Pinkster, A Jersey Dutch Celebration at Historic New Bridge Landing

The Bergen County Historical Society invites you to Pinkster, a Jersey Dutch Celebration welcoming spring, on Sunday, May 18, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM at Historic New Bridge Landing, located at 1201 Main Street, River Edge, New Jersey.

The day’s festivities include maypole dances by The Tricorne Dance Ensemble, under the direction of dance mistress Denise Piccino, at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM. The ensemble will also perform a selection of 18th-century dances throughout the afternoon, accompanied by Ridley and Anne Enlsow playing the fiddle and hammered dulcimer. Children are welcome and encouraged to join the dancers around the maypole.

Muriel Roberts will present and pour a ceremonial libation honoring ancestors, following African traditions that emphasize remembering those who came before us.

At 2:30 PM, independent scholar and author Marty Campanelli will present a lecture, “This Work of Mine the World May View,” in the Steuben House. She’ll talk about New Jersey samplers created from the late 1700s through the mid-1800s, highlighting regional styles, known schools and teachers, and the personal stories behind the young makers. Campanelli will also discuss a sampler recently acquired by the Bergen County Historical Society, which will be on display.

Tour the historic 1752 Steuben House to see a new exhibit featuring selections from BCHS’s collection of girls’ needlework, including samplers by local young women. Among the highlights is a recently acquired sampler stitched by Elizabeth Zabriskie, who appears to have lived in the Steuben House around 1819. Beth Harpell of The Lost Art Lacers will also be demonstrating the intricate craft of lacemaking inside the Steuben House.

Stop by the Westervelt-Thomas Barn for a broom-making demonstration, and visit the onsite blacksmith to see what he’s creating. In the out-kitchen, BCHS interpreters will be naturally dyeing eggs with vegetables commonly grown in colonial gardens and preparing seasonal 18th-century recipes, including wheat bread with flavored butters, jumbles, and Spanish cake made with orange and almonds.

Refreshments — including donuts and lemonade — will be available for purchase in the tavern, and the gift shop will be open.

Family activities include a take-home craft project, colonial games, and the Society’s QR Code-based History Scavenger Challenge.

For ticket reservations and more information, visit www.bergencountyhistory.org, email [email protected], or call 201-343-9492 and leave a message.