Fall Events Update by Megan Buro

Megan Buro, Marketing Coordinator

Being the Texan I am, I am a huge fan of George Strait, and the other day I heard one of his older songs “Chill of an Early Fall.”  Boy, I am ready for fall and like many others I have talked to, they are as well!  Fall to me, with the leaves changing color, is a beautiful time of the year, but it seems to also be a busy time of the year with school starting back up, fall sports, holidays, etc.  In last week’s article Helen Belcher talked about our summer programming at the Museum.  Well, we are not slowing down, and have plenty of exciting events taking place the next couple of months; opportunities for the community to come experience the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.  Here is a brief overview of what is happening around the Museum grounds.

 

As mentioned last week, Bear Bend Cabin was a popular spot this summer, so we have lined up several new educational events that will take place in the early evenings beginning at 4:00pm to allow families to bring their kids after school.  Our first event “Upstrokes, Downstrokes, Curlicues:  The Art of the Signature” will occur on Thursday, September 20^th; one can learn about famous autographs, the debate about Sam Houston’s signature, and even make your own mark using a quill pen and ink.  Then October 4^th stop by Bear Bend for “At Home in a Revolution” to discover the Texas Revolution from the home front perspective.  Visitors will have the chance to learn about the Texas militia, home defense, and the role women and children played in the revolution.  Next up, in time for Halloween, will be a “Pumpkin Carving Contest” on Thursday, October 25^th.   All you have to do is bring your own pumpkin and tools, carve your pumpkin during the allotted time, and prizes will be handed out.  On November 4^th instead of meeting at Bear Bend, we will gather at Eliza’s Kitchen, located next to the historic Woodland Home, for a “Harvest Festival.”  Come assist and sample in the process of cooking a meal in 19^th century Texas.  We will be using foods from the Museum’s very own gardens and preparing dishes that would have been familiar to Sam, Margaret, and the Houston family.

Turning to our exhibits department, “Running For Office:  Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman” is currently on display at the Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center, and will be until September 23^rd.  The next exhibit will be the “2012 Photo Contest,” which opens Monday, October 15^th with an evening reception.  This is our third year to sponsor the photo contest, and the exhibit consists of all photos entered in the contest.  It is a wonderful exhibit showcasing the talent of not only local amateur photographers, but as well as photographers from all over the world.  At the opening reception, we will honor all the photographers, as well as, present the winners with their prizes.  The exhibit itself will be on display until December 14, 2012.

The month of October is designated by the Texas Historical Commission as “Texas Archeology Month.”  To celebrate this, we will be hosting Texas Parks and Wildlife archeologist Luis Alavardo on the evening of Wednesday, October 10^th.  Mr. Alvarado will be discussing the recent survey that was completed on Devil’s River State Natural Area in Del Rio, Texas.

Now do not fret if you can not make our events during the week, we do have things occurring on the weekends.  During the months of September, October, and November there is some type of demonstration taking place on the grounds .  The schedule follows:  the first Saturday of the month is spinning & weaving, second Saturday is Cherokee culture and crafts, third Sunday is kick wheel pottery making, and the fourth Saturday includes two demonstrations, blacksmithing and woodworking.  All these demonstrators then come together the first Saturday of December (this year it is December 1^st) for our Houston Family Christmas.  Santa Claus will also be with us that day and you can enjoy holiday goodies from Eliza’s Kitchen.  In addition, this year we will also be opening the historic Woodland Home to allow the public to look inside, since this was the Houston’s family home, it is only fitting that we do this during Houston Family Christmas! 

For more information pertaining to these events (details and exact times), visit the Museum’s website: www.samhouston.memorial.museum, “LIKE” us on Facebook, or call us at 936-294-1832.  Also check out Best Bets in the Huntsville Item as well.