Celebrate Court & Market Days this Saturday at the Farmers’ Market

The unique history and agricultural roots of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg, VA. will be celebrated a bit differently this year. The annual Court Days festival, held each June, also has a new name this time around: Court & Market Days.

The Saturday, June 6 festival activities will be held at the Downtown Harrisonburg Farmers Market located at the Turner Pavilion and Park. This year’s festival hours are 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“It’s a great pairing, where people coming to shop at the farmers market can come to the event — people that come to the event can come over to the market,” says Kris Ludwig, Special Events Manager at Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

There is no cost to attend the event, which is geared toward families and people of all ages. Ludwig explained that re-enactors from the 1850s will make visitors think they have stepped into Harrisonburg as it was in the mid-1800s. Visitors can enjoy a walking tour of historic Harrisonburg, and visit with old friends and neighbors as they mingle with the costumed characters from the 1850s.

“The are some activities that will almost guide you on a tour of downtown. So you can learn about the history of Harrisonburg,” Ludwig says. “We have a walking tour that will be happening. We’ll also have mini-lectures. There’s a wonderful passport program for children, where they have a little booklet and they go around to different artisans and they find different buildings and fill out their passport in order to win a prize. So its a great way to learn about Harrisonburg and take some tours of the town and not just from the park area.”

Court & Market Days features a play called “Dog Days at Town Council.”  The play offers a bit of humor along with history and will be performed by the Valley Players in the city council chambers. The script has been created directly from original Harrisonburg City Council minutes that date back to the 1850s.  

Other activities include games for children, music and dancing, as well as horse and carriage rides, which will occur about every 15 or 20 minutes throughout the entire event.  Along with arts and crafts vendors and the farmers market vendors, there will be plenty of food available.

The market offers a wide variety of locally-grown produce, including fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, bedding plants and shrubs for landscaping, and fresh-cut flowers. In addition, visitors will find home-baked breads and cookies, cheeses, honey, fruit pies, brown eggs, pastured chicken, beef, and lamb and much more.

Local and regional artisans will be on hand to demonstrate historic arts known in contemporary society as the southern decorative arts. These talented artisans create objects and goods that were used daily in the 1850s. 

At Court & Market Days, a variety of artisans and craftsmen will display heritage skills such as textile-making and spinning, pottery, oil painting, furniture making, wood-turning, engraving and gun-stocking.

For people visiting Harrisonburg from out of town, there will be signs from the Interstate 81 that guide the route to the downtown area. From I-81, take Exit 245 (Port Republic Road). Turn right onto Main Street (U.S. Rt. 11) and travel north until the Municipal Building appears on the left. Watch for signs. Free parking is available in the Water Street parking deck and the municipal lot on Liberty Street.

  

For more information, visit www.courtdaysfestival.org or call (540) 432-8922.

Eddie on Volunteers (May 2009)

Q: How involved are volunteers with HDR and downtown revitalization?

A: Although HDR has a dedicated staff, the support and time of volunteers are essential to the success of the revitalization effort. In March of this year, Virginia Main Street recognized the more than 45,000 hours of time given over the last five years by volunteers serving on committees, helping with events, and assisting with special projects. This is a very impressive figure and clearly demonstrates the level of commitment from our community.

For example, on April 11, 14 people gave their Saturday morning to refurbish planters, clean sidewalk medalions, remove graffiti and man a display table for Blacks Run/Downtown Cleanup Day.

A special thanks goes out to Melanie Woodard, Rodney Williams, Stacy Turner, Charlie Strickler, Leigh Osborne, Oksana Naunenko, Troy Milliken, Steve Knickrehm, Don Kidd, Tom Clayton, Jessica Chase, Bucky Berry and Becky Bartells for volunteering for this project. I wish to thank not only each of you, but all of our committed volunteers for what you do to make downtown a vibrant and attractive city center.

Want to help?

Volunteers are needed for the following events:

• Court and Market Days Festival – June 6
• Fridays on the Square – every Friday beginning June 5
• Valley 4th – July 4

Downtown Events Receive a Makeover in the New Year

We mentioned in an earlier post about planned changes to the Tour of Virginia (Seven Projects to Be Excited About in 2009), which include keeping the bicycle races entirely in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and holding professional and community races from the downtown to Reddish Knob. Tour organizers are still looking to secure a title sponsor for that event, and you’ll hear it here as soon as we hear more.

Other changes to recently formed events are planned for this year.  This year, Court Days Festival is reinventing itself as the Court and Market Days Festival with events centrally located around the Downtown Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market. Like in years past, this June event will feature historic reenactments and culture from 1850’s Shenandoah Valley, with an eye this year toward the area’s living tradition of the central farmers’ market. Expect 19th century traditions like shape note singing and a traveling medicine show to share space with modern craftsmen and musicians in this unique one-day festival.

As always, HDR needs volunteers to serve on event committees and day-of-event volunteers, as well as sponsors. Please contact Kris Ludwig if you can assist in anyway with the Tour of Virginia, Court Days Festival, or any of our other Spring or Summer events. 540.432.8922 or krisl@harrisonburgva.gov.