Thanksgiving in the folk park

AMERICAN Thanksgiving celebrations kick off the Christmas period at the Ulster American Folk Park.

National Museums NI has announced that its American Thanksgiving Celebrations will take place at Ulster American Folk Park, on 25, 27 and November 28, 2021.

The three-day event will allow visitors to take a step back in time to the 1860s. Costumed guides will be re-enacting Thanksgiving with the Partridge family of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, as they prepare for their celebrations.

The quintessentially American festival celebrates the perseverance and determination of the early Ulster settlers who laid the foundations for the success of future generations of Americans.

Based on the colonial pilgrims’ 1621 harvest meal, Thanksgiving traditionally celebrates the blessings of the past year. The event has come to symbolise intercultural peace, America’s opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family.

The weary travellers who stumble into the Folk Park grounds this weekend can expect to find the Partridge family, preparing their turkey with nervous distraction, as they anxiously await the return of their only son, who is an infantry soldier in the Union Army.

As you trod along the trail, you are likely to meet colourful characters who may generously provide you with taste traditional Thanksgiving dishes like pumpkin pie and succotash, whilst authentic storytellers regale you with Thanksgiving tales.

John-Paul Coyle, Visitor Services Manager at Ulster American Folk Park, said,“We’re always keen to mark this important and historically rich day in the American calendar. All of the team at Ulster American Folk Park are excited about welcoming visitors to our Thanksgiving Celebrations. The museum tells the story of three centuries of Irish emigration, so this traditionally American event is particularly significant for us and always signals the start of the Christmas period.”

In addition, on Sunday November 28, Curator of Emigration at Ulster American Folk Park, Liam Corry, will lead tours which delve into how Native American history is fully enmeshed in the stories of the Ulster migrants featured at the museum.  Featuring five of these migrant family stories, the tour will explore the agency and determination of Native American people who strove for and continue to strive for their rights.

Advanced booking is recommended for the Thanksgiving Celebrations and the Native American History tours. Tickets can be booked at www.nmni.com