Hoofing it in Canterbury NH — May 2, 2015 Heifer Parade

heiferThis moo-ving story is just too cute not to publicize.  Saturday May 2, 2015 is the date of Canterbury Shaker Village’s 2nd Annual Heifer Parade with Food and Fiddle.  We complained more than once in the past few months about how cold and snowy it was.  Now that its NOT, this is the perfect time to celebrate Spring.

For those of you who have not been there, Canterbury Shaker Village was “established in 1792 when followers of founder Mother Ann Lee formed their seventh community in Canterbury, NH, which remained prominent for 200 years….At its height in the 1850s, 300 people lived and worked in over 100 buildings on 3,000 acres at Canterbury Shaker Village.”  Now, with the help of sponsors and other generous donors, the village is open to the public. And that is partly why the Heifer Parade is being held.

WHAT: Heifer Parade with Food and Fiddle
PLACE: Canterbury Shaker Village, Canterbury NH [click for directions]
TIME:  10:00-3:00 pm. Parade will begin approximately at 11:00 am
PRICE: Free admission
DESCRIPTION: Celebrate the return of the spring to the Village pastures with a parade of heifers to their first spring grass. Maypole dancing, food, outdoor barn dancing, and make-your-own head wreaths, tutus and May baskets will be available throughout the day.  Parade will begin approximately at 11:00 am. Come early and decorate yourself for the parade or wear your best spring bonnet! Prizes will be awarded for the best hat. Self-guided exhibits are open at no charge. Guided tours are available for $10 per person at 11:00, 1:00 & 3:00.
HOW: They are requesting that you register for the event if possible. [see “Register” link].

***Other Links of Interest***

New Hampshire’s Canterbury Shakers: Elderess Bertha Lindsay (1897-1990) and Gertrude Soule (1894-1988)

May 2015 Genealogy and Local History Calendar (from Nutfield Genealogy)

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3 Responses to Hoofing it in Canterbury NH — May 2, 2015 Heifer Parade

  1. Doretta Hilst Irwin says:

    Why is your blog called Cow Hampshire?

    • Janice Brown says:

      Doretta, Cow Hampshire comes from an old joke about the times when supposedly there were more cows than people in New Hampshire. Honestly, I don’t think there ever really was a time when that quota existed, but people believed it. Perception is sometimes more important than reality. And so that leads me into New Hampshire’s history, and that our perception of our history can be very different from the reality. See where this tiny trail of history thought is going? There was a famous athlete who loved to use the term, “Cow Hampshire,” and though I’ve never written about him, I will sometime in the near future.

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