Escape Back in Time at Lord Stirling 1770s Festival in Basking Ridge

Each week, the Basking Ridge Patch will tell you about one great idea to give you a much deserved break, and make your life a little easier, maybe a whole lot more enjoyable.

This weekend, you can escape from the 21st century world of cell phone connectivity and other modern "conveniences" by stepping back in time to the Colonial period at the Somerset County Park Commission's annual Lord Stirling 1770s Festival. The annual festival, with food, fun and educational opportunities, takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the remains of Lord Stirling's actual pre-Revolutionary estate near the county's Environmental Education Center at 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge.

Suggested donation for admission is $4.

For the sixth year, Lord Stirling's estate at Lord Stirling Park recreates life as it would have been in this area in the late 1700s.

Colonial craftspeople ply their trades, a town crier delivers the daily news, and Revolutionary War military detachments put up camp and conduct maneuvers on the former estate's lawn. The event promotes historical and environmental education highlighting the unsung Revolutionary War hero William Alexander, Lord Stirling, who lived on the site and served under General George Washington.

It's an event that some visitors prize for its historic authenticity, while others are just looking for some entertainment on a fall weekend in October. Some visitors really play the part by dressing in Colonial-style garb.

For a reminder that maybe everything wasn't better in the "good old days," this year a military surgeon will be on site to support the militias. Colonial women will demonstrate how butter was made, and how now-simple household chores were done without the help of electricity and modern appliances.

Visitors can meet Lord Stirling in the afternoon as he reviews his troops and visits with local craftspeople on his estate. You can also meet many tradespeople attired in replicas of 1770s clothing true to the period, including a blacksmith, tinsmith, broom maker, cooper, and other trades. Crafters make toys, dolls, lace, decorative arts, woodcarvings, and spin wool into yarn, although no crafts are sold at this entertaining and educational event.

Pet sheep, goats, and chickens that were staples of colonial life in the 1770s will be on hand. Children can try stenciling, quill writing, making clay pots, and playing colonial games. Families also can drink a cup of cider made on site at the working cider press and hop aboard the hay wagon for a ride around Lord Stirling's apple orchard.

Along with fun, the event is designed to provide an educational and enjoyable way to learn about Colonial times and the importance of New Jersey's role in the American Revolution. Visitors can question craftspeople about their trades, tour Lord Stirling's wine cellar — just once a year — and enjoy the sights, sounds, and aromas of a Colonial style autumn festival. Music also will be provided on instruments of the period as visitors poke their noses into camps or watch maneuvers by reenactors that recreate Heard's Brigade and other militia groups that really existed.

Displayed artifacts unearthed by the Lord Stirling Field Project represent well over 250 years of site occupation.

For more information about the 1770s Festival call the Environmental Education Center at 908-766-2489 or for Relay Service dial 711 for individuals with hearing impairments. Information on this event and other Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Somerset County Park Commission website.