DAR holds ‘Christmas in July'

WANTAGE-The Chinchewunska Chapter of the Daughters of the American Reolution will host its annual "Christmas in July" Open House on July 22, 23, and 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Bunschooten Museum in Wantage. The museum will be offering tours. Inside, the rooms will feature period decorations, enhanced by the sights and smells of Christmas. Punch will be served in the 1800's dining room. Many books on local history will be available for purchase in the gift shop. An added feature will be the 27th Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers, the New Jersey Frontier Guard, Lost Art Lacers, and local quilters. On Saturday, July 23, members of the 27th Regiment of the New Jersey Volunteers will be on the grounds, dressed in period clothing and set up in camp. Sunday, July 24, members of the NJ Frontier Guard, a non-profit educational corps, will offer an accurate portrayal of life in the Royal Province of New Jersey during the period of the French and Indian Wars. The members of the guard will recreate and demonstrate the crafts, skills, campfires and daily life of the mid-eighteenth century. The Lost Art Lacers will be in attendance all three days. This year they are exhibiting bobbin lace making. Susan Keenan will be working on a wedding hankie that has been commissioned by a local D.A.R. member. They will also offer a selection of their crafts for sale to the public. Local quilters will be demonstrating both hand and machine quilting all three days. They will be available to answer questions, and quilts and quilted items will be available for sale. On the grounds, crafters will be selling their wares in tents, and food will be available for purchase. An "attic treasures" table will add a touch of history. The D.A.R. Elias Van Bunschooten Museum is located at 1097 Rte. 23, Wantage, four miles north of the town of Sussex. The museum is open from May 15 to October 15 on Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment.