Berne Heritage Days - description

Berne Heritage Days will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day 2002 weekend, and plans are progressing very well. Our headquarters will be the Senior Citizen's Hall, 1360 Helderberg Trail, State Rt. 443, half way between Berne and East Berne. We are looking forward to meeting many of the project members of this site, fellow researchers and local residents.

The event is planned as a three-day event to bring together both local residents and descendants of Berne families from all over the United States who are interested in Berne history and genealogy of their Berne ancestors. Out-of-town visitors will be able to visit the actual site of their ancestors' farms, homes, churches and cemeteries. They will also be able to meet distant cousins and fellow researchers.

Costs: There will be no pre-registration fee, but a modest fee or donation will be requested at registration to cover our very low administrative.
Food: The Friday Banquet and Saturday barbeque require reservations. Please submit a pre-registration form.
Transportation: No transportation is available. If this would make it impossible for you to attend, let us know, and we will try to find someone you can ride with while in the area.
Accommodations: You will be on your own for accommodations, we have assembled a list of possible places that can be contacted through the Internet or the old fashioned way.

Listed here is the current program and proposed activities.


Friday, Aug. 30	· Registration (all day) at Heritage Days Center (Berne Senior Center)
	· Heritage Days Headquarters o Family Bibles, photograph albums, scrapbooks, etc. (bring to show and tell) o Exhibits: Old maps, arrowheads, etc, o Berne Genealogy: ancestor and descendant reports of YOUR family o Sales tables: Genealogy and area history books, church records, reproduction maps, souvenirs o Raffle item display and ticket sale o Food available all day - St. Bernadette's Catholic Church
	· Research Sessions o New York State Library and Archives, Albany, 9:30 am and 1:30 pm o Old Stone Fort Library and Museum, Schoharie, 10 am and 1:30 pm o LDS Family History Center, Central Bridge, 1:30 pm o Town of Berne Offices, 10 - noon and 1-3 pm
	· Genealogy Workshops o William Barker, Author of Early Families of Schoharie, 3 pm o Terry Shoultes, Researcher of Early Berne Families, 4 pm
	· Heritage Days Banquet at Center 6 pm - $10 - Reservations 872-0212 o Social Hour o Ham Dinner o Introduction of Honored Guests o Speaker: William Barker, author Early Families of Schoharie [and Berne]
Saturday, Aug 31	· Late registration and coffee hour at Senior Center 9 - 10 am
	· Heritage Days Center (all day, same as Friday without tutorial and banquet)
	· Berne Town Office and Library 9 - Noon; Museum 10 am - 3 pm o Story-telling based on historic events in Berne 10 am o Ice Cream social 1 - 3 pm
	· Garage Sales town-wide organized by Ladies Auxiliary - All day
	· Driving Tours of Historic Sites - Berne Historical Society - 10 am - 3 pm
	· Thompsons Lake Reformed Church o Maps for Driving Tours and Garage Sale localities o Sale tables: garage sale and donated, local history books, raffle tickets o Lunch and Bake Sale
	· Berne Town Park o Maps for Drive-it-Yourself Tours o Sale tables: garage sale, donated items, raffle tickets o Lunch and Bake Sale - Ladies Auxiliary o Spinning and weaving demonstration o Blacksmith, Tinsmith, and Shaker Cabinetmaker demonstration and sales o For the children: Old-fashioned games, 4 pm o Anti-Rent War presentation by the Hilltown Players, 4 pm o Native American Culture talk
	· Evening in the Park - $10 - Reservations requested 872-0212 o Barbeque, 5 pm o Raffle, 6 pm o Entertainment, 6 - 9 pm § Hilltown Ramblers § Christian Dance Group

Sunday, Sept 1	· Church Services
	· Restoration of Pine Grove Cemetery, 10 am - 1173 Helderberg Trail
	· Cover-dish community picnic, 2 pm - 1136 Helderberg Trail