NH at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Themes - Celebrate Our History

People in New Hampshire understand the importance of history and the importance of remembering it, learning from it, and preserving it. There is a respect for history and the accomplishments of the people who came before us. This respect extends to ordinary people like the early farmers who cleared bolder strewn land, built stone walls, and survived long winters-to eloquent writers and scholars like Daniel Webster – and to former presidents like Franklin Pierce.

Overview | A Day at the Festival | Program Book | Image Gallery | Themes | Participants, Presenters & Staff

Like many New Hampshire
farm museums, Musterfield Farm
in North Sutton preserves historic
buildings and traditional farm skills,
such as plowing, gardening,
quilting, rug making, and cooking.

There is also a passion for preserving historic buildings-homes, barns, town halls, churches, and covered bridges. This work is championed by a variety of public and private organizations and the good will of many New Hampshire citizens.

At the same time, New Hampshire has a thirst to pursue national and global prominence in business and technology. Today, family-run farms exist side-by-side with business on the cutting edge of computer technology. The challenge for New Hampshire citizens is to find a balance that allows the state to maintain its unique traditions and cultural outlook, while at the same time, face the future with creativity and flexibility.

This theme was added for the 2000 Celebrate New Hampshire Festival and featured a variety of New Hampshire-based organizations, museums and individuals who are dedicated to preserving and presenting aspects of New Hampshire history. Exhibits focused upon New Hampshire's Native American heritage, early colonial history, and the evolution of farming equipment, modes of early transportation, and the contributions of civic groups over time.

Fort at No. 4 staff
came to Celebrate
New Hampshire
festival to explain
New Hampshire's
Revolutionary War
history.

Organizations that presented in this area of the festival were:

• Concord Coach Society
• Fort at No. 4
• The Flying Yankee (train} Restoration Group
• Girl Scouts of Swift Water Council
• R.P. Hale (Colonial calligraphy & music)
• Heritage New Hampshire
• Winnipesaukee Antiques Association
• Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum
• New Hampshire Farm Museum