Living History August 2003

Dayton, Ohio: Flying High

Commemorate 100 years of aviation July 3-20 at Inventing Flight The Centennial Celebration in the Wright brothers’ hometown. Deeds Point, a 12-acre park overlooking downtown Dayton, will be “Celebration Central” with family entertainment and educational, hands-on exhibits: Learn what set the Wright brothers apart from their contemporaries, and imagine the future of flight. At the Dayton Art Institute, you can examine never-before-seen Wright photographs. Then, travel back to Orville and Wilbur’s time at four Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Parks, offering a glimpse into the lives of the Wright brothers and Dayton native and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Be a part of aviation history at the International Blimp Meet, the world’s largest convening of blimps, at the United States Air Force Museum. And marvel at modern-day flight technology at the Dayton Air Show. For event details, call (937) 222-0065 or visit <www.inventingflight.com>.

Petersburg, Illinois: Story Time

Grab a seat on a bale of hay and perk up your ears for the Prairie Tales Storytelling Festival, Aug. 2-3 at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, a reconstruction of the log village where President Lincoln lived as a young man. Each day, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., nationally acclaimed storytellers will present traditional tales the whole family will enjoy. And audience members will have a chance to share their own stories on an open stage. The event is free, but a $2 donation is requested. Call (217) 632-4000 or visit <www.lincolnsnewsalem.com> for more information.

Santa Barbara, California: A Taste Of France

Celebrate Bastille Day weekend with crepes, crafts and cancan at the 16th annual French Festival, July 12-13. Set in Oak Park, this event features sidewalk cafes, arts and crafts, classic French automobiles and the Poodle Parade. There’s food for all tastes, including fresh-baked pastries, quiche, Moroccan couscous and, of course, Perrier and Orangina. Musicians and dancers will perform everything from folk music to Edith Piaf tributes, cancan to Moroccan belly dance. And don’t miss the Femmes Fatales Drag Revue. For details about this free event, call (805) 564-7274 or visit <www.frenchfestival.com>.

Salmon, Idaho: Tribute to a Trailblazer

Be one of the first family historians to check out the new Sacajawea Interpretive Center as it celebrates its grand opening Aug. 15-17 with Sacajawea Heritage Days. Try traditional Lemhi Shoshone foods, enter Native American dance and fiddling contests, and watch arts and crafts demonstrations. Re-enactments, historical presentations and tours of the center will occur throughout the weekend. On Sunday, you can hike along the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail with area guides. Call the Sacajawea Interpretive Center at (208) 756-1188 or the Salmon Valley Chamber of Commerce at (800) 727-2540 for details.

Shawnee, Kansas: Picturing the Path

During the mid-1800s, hundreds of thousands of farmers, gold seekers and families migrated from Missouri to California in wagon trains. Now, you can follow their path through pictures at the Johnson County Museum of History. Before Aug. 10, the museum will host Overland: The California Emigrant Trail, a traveling exhibit of 64 modern photographs of the migrants’ route. See the eroded ruts, graves and wagon remains along the trail, as well as the campgrounds and golf courses that now punctuate this historic highway. You can also read excerpts from emigrants’ diaries and popular 19th-century guidebooks. To learn more about this exhibit, call (913) 631-6709 or visit <www.jocomuseum.org/history.htm>.

Ketchum & Sun Valley, Idaho: Get Hitched

Discover the Wood River Valley’s rich mining history at Wagon Days, Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The highlight of the celebration is the Big Hitch Parade, featuring more than a hundred buggies, carriages, buckboards and carts — plus the Wagon Days Big Hitch, a group of ore wagons powered by a 16-draft mule jerkline. The weekend festivities continue with shootout re-enactments and three antiques fairs. Children will enjoy a street dance, carnival and one-mile rubber-duck race down the Big Wood River. For event details, call (800) 634-3347 or visit <www.visitsunvalley.com>.

From the August 2003 Family Tree Magazine