A war camp will be set up throughout Amherst’s Sandstone Village during the “Taste of History” event, which will feature live food demonstrations. (Larissa Belliswill – The Morning Journal)
The Amherst Historical Society hosted the opening night of “Taste of History” on June 14 at Sandstone Village, 736 Milan St., where visitors enjoyed live military re-enactments and sampled food.
Sandstone Village is surrounded by several sections of mock camps that recreate the Vietnam War, World War II, the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War, allowing visitors to wander around and imagine what life was like in those different eras.
More than 178 reenactors representing various wars set up camp and conducted herbalism workshops and, most notably, war camp food demonstrations, according to Elizabeth Fout, public relations manager for the Amherst Historical Society.
Reenactors will collect donations and serve authentic food samples, including rice and beans and ham, at a “Taste of History” event hosted by the Amherst Historical Society on June 14. (Larissa Berriswill – The Morning Journal)
“It’s incredible that re-enactors come from multiple states to put on this event,” Fauth said, “They spend countless hours researching and bringing their own collections to ensure an accurate historical reenactment.”
The event is free to attend, but a donation will allow visitors to browse the different stalls and taste authentic meals based on actual wartime recipes.
The event also featured live demonstrations showcasing different wartime weapons, how they were used and in what situations they were used.
“This is really history brought to life,” Fauth said. “History is living and breathing. A lot of people think of history as just words written on paper.”
As well as numerous war camp re-enactments, all of the buildings in Sandstone Village were open to the public during the event, including the Blacksmith Shop, St George’s Chapel and, new to the village this year, the World War II POW Barracks and Military Museum.
Following the success of last year’s event, the Amherst Historical Society was pleased with the turnout in the early hours of June 14, as participants and re-enactors showed enthusiasm, Fout said.
“A Taste of History” not only showcases history in a unique, sensory way, but also shows how history is important to the past, present and future – extending beyond the page into real life, Fout said.
“Historical re-enactments bring history to life and that’s thanks to our amazing re-enactors,” she said. “People keep coming and we’re so grateful for the support from the community.”
A war camp will be set up throughout Amherst’s Sandstone Village during the “Taste of History” event, which will feature live food demonstrations. (Larissa Berriswill – The Morning Journal)
The last day of the event was June 15th.
“We’re so grateful to our partners on this event, the Military Historic Preservation Group and the Lorain County Tourism Bureau, and all of the sponsors who made this event possible,” Fout said.
