Activities

Over a hundred volunteers currently come together for the Friend’s flagship event, the annual Founder’s Day in May, drawing bigger crowds

for family fun, education, and entertainment each year. The event is built around over forty historical exhibits featuring authentically costumed

reenactors of Vineland and Civil War history (since Vineland was founded in 1861 at the outset of the Civil War). Also featured are

Vineland history and Civil War re-enactors and dramatic presentations, guest demonstration artisans, old-fashioned field games and contests

with prizes, a History Scavenger Hunt with prizes, kiddie rides and activities, food vendors, and interactive fun for children of all ages.

Dr. Frank De Maio completed updates on this joint project with the Vineland Public Schools, publishing the latest edition of the third grade

level text-book about Vineland history which is used in the school curriculum city-wide. These students enjoy a field trip to a special

presentation of Founder’s Day, the day before the general public event, as a culmination of their study. They move from exhibit tent to tent

for ten minute presentations of the many aspects of Vineland and Civil War history, in addition to Civil War artillery demonstrations and

a main stage historical dramatization.

Fundraising activities revolve around the traditional Friends of Historic Vineland Calendar featuring vintage photographs of Vineland and

Vineland citizens, and advertisements from local businesses and professionals. Each calendar has a particular theme focus such as

government, glass industry, agriculture, and most recently, Vineland veterans. This popular calendar is much anticipated each year,

distributed throughout the city free of charge in the businesses and offices of contributing donors.

A newsletter is published four times a year with interesting articles about Vineland history and updates on project work. members of the Archive

Committee collect, document and display Vineland memorabilia and artifacts following Smithsonian standards in public arenas, most visibly, the display

windows at the Vineland Downtown Improvement District / Main Street, offices located at 6th and Landis Avenue in Vineland. The Friends of Historic

Vineland are always interested in adding to their collection of pertinent artifacts, photographs and documents of historic importance. If you would like to

donate items for preservation and display, call the contact number listed below. ( email )

The youth of Vineland are Vineland ’s leaders of tomorrow and the future caretakers of the treasures of the past. Through our efforts in preserving

the history of our fair city, we hope to educate the public and inspire young people to follow in the footsteps of our city founders and noble citizens

who served their community with noble vision, wisdom, and character. We do this through the costumed re-enactments of various historical

notables including props, photographic displays, and speaking programs available free of charge to classroom and community groups in need

of interesting speaking programs. The formation of a Friends of Historic Vineland Speaker’s Bureau is our newest project sponsored by a grant

from General Mills Foods.

Want to know more about the Friends of Historic Vineland? Get up close and personal accounts of our volunteer historian re-enactors and the

people and stories they bring to life on our website. Take a virtual tour of Vineland landmarks and architecture. Find out all the details about the

next Founder’s Day and why the last Founder’s Day was a day to remember. See what city events our re-enactors may be making personal

appearances at such as the VDID/Main Street event, “A Journey Back in Time: Taste of Vineland” where local restaurants served a selection of

their finest dishes, and re-enactors from the Friends served and entertained with stories of Vineland’s days gone by.