Daytime fun and evening fireworks;
Eighty-five people to become new U.S. citizens at OSV ceremony
(STURBRIDGE, MA) – June 18, 2013: - Old Sturbridge Village continues its popular July 4th tradition of historical Independence Day activities followed by a separate evening fireworks program of music, magic, and family games – capped off by a spectacular 30-minute fireworks display over the Village’s farm fields at dusk. Added this year is a special naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens to be held during July 4th daytime program at OSV.
Eighty-five people from 42 countries will become new U.S. citizens at Old Sturbridge Village on July 4 and will pledge their Oath of Allegiance to the United States at a ceremony beginning at 1:00 p.m. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will present the candidates to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the Honorable Henry J. Boroff, United States Bankruptcy Judge, will make remarks after the administration of the Oath of Allegiance to the new citizens.
After OSV's daytime festivities end at 5:00 p.m., the museum will close and reopen from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. for the evening fireworks program. Activities include sack races, pie-eating contests, juggling with Lucky Bob the Comedic Juggler, magic shows by Robert Olson, music by the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band, and a “Patriotic Fashion Contest” with a prize for the person sporting the most patriotic look.
Guests can enjoy a July 4th buffet at the Village’s Oliver Wight Tavern from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. or bring their own picnics. Beer, wine, sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks will be on sale throughout the evening. Parking is free and tickets for the fireworks show are separate from daytime museum admission. Fireworks tickets purchased before July 1 are $12 per person/$10 for OSV Members (children 2 and under are free). Beginning July 1, tickets are $15 per person. The fireworks show is sponsored by Country Bank, and the rain date is July 5. For details: 800-733-1830; www.osv.org.
The Old Sturbridge Village fireworks event usually sells out and more than 4,000 people attended last year, coming from as far away as Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Switzerland.
Fife and drum music, militia marching, and readings of the Declaration of Independence will be presented during both day and evening festivities. During the daytime celebration, which is sponsored by Walmart, visitors can also sign a giant copy of the Declaration and take part in a citizens’ parade and play old-fashioned base ball. The evening fireworks display will again be produced by Atlas Pyrovision Productions of Jaffrey, NH, which has mounted fireworks shows in Washington, D.C., Boston, -- on the Charles River and Boston Common – and in other locations around the region.
Old Sturbridge Village is ideal for fireworks because as an1830s-style rural village, it has no “light pollution” from street lights and traffic. “The dark night sky is a wonderful canvas for the fireworks, and makes the colors even more vibrant,” notes Jim O’Brien, OSV coordinator of special events.
A fireworks show also fits well with the early 19th-century time period Old Sturbridge Village portrays – a time when larger cities like Philadelphia and Boston often celebrated special events with skyrocket displays. Fireworks were invented in China about a thousand years ago, and became popular in Europe by the 1200s. In the 1830s, Italian pyrotechnicians began adding artificial metallic compounds to fireworks to produce brilliant yellow, red, blue and green colors.
Old Sturbridge Village celebrates New England life in the 1830s and is open daily 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. seven days a week. Admission: $24; seniors $22; children 3-17, $8; children 2 and under, free. For information: 1-800-733-1830; www.osv.org.
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