Montgomery Parks Celebrates Maryland Emancipation Day
October 30, 2018
Montgomery Parks will host a weekend of inspiring educational activities, Saturday, November 3 & Sunday, November 4 for all ages including music and dancing at Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park.
SILVER SPRING, MD— Each November, Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission celebrates Maryland Emancipation Day that commemorates the adoption of the 1864 Maryland Constitution which abolished slavery in the state of Maryland on November 1st. This year’s free activities take place all weekend long, Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th and includes an open house of the Josiah Henson Park, as well as:
- Hikes on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail
- Living history demonstrations
- Archaeology site excavations
- Tours of a former plantation and 19th-century log cabins*
- Live music, crafts, games and food
Special Emancipation Day Events will be held on Saturday, November 3 at Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park in Olney.
Activities at Oakley Cabin will include a reading of the Maryland Emancipation Amendment, living history demonstrations, live musical performances by the Brian Cunningham Project.
Activities at Josiah Henson Park will include guided tours and screenings of the PBS Time Team America documentary: “The Search for Josiah Henson.”
Montgomery Parks joins other historic sites throughout the county to celebrate this special occasion. Park hosted events are free and open to the public. A schedule of weekend events is outlined below. More details are available at HistoryintheParks.org.
WEEKEND EVENTS SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2018
- Underground Railroad Experience Trail Guided Hikes
Hike begins at 10:00 a.m. | Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park | 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 | $8 per person. Registration requested
“Conductors” will lead a round-trip, 2-hour minute interpretive hike of this two-mile natural surface trail from Woodlawn Manor to the historic Sandy Spring, then back to Woodlawn Manor.
- Woodlawn Museum Open House
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.| Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park | 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 | Free
Visit the Woodlawn Museum’s stone barn exhibits where echoes of the past tell the story of a bustling farm, its community, and those who made a bold bid for freedom on the Underground Railroad. Learn about Woodlawn’s earliest residents and their neighbors.
- Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park
12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. | 3610 Brookeville Road, Olney, MD 20832 | Free
Oakley Cabin will host an afternoon of live music, tours of the historic 19th-century log cabin, hearth cooking demonstrations, candle making, live music, games, crafts, and more for everyone to enjoy!
Emancipation Day Program | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm*
Presentation by the reenactors of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, B Company, Washington, DC
Live blues music by the Brian Cunningham Project
Parking is only available at Longwood Local Park, 19300 Georgia Avenue with shuttle service to/from Oakley Cabin throughout the afternoon.
- The Harper 1870s Homestead at Brookside Nature Center Tours & Demonstrations
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | 1400 Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 | Free
Visit the Harper 1870s Homestead to learn how families lived off the land. Self-guided tours are available throughout the day. Enjoy living history demonstrations and hands on activities for the whole family.
- Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery Open House
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | 18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 | Free | sandyspringslavemuseum.org
In celebration of Maryland Emaciation Day, the museum will be open for tours and a special presentation by SOCA: Sounds of the Caribbean Art Form. Lunch will be available for purchase. Directions: From I-495, take New Hampshire Ave. exit north. Continue 12 miles on New Hampshire Ave. Cross Rte. 108 and continue 1 mile. Slow down. Turn left onto Brooke Rd. The museum is on the left.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018
- Underground Railroad Experience Trail Guided Hike
Hike begins at 10:00 a.m. | Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park | 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 | $8 per person. Registration requested.
“Conductors” will lead a roundtrip, 2.5-hour interpretive hike of this two-mile natural surface trail from Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park to the historic Sandy Spring, then back to the park.
- Woodlawn Museum Open House
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.| Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park | 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 | Free
Visit the Woodlawn Museum’s stone barn exhibits where echoes of the past tell the story of a bustling farm, its community, and those who made a bold bid for freedom on the Underground Railroad. Learn about Woodlawn’s earliest residents and their neighbors.
- Button Farm Living History Center
12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. | 16820 Black Rock Road, Germantown, MD 20874 | Free
http://buttonfarm.org/ | 301-916-7090
Button Farm depicts 19th-century plantation life and the heroic story of the Underground Railroad through unique living history experiences. Enjoy self-guided walking tours of our farm, animals and gardens, a scavenger hunt and living history activities.
- Josiah Henson Park Open House*
12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. | 11420 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852 | Free
Enjoy guided tours and meet Park archaeologists at the archaeology dig on site. Screenings of the PBS Time Team America documentary: “The Search for Josiah Henson” begin at 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Guided tours begin on the half hour starting at 12:00 p.m. Last guided tour begins at 3:00 pm (tours last about 60 mins.) Parking is ONLY available at the Shriver Aquatic Center/Wall Local Park, 5900 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda.
- The Harper 1870s Homestead at Brookside Nature Center Tours & Demonstrations
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 1400 Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 | Free
Visit the Harper 1870s Homestead to learn how families lived off the land. Self-guided tours are available throughout the day. Enjoy living history demonstrations and hands on activities for the whole family.
For more information about Montgomery Parks’ Emancipation Day programming and to stay informed of upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and training dates, visit HistoryInTheParks.org.
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