Article Text
Butterflies, bubbles, hayrides, baby animals and living-history demonstrations will fill Historic Blenheim during the annual Fairfax HisTree Day on Saturday, April 26.
The free, family-friendly event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3610 Blenheim Blvd. in Fairfax. It combines Earth Day activities with presentations, crafts and tours exploring local history.
A butterfly tent will make its debut this year. Visitors can also create Earth Day-themed quilt squares, blow sustainable bubbles, decorate cookies, climb on straw bales, pet farm animals and take family hayrides.
Guided tours of the Blenheim property will be available. An interactive Enviroscape model will demonstrate how development and pollution affect waterways, while other activities will explain stormwater-management technology and offer guidance on caring for plants and soil.
History demonstrations will feature a weaver, quilter, blacksmith, carpenter, brickmaker, naturalist and photographer. Josh Young will portray a traveling 19th-century magician, and Michael Mescher will teach parlor and children’s games from the period.
The Lady Time Travelers will present lessons about African American schooling. George Mason University’s 8th Regiment Green Machine Band will perform and lead the 28th Massachusetts Infantry Co. B.
Visitors can also meet a portrayal of an early 19th-century scientist and examine preserved specimens. Melanie La Force will portray Civil War-era nurse Mary Morris Husband, the first nurse to personally appeal to President Abraham Lincoln for clemency on behalf of soldiers wrongfully accused of desertion.
Children can watch a Punch and Judy puppet show, a well-known production with roots in Maryland. Food vendors will also be onsite.
Parking at Historic Blenheim is limited to accessible spaces. Other visitors are encouraged to use the free shuttle from Fairfax High School or walk from Daniels Run Elementary School.