An opportunity to learn about New Jersey’s history is coming to Battlefield State Park, Route 33, Manalapan.
The 11th annual New Jersey State History Fair will offer visitors an experience that covers five centuries of the state’s history. The history fair will be held 11 a.m.-5 p.m. May 9.
Admission will be free.
Monmouth Battlefield State Park historian Mike Timpanaro said this is the first year the history fair will be held in Manalapan. He said bringing the event to western Monmouth County is part of an effort to try new locations and attract the most visitors.
Beverly Weaver, supervisor of the New Jersey Office of Historic Sites, said the event started in 2004 and attracted about 1,500 visitors. About 5,000 people are expected to attend the event in Manalapan.
“We have gained a reputation as being a great event for the history community,” she said, adding that the fair “reflects good research and scholarship.”
The history fair has grown to be a statewide event over the years, Timpanaro said.
“Every state park has been involved, in addition to local historic groups, county groups, national state parks and nonprofits,” he said.
The history fair is expected to feature about 180 exhibits, including displays from the Monmouth County Historical Association, the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, the New Jersey Scout Museum and the New Jersey Civil War Heritage Museum.
Guests of all ages may watch a baseball game played with 19th-century rules; shop at a crafters market; use a drop spindle to make yarn; and savor the aromas of Quaker cooking. There will be military re-enactors, living history demonstrations, and period music and dance.
“The fair offers a broad-based opportunity to learn about New Jersey history and the role of New Jersey in the nation’s history,” Weaver said.
— Christine Barcia