Old Sturbridge Village Celebrates July 4th in Historic Style

Young visitors to Old Sturbridge Village celebrate July 4th by signing their names to a giant copy of the Declaration of Independence.

STURBRIDGE, MA: This July 4th Old Sturbridge Village will continue its newest Independence Day tradition -- the addition of an evening celebration capped off by a spectacular 30-minute fireworks display over the countryside at dusk. After daytime activities end at 5:00 p.m., OSV will close and reopen from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., offering music, magic, family games and activities followed by the fireworks display at dusk, sponsored by Country Bank. Beer, wine, sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks and more will be on sale, or visitors can bring their own picnic food. Parking is free; cost for the evening entertainment and fireworks program is $12 per person (children under 3 are free), and is separate from daytime museum admission. In addition, a July 4th buffet will be offered at OSV’s Oliver Wight Tavern from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. Rain date for the fireworks is July 5. For all times and details: www.osv.org.

Last year’s fireworks event sold out, with more than 4,000 people attending in addition to the more than 2,000 visitors who enjoyed the daytime festivities. Visitors to last year’s fireworks celebration came from as far away as Florida, California, and even Germany and Belgium. Area residents turned out in force, and Boston-area guests commented favorably on the free parking, lower area hotel rates and earlier “kid-friendly” scheduling of the activities.

Fife and drum music, militia marching and readings of the Declaration of Independence will be offered during both day and evening festivities. During the day, visitors can also sign a giant copy of the Declaration and take part in a citizens parade and play old-fashioned base ball.  Leading up to the evening fireworks, OSV will offer favorite family games: sack races, pie-eating contests, juggling with Lucky Bob the Comedic Juggler magic shows by Robert Olson, and music by Quintebrass and the Heritage String Band.

The OSV fireworks display will again be produced by Atlas Pyrovision Productions of Jaffrey, NH, which has produced fireworks shows in Washington, D.C., Boston, -- on the Charles River and Boston Common -- Hartford, Worcester, Southbridge and other locations around the region. According to company spokesman Matt Shea, OSV’s rural location with open fields and no “light pollution” is a definite plus.

“A professional fireworks display is a work of art, and the dark night sky is the canvas,” Shea notes. “OSV is a perfect location to see all the brightest fireworks colors – vibrant reds, whites, blues, oranges, yellows and more.  We’re planning a spectacular finale, with lots of colors and golden shells as well.”

A fireworks display fits well with OSV’s historical mission, since fireworks displays predate independence, although public displays were an urban phenomena, more common in larger cities like Philadelphia and Boston, according to Tom Kelleher, OSV curator of historic trades.

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: $20; seniors $18; children 3-17, $7; children under 3, free. For information: 1-800-733-1830; www.osv.org. Cost for the evening entertainment and fireworks program is $12 per person (children under 3 are free), and is separate from daytime museum admission.