Erie’s Heritage Festival

What is the Festival?
Erie’s Heritage Festival - known locally as “The Last Blast of Summer” – returns again on September 11th as the Lake Erie Region’s popular community enrichment event. Erie’s Heritage Festival is a day-long cultural event featuring music and artistic demonstrations performed by local musicians and artists. The event concludes with a summer Pops performance by the Erie Philharmonic closing with a dramatic presentation of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever – complete with cannon fire, church bells, and Zambelli fireworks.

Who is participating in the festival?
Visitors will enjoy music on the main stage from the Young People’s Chorus of Erie, Ahimsa Beat, and the Erie Philharmonic.  The world stage will be filled with performers such as Ballet Folklorico, Parks Tae Kwon Do, the Wiwaty Polish Dancers, Erie Youtheatre Showstoppers, and Rince Na Tiarna Dance Troupe.  Additionally, there will be tents demonstrating both ethnic and heritage arts and crafts, living history exhibits, and local organizations such as the Erie Zoo.

When is the festival?
Guests can come to the festival starting at 12pm to view the open rehearsal of the Erie Philharmonic.  All other activities open at 2pm.  The festival ends at 9pm with music, cannon fire, and fireworks.

Where is the festival?
The festival is held at Liberty Park, Erie, Pa.  If you are using a GPS device, you can use this local address: 726 West Bayfront Parkway Erie, PA 16507.

How much is festival admission?
Erie’s Heritage Festival is free with your donation.  We are asking each person, family and group to drop a buck in the bucket as they enter the event.  These donations will help to pay for the performances and demonstrations enjoyed by everyone at the festival.

Erie’s Heritage Festival is presented by the Erie County Historical Society, WQLN, and Erie Insurance.

The Lake Erie Pirates Visit The Watson Curtze Mansion, August 21st

The Watson Curtze Mansion, at 356 West Sixth Street, is holding a children’s event titled Mutiny at the Mansion on August 21st, from 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.

The Erie County Historical Society is teaming up with our friends the Lake Erie Pirates for this four hour interactive event. Children ages 5-13 are invited to learn how to be a pirate. Some of the activities they will participate in include learning how to dress like a pirate, sword fighting techniques, and many tall tales from the pirating world. Additionally, all student pirates will have a chance to visit the Erie Planetarium to learn how to navigate their ships by using the stars!

This is a unique experience for children to have an up close and personal encounter with their favorite pirate characters.

All participating children need to preregister by August 15th. Space is limited. Admission to the Mutiny at the Mansion event is $10 for members, $12 for non-members for participating children. To register for the Mutiny at the Mansion event, call 454-1813 ext 0. Visit eriecountyhistory.org for more information.

The tours were developed and will be given by long-time member of the Historical Society and avid genealogist, Caroline Reichel.

Tickets are required and can be purchased for $8.00 per adult and $4.00 per child ages 4-12. Call (814) 454-1813 x0 to make a reservation.

The series consists of six different tours:

May 16 – Famous Women of Erie
Discover who was called Erie’s Grand Old Lady, Erie’s leading hostess, First Horticulturalist, and more. Join us on this walking tour and learn all about these women and others.

June 20 – Military Men from Erie
Learn about the men that fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and Spanish American War. Col. Seth Reed, Brig. Gen. Strong Vincent, Gen. Thomas Walker, and Dr. Wallace Hunter are just a few of the military gravesites that will be visited on this tour.

July 18 – Famous Erie Families
This 1.5-hour walking tour includes visits to the gravesites of the following families – the Curtzes, the Jareckis, the Beckers, the Burtons, the McBriers and other famous Erie families and their interesting stories.

August 15 – Erie Cemetery Mausoleums
If you want to find out about the people who are entombed in the mausoleums in the Erie Cemetery, then join us on this guided walking tour and hear about the lives of Matthew H. Taylor, Jerome F. Downing, John C. Brady, Edward W. Constable and others.

September 19 – Famous Erieites
Take a tour of Erie Cemetery and learn about some of the interesting people laid to rest behind the wrought iron gates. People like Dr. John Carter, Melvin Lovell, Isaac Gara, Andrew Jackson Koehler, Rev. Adolph Benze and other famous Erieites will be discussed.

October 24 and 31 – Ghosts and Legends Tour
Join us on a tour to hear mysterious legends of Erie Cemetery – the coin-covered grave of Strong Vincent, the burglarized Scott Mausoleum and the infamous vampire’s crypt, and hear about some unusual deaths of the people buried there.

For more information about these cemetery tours, visit eriecountyhistory.org.

Originally installed as a three-month exhibit, “Talk of the Town” has entertained and educated History Center visitors for more than a year.  The exhibit is a selection of artifacts and photographs that were transferred to the Society by the GTE Museum, which closed their doors in 2005.

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. In 1877 the Bell Company installed the first four telephones in Erie. In 1897 Mutual Telephone Company was formed to compete with Bell. Competition between the two companies ended in 1926 when Mutual purchased Bell. Mutual’s first office was on the fourth floor of the Downing Building at East 10^th and French Streets.

As you move through the exhibit you will learn about the changes in technology, the types of companies involved in the telephone industry, when the telephone service was first established in Erie, by who and how the Mutual Telephone Company started and evolved over time.  You will also learn how the “telephone industry” is addressing current issues of competition for customers.

“Talk of the Town” is located at the Erie County History Center, 419 State Street, Erie and is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Erie County Historical Society announced the debut of the traveling exhibition “20th Century Collections: Native American Artwork” in October 2007.  The exhibition contains Native American baskets and clay work, which were brought to Erie, Pennsylvania nearly a century ago.  Collected by early 20^th century travelers, these pieces were once proudly displayed on the bookshelves and mantle tops in homes throughout the City’s wealthy districts. Today, this collection helps to tell many stories: the stories of Erie’s wealthy world travelers, the stories of Native American artisans, and the story of the museum.

The exhibit also features an 1896 photograph collection from G. Wharton James.  James’ images capture the Hopi Indians in Arizona and document traditional costume, ceremonies and daily life.

The exhibit has been displayed at sites throughout Erie County, including the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Edinboro University.  If your business or organization is interested in hosting “20th Century Collections: Native American Artwork,” please call 814.454.1813 x24 to discuss availability and installation details.