|
2010 Calendar of Events
A variety of special events and activities are planned
throughout the year at the Star of the Republic Museum. The following
descriptions provide a glimpse of the many ways visitors can step
back in time and experience early 19th century Texas. For additional
information on these or other activities, please contact the museum
at 936-878-2461.
"Texas Tots"
Story Time
 The
Star of the Republic Museum is holding a monthly story time, “Texas
Tots,” for preschool children age 3-5 on the 3rd Tuesday of
each month during the school year. During “Texas Tots,”
a craft or activity will be offered which follows the story theme.
Themes center around Texas history and cultures, and will include
topics such as Native American Heritage, Texas Wildflowers, and
Tall Tales.
The cost for the program will be $3 per participating child, to
help cover the expense of craft supplies. Adults will pay the public
admission fee of $5, or may choose to purchase a $9 three-site Brazos
Pass, good for admission to the Star of the Republic Museum, Barrington
Living History Farm, and/or Independence Hall. There is no admission
fee for children under age 6 to visit Barrington Farm or Independence
Hall.
“Texas Tots” will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Advance reservations are required, as seating is limited. Payment
is due at the time of reservation. Families must register individually.
Call 936-878-2461, ext. 236 for reservations.
Anson Jones: President
and Physician,
January 2010
In honor of Dr. Anson Jones’ 212th birthday, the
Museum will present a special display on his life in the Showers
Brown Discovery Center for Children. The display will include a
timeline of his life, from 1798-1858, with related documents, quotes
and artifacts.
"Making
Every Stitch Count," January 30-31, 2010
 Focus
weekend throughout the Park, highlighting various textile skills
from the mid-19th century. Quilts and other items from the museum
collection will be on display.
Republic of Texas Art Contest,
February 2010
The Star of the Republic Museum is hosting the
annual Republic of Texas Art Contest. The purpose of this art contest
is to give area 4th graders the opportunity to make historical and
cultural connections through Art. They will explore their artistic
talents while they discover the rich history of the Republic of
Texas, as well as events that led up to the signing of the Texas
Declaration of Independence. Deadline for entry is February 3, 2010.
Winning artwork will be on display at the Star of the Republic Museum
until May 21, 2010 and the Awards Ceremony will take place Saturday,
February 27, 2010 at 12:30 in the Star of the Republic Museum Theater
during the Texas Independence Day Celebration. For more information,
guidelines and registration form, click here.
Brazos Valley Regional
History Fair, February 12, 2010
Students from a five county region will compete
for advancement to Texas History Day in Austin under the guidelines
of National History Day. Students
in Grades 6-12 create projects related to an annual theme, which
in 2010 is "Innovation in History: Impact and Change."
Project categories include: historical papers, exhibits, performances,
documentaries, and websites. For more information, click here.
"The First Texans:
Living Green," opening February 27, 2010
The Star of the Republic Museum will open a new
exhibit entitled “The First Texans: Living Green” in
celebration of Texas Independence Day 2010. Included in the exhibit
will be archeological artifacts from the Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin and the Corpus Christi
Museum of Science and History. Pottery and stone, bone and shell
tools of the indigenous people who lived in Texas at the time of
European contact will be on display. Also included in the exhibit
will be woven netting, matting, basketry and sandals that were preserved
in the dry rock shelters of West Texas.
The exhibit focuses on the subsistence strategies and use of natural
resources by these early Texans. See the tools that they used to
hunt, farm and fish. The exhibit will be open through August 31,
2010.
Texas Independence
Day Celebration, February 27-February 28, 2010
 Every
year Washington-on-the-Brazos is the site for a giant party celebrating
Texas birthday, bringing thousands of visitors out to join in the
recognition of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Festivities, sponsored by the
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park Association, include traditional
crafts and music demonstrations, living history presentations, and
historical encampments. Commemorative ceremonies, with special Texas
dignitaries, highlight the event on Sunday afternoon, which culminates
with a "Texas-sized" birthday cake!
Click here
for Schedule of Events
College
Saturday: "Love & Lust," March 27, 2010
The Star of the Republic Museum proudly presents
“Love & Lust: Romantic and Sexual Relationships in the
Republic of Texas” with FREE BlueBell Ice Cream! Join us Saturday,
March 27, from 1:00-2:00PM or 3:00-4:00PM for an exposé of
the more intimate side of life in the mid-19th century, created
specifically for college students.*
Students with a college ID pay just $3 for program
admission. Since the Museum is administered by Blinn College, anyone
with a Blinn ID gets in FREE (free ice cream with admission + free
admission = FREE ICE CREAM!). Some students may even receive extra
credit for attending.** Students are encouraged to bring a lunch
to enjoy in our scenic, riverside picnic area.
*Non-students are welcome, but will be subject
to the adult public admission fee of $5. Due to mature content,
no one under the age of 18 will be admitted.
**Please confirm extra-credit procedures with
your instructor prior to attending the program.
Blue
Star Museums Initiative: Free Admission to Military, May 31-September
6
 Star
of the Republic Museum is pleased to join the National Endowment
for the Arts in an exciting new initiative - the Blue
Star Museum Program, a collaboration with Blue Star Families’
Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families is a non-profit organization
that works to support America’s military families from all
branches of the service. The goal of the program is to offer free
admission to museums across the country for active duty military
personnel (with military ID) and up to five family members. The
initiative will begin on Memorial Day, May 31, 2010 and extend through
Labor Day, September 6, 2010.
