CUMBERLAND — The annual Heritage Days Festival marked America’s 250th birthday.
The festival kicked off Saturday morning with a meet and greet with historical figures at the Wills Hotel.
The living historians present were Thomas Jefferson played by Steven Edenbo, Benjamin Franklin played by Michael Levick and Daniel Morgan played by Ryan Williams.
Thomas Jefferson was asked a few questions regarding his political term, the Declaration of Independence and what parts of America should continue to be celebrated.
The weekend continued with history, family, crafts, art, performances and vendors. Dave Williams, one of the organizers, was pleased with the number of people in attendance.
New this year were exact replicas of George Washington’s battle tents.
Another large change to the event was bringing the main stage to the front of the courthouse on Washington Street.
Tents were scattered across the field at Canal Place and were accessible to the public to interact with.
“We brought them together so that we could set them up in the field and actually use them and try to examine history through doing,” Joel Anderson, manager of the First Oval Office, said. “That practical learning that we have is exhibited through these tents that we bring up here.”
The tents include objects that would be in the tent at the time that the public could touch and examine. George Washington had a larger tent that even featured a bed.
“When Cumberland approached us to do this, we were familiar with Washington’s history going to Cumberland,” Anderson said. “His Revolutionary War history is not the same, but Washington’s legacy and people’s depictions of Washington and how they understand him is so colored by events that he experienced within Cumberland, as well.”
In addition to historical features, more than 100 vendors lined Washington street with a variety of goods.
Rita Scudieri, owner of Viva la Diva!, and her husband, Mike Scudieri, sold handmade bath and body products for women and men with a variety of scents.
“I like to do this festival because I consider it my local festival,” Scudieri said. “It was the first festival I ever did and I’ve been coming back now for 23 years, and I just keep expanding my product line.”
Scudieri is local to the area and enjoys coming back each year for Heritage Days.
Logan Hartlaub, a local artist and field biologist, was selling his original artwork of wildlife he’s seen across the region. It was his first year having a booth at Heritage Days.
“I’m preparing right now for a show at the Arcadian where I’m going to have 120 species that I’ve found throughout Appalachia from crayfish, salamanders and frogs to birds, owls and everything in between,” he said. “Everything’s going to be priced according to how it’s doing ecologically.”
The festival also included music and performances by bands including The Chivalrous Crickets and the MacMillan Pipe Band.