History Alive!
Celebrate Hillsborough with History Alive 2025
Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 9:30 to 4:30
At Historic Hillsborough Center
27 East Washington Road, Hillsborough NH
Sponsored by the Hillsborough Historical Society
You are invited to a town-wide gathering, to participate in, display or support our great town and its fascinating past.
Third and Sixth grade students from HDSD will visit the Center on Thursday and Friday mornings, 5/29 and 5/30, touring the historic homes, structures and locations as well as participating in many fun and creative activities, including blacksmith demonstrations by Garry Kalajian, stenciling, music provided by Silentwoods Collective, a school demonstration, storytelling via art with Marek Bennett, farm animals, spoon whittling by Suzy Knicely, beekeeping and home arts by Beeskep Cottage and more.
On Saturday, the free event will feature all the above as well as art created by HDSD students, workshops conducted by Marek Bennett for all ages, special concerts by Silentwoods Collective, a reenactment of the hit play “Fire in the Belfrey”, storytelling, games, a scavenger hunt, raffle, an exciting early settler wilderness survival adventure conducted by Ron Morin of the New England Trappers Association, contests and more. Many have already committed to participate with fun and informative tent displays (see below)
All are invited to
- Pitch a pop-up and display your family history, historic home or structure, business or association/group, village, farm or other endeavor via photos, postcards, souvenirs, scrapbooks, mementos, antiques or other fascinating connections to the town
- Tell your story about your family, business, church, volunteer activities, growing up in Hillsborough, restoring your home or business in group conversations occurring throughout the day in the historic Center Club
- Create a poster or storyboard about any of the above at a workshop held at Fuller library, Friday afternoons in the month of April
- Support the event financially or with a donation to be raffled off to lucky visitors to the event.
- Volunteer now or during any of the three days to help organize and conduct the activities.
This event is a continuation of the great tradition, the Living History Event (LHE) begun in 2008 by a large group of volunteers which continued its successful run until 2018. History Alive continued in 2019 and has managed the Jones Road mid-August reenactments as originally conceived, since that time. Hillsborough Center continued as a site through 2022. Kemp Park was added in 2024 for the 250th Anniversary Celebration. Two years ago, HDSD approved a collaboration with History Alive to allow certain grades to participate in end of year field trips to enhance their understanding of local and US history. In June 2024, Kemp Park was the site of this successful experiment and Hillsborough Center is featured this spring.
Information and updates about the event can be found on the historyalivenh.org website, as well as the History Alive NH Facebook page. Any questions can be directed to [email protected].
Come learn about our town and neighborhoods at a fun-filled, educational and fascinating event.
See you there!