"The
Bison: American Icon," June 16-August 11, 2010
 An
"NEH on the Road" traveling exhibition, developed by the
C. M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana. The exhibit explores
the meaning and significance of this iconic creature from the Plains
Indian culture of the 1800s through the commercial and national
symbol of the present. The exhibit is made possible through a special
initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the
Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Teacher
Workshop with Tim Tingle: "Texas Indians on the Move: From
Long-before to Now," June 18, 2010
Join us for a teacher workshop for
elementary through middle school teachers on Friday, June 18. In
this highly interactive workshop, Choctaw author and Texas native
Tim Tingle will discuss American Indians and Texas history. Reaching
beyond the texts to include films and historical fiction, Tingle
will offer a new perspective, an Indian-friendly and non-stereotypical
approach to learning. Expect a fun-filled day of eye-opening insights.
 Tingle
will discuss children’s literature dealing with Indians, including
his recently-released Saltypie, set in modern-day Pasadena,
and his Bluebonnet-nominated Crossing Bok Chitto. Handouts
include Indian-written reviews of popular titles found in most libraries.
Complete with curriculum ideas, suggested student activities, research
and essay topics, and bibliographies, this workshop is TEKS-friendly.
Honored guest and co-presenter for the day will be Oklahoma Choctaw
author and storyteller Greg Rodgers, a Smithsonian Associate representing
the National Museum of the American Indian.
Cost for the workshop is $45, which must be paid
at the time of registration. Lunch will be available for an additional
$5, if orders are paid in advance. Workshop hours are 9:30 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. Participants will receive a certificate for six contact
hours of Continuing Professional Education. For more information,
please contact Anne McGaugh, Curator of Education, at (936) 878-2461,
ext. 237 or amcgaugh@blinn.edu. Registration forms are available
here,
or can be faxed upon request. Deadline for registration is Friday,
June 11. Space is limited.
Choctaw Tales- for the
entire family! June 19, 2010
Nationally renowned storyteller and author Tim
Tingle brings the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical,
personal, and traditional stories, accompanying himself on the Native
American flute and singing Choctaw songs to the rhythms of a whaleskin
drum. Tingle will perform from his award-winning book, CROSSING
BOK CHITTO, which was on the 2008-2009 Texas Bluebonnet Award
Master List. The story depicts a young Choctaw girl aiding an escaping
slave family. Tingle will be joined by Greg Rodgers, a fellow Choctaw
writer and storyteller. Space is limited.
When: 1:00 p.m.
Where: Star of the Republic Museum Theater
Cost: FREE with museum admission
"H-E-B Fireworks on
the Brazos," July 4, 2010
Celebrate our national independence at the "Birthplace
of Texas!" Sponsored by HEB, the annual 4th of July celebration
at Washington-on-the-Brazos includes a fun-filled day of family
activities. The highlight of the celebration will feature an enormous
fireworks extravaganza presented by HEB!
Admission to the Park is free. Visitors can also
tour the historic sites within the Park during the day, including
Star of the Republic Museum (10:00 am-6:00 pm), Barrington Living
History Farm (12:00-8:00 pm), and Independence Hall; regular
admission fees apply. Food vendors will offer a variety
of festival food choices on-site. Visit the arts & crafts booths
for a special souvenir. Visitors may wish to bring picnics, blankets
or lawn chairs, and flashlights. State park rules apply; alcohol
prohibited.
"Bison
Day," August 7, 2010
 Star
of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos presents “Bison
Day,” featuring activities focused on America’s symbolic
figure, the bison. Activities will include storytime, crafts, movie
viewing, and a bison hair spinning demonstration. Children’s
games and activity sheets will be available throughout the day.
This is the last weekend to view, "The Bison: American Icon,"
an exhibit originating from the C. M. Russell Museum in Great Falls,
Montana. Don't miss it!
Bison
Day Schedule of Events
School Daze-Education
in Early Texas, August, 2010
Teachers, this is your month! All sites offer
you free admission with a school ID or business card. Find out what
learning opportunities are available throughout the year at the
Park.
Home School Days
in September and October, 2010
On the second and fourth Wednesdays in September
and October, the staff at the museum and the farm will present Childhood
in Early Texas, an interactive, hands-on program for the entire
family, targeting students ages 5-12. Discover what life was like
for a child in the mid-19th century during a visit to this historic
site. In the museum, learn about childhood chores, clothes, and
schools, and then make some old-fashioned toys to take home. Enjoy
your picnic lunch in the pecan grove along the Brazos River. At
Barrington Farm, experience life on an 1850s era farm to learn more
about the crops, livestock, and daily life of early Texans. No minimum
group size required. For more information, click here.
Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $8/child, $6/adult
Lunch not provided, picnics welcome!
Reservations and payment in advance required:
Call 936-878-2461, ext. 236 for reservations, after August 1.
Archeology Awareness,
October 2010
The Star of the Republic Museum will recognize
October as Texas Archeology Awareness Month with a display in the
Showers-Brown Discovery Center. Information about public digs, websites
to visit, and other literature will also be available.
Night
at the Star of the Republic Museum, October 23, 2010
The Star of the Republic Museum at Washington
on the Brazos State Historic Site presents "Night at the Star
of the Republic Museum" on Saturday, October 23. From 7:00
p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the lights will go down and the museum’s
exhibits will tell the story of the Texas Republic. Explore the
museum by flashlight—but BEWARE of what’s around the
corner! The spirits of the past just might come to life! Admission
fee is $5/Adults, $3/Students. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight!
Christmas in the Republic,
December 2010
In December, learn about Christmas from a multicultural
perspective in the Showers-Brown Discovery Center in the Star of
the Republic Museum. Explore the contributions of the German, English,
African American, and Hispanic cultures to Texas holiday traditions.
|
