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Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village announces busy calendar of events

by jmaloni

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Wed, Apr 8th 2015 12:50 pm

Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village celebrates the arrival of spring with a wide variety of events for visitors of all ages at 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road, Amherst.

BNHV announces the opening of a new exhibit, "Vice and Virtue: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," from 6 to 9 p.m. April 24. This exhibit will explore how the 18th Amendment sought to bring on an age of temperance and virtue, but instead resulted in an increase in excess, indulgence and vice as Americans began to test the limits of one of the most unpopular pieces of legislature in American history.

Guests are invited to BNHV for the opening of this exhibit. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided. The museum's other exhibits will be open as well, and the event is free of charge.

Additionally, Hutchinson Family Revival will perform a variety of temperance-era songs during a program (7 to 8 p.m.). Hutchinson Family Revival is a Buffalo-based music re-enactment ensemble formed in 1997, performing popular music of the Victorian era in period costume. The group re-creates the family musical group from New Hampshire who gained great popularity touring the U.S. from 1840-80, singing the popular music of the time. 

The museum will usher out April with "Nail Making 101" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 25-26. During this unique event, the New York State Designer Blacksmiths will demonstrate how to make nails on a coal forge. This is a fully hands-on event and will help support BNHV's new Farmstead Project. General admission applies and includes nail making, demonstrations and a preview of the houses in the village. The cost is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and military personnel, and $4 for children.

Kicking off May's events will be the annual Kentucky Derby "Spring Hat Contest and Luncheon" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 2. Hosted by the Amherst Women's Interclub Council, proceeds from this event will benefit Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village's historic buildings. The cost is $30 and pre-paid reservations are required. Call 716-689-1440 to make your reservation.

Dan Wilke, Buffalo's greatest organ grinder, will demonstrate several antique instruments as he entertains visitors of all ages from 7 to 8 p.m. May 7. The magical melodies produced by these instruments will bring you back to your childhood and are reminiscent of riding a carousel at the fair. There will be a Q&A period during the demonstration. Paid general admission is required.

A special behind-the-scenes tour - "A Window in Time" - is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. May 16. Join BNHV in welcoming Steve Swiat of Northwood Window Restoration in Getzville, a specialist in the restoration of wood windows, doors and millwork for historic homes and buildings. Participants will learn how to save windows, the most practical and economical methods of maintenance and repair of older and historic wooden windows, how windows were originally constructed, and why some last for centuries while others rot and fall apart after just a few years. Visitors will learn specific treatments for common window problems, traditional woodwork methods and the latest in modern high-tech materials and techniques. This tour will include a look inside BNHV's state-of-the-art collections storage building. The cost is $30, or $25 for museum members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling BNHV.

A behind-the-scenes historic woodworking tour is slated for 1-3 p.m. May 30. Come learn about the nuts and bolts of building historic structures with the village's own woodworker, Scott Schotz. He will show participants how logs are felled and hewn, how plank and log structures are built and much more. If you love woodworking and historic structures, you won't want to miss this special tour, which includes a look inside the collections storage building. The cost is $20, or $15 for museum members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling BNHV.

From Labor Day to Memorial Day, BNHV is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the museum and grounds are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with additional hours from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Visit www.bnhv.org for more information.

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