Hearthside - The House That Love Built

Welcome Autumn with Annual Festival of Heritage Crafts Oct. 4th

The rich 300-year heritage of the Great Road Historic District is celebrated through the sights, sounds, and traditional crafts of the 1700s and 1800s, all done at Hearthside and the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop next door during our Annual Festival of Heritage Crafts.  Listen to the blacksmith’s anvil ring, watch the spinning and weaving of wool, learn about a variety of heritage crafts from traditional tradesmen, hear old time melodies played on antique dulcimers, savor the warm apple crisp and cider, and herald in the autumn season along one of the country’s oldest roadways. 

Among some of the crafts being demonstrated are beekeeping, rope making, basket weaving, stenciling, rug braiding, spinning, weaving, stained glass, antique furniture restoration, and even how clothes were washed in a tub by hand and mended when torn.

Hearthside’s Festival of Heritage Crafts is just one of several events taking place throughout the Blackstone Valley in the Footsteps in History Program, a month-long celebration during October highlighting the historic and cultural attributes of this area.  Historic, cultural and artistic sites throughout the 24 communities of the Blackstone Valley are sponsoring programs, activities and open houses for the public to enjoy and learn from.  Footsteps in History is a collaborative effort between the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Blackstone Valley Interpreter Network.

Admission fee for the Festival of Heritage Crafts is $4 for adults; $2 for children under 12 and free for children under 6.  Parking is free.

This is a favorite fall outing for families each year!  Be sure to come and bring the kids!

Return to top