext. 201.
The Berks County Heritage Center will also host a Civil War Living History Encampment on Saturday, July 17 from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday, July 18 from 11 AM to 3 PM. The event gives a glimpse of what life was like for Civil War soldiers thanks to members of the 53rd Pennsylvania reenactment unit. Displays will be held throughout the day with firing and drilling demonstrations at 11 AM and 2 PM on Saturday, July 17, and at 1 PM on Sunday, July 18.
Visitors are also invited to walk through the camp to speak with the reenactors and stop by the surgeon’s tent to learn about how medical practices changed because of the war. The event is free and open to the public.For a full list of events in July, including programs about campfires, canals, creeks and beautiful bats, please see the attached PDF. Please also join us in celebrating Park and Recreation Professionals Day on Friday, July 16. Learn more at www.prps.org/parkrecday and share your love of parks and support of local professionals on social media with the hashtag #ParkandRecDay.
