New Years in the Tavern: Celebrate the new year like it’s 1774 in Exeter

EXETER — The American Independence Museum will host New Years in the Tavern, which celebrates the New Year as if it were 1774.

The event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. The star of the event, according to event organizer Alena Shellenbean, is the museum's Folsom Tavern (c. 1775), where the event will take place.

“You will be able to stroll through the rooms of the Tavern, Exeter’s high-end establishment in the late 1700s, and enjoy food, drink, and colonial pastimes with fellow history enthusiasts,” she said.

Activities include 18th-century evening victuals (food), live period music, a colonial card tournament, and more.

“It’s an immersive Revolutionary party in a historic structure with an incredible history,” added Shellenbean.

Built by Samuel Folsom, Folsom Tavern was visited by George Washington in 1789 and was the site of the formation of the New Hampshire chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati in 1783. Founded by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution, the Society is an active part of the American Independence Museum today, owning both the Tavern and Ladd-Gilman House (c. 1721).

“New Years in the Tavern is a chance to experience Revolutionary history in a way that brings it to life today in unique and diverse ways,” explained the museum's Executive Director Jennifer Carr.

Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the American Independence Museum develops programs, events, and exhibits that honor and invite inclusive and diverse perspectives. Tickets to New Years in the Tavern are $100 per person and may be purchased at independencemuseum.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New Years in the Tavern: Celebrate the new year like it’s 1774