Clinton Heritage Day offers old-time community spirit

by Karen Fredrickson

CLINTON CORNERS–When Mary Jo Nickerson moved to the Town of Clinton in 1950, she arrived on Community Day.

“There were people everywhere, and I thought that’s how the town was every day,” she said. “When I got up the next morning I wondered, where did all the people go?”

The Clinton Historical Society has brought the idea of an old-fashioned community day to the present. For the last six years, on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, the society has presented Clinton Heritage Day, a non-commercial event focusing on celebrating tradition and the local community. This year, it takes place on Sept. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Creek Meeting House.

A special feature of Heritage Day this year will be the ribbon-cutting of the community Book Booth at 4 p.m.  Friends of Clinton Community Library, with help from local businesses, have refurbished an old English Telephone Booth and have “upcycled” it into a branch of the Clinton Community Library as a community book exchange. The Clinton Community Library will fill the shelves with books, and then open it to the community. Patrons are free to borrow a book, but remember to replace it with one of yours from home. That way, the books will always be changing.

Mary Jo Nickerson, the chair this year’s Heritage Day, has had an interest in local history since childhood. She grew up across the street from the Creek Meeting House, which is owned by the Clinton Historical Society. Growing up across the street gave Mary Jo a love for the building.

“I saw it every morning when I got up,” she said.

She later participated in fund-raising for the building, helping to prevent it being sold.

Mary Jo called the old community day a fond memory, and the modern incarnation is a return to those old-fashioned values. She stresses the lack of commercialism.

“We’d [historical society] like to see the day be more like it used to be when we were children, not have all this commercialism and political parties campaigning, just a basic, old-fashioned type get-together,” she said.

They wanted the event to be “a refreshing kind of place to be. You don’t have to worry about people selling you all kinds of trinkets or the kids wanting to buy things they will throw away the next day,” said Mary Jo.

Clinton Heritage Day came about when “community day kind of fell by the wayside,” according to Mary Jo. The society looks at Heritage Day as a day of fun that also addresses their goal of education.

There are old-fashioned craft demonstrations, reminders of long-ago technology, things “some people have forgotten how to do or maybe never knew how to do,” said Mary Jo.

It is also a great way to socialize, she said. Mary Jo called it “a place for people to see each other when maybe they haven’t seen each other all year.”

Heritage Day is also fun for children. With all the games to play, Mary Jo said that even though the kids are there all day long, the adults barely see them. The historical society sees this as a positive thing.

“We don’t want it to be a money maker,” said Mary Jo. “It’s more of an education, both for the children and the adults.”

Clinton Heritage Day features old-fashioned children’s games such as sack races, potato races and stilt racing. Activities include making beanbags and corn husk dolls, plus pony rides and hayrides. Pony rides are free for the first ride, a quarter for the second.

Artisans provide craft demonstrations including rug hooking, quilting, butter making, woodcarving, making maple syrup, stenciling, wool spinning and blacksmith work. There will also be animals, including alpacas, llamas and goats.

Everyone can bring a vegetable item or piece of chicken for the “stone soup,” a meal that comes from an act of community, where the chef cooks up the contributed ingredients and serves it at the end of the day. Homegrown vegetables may be entered in a vegetable judging, as well.

In addition to the stone soup, there will be corn on the cob, hot dogs, hamburgers, homemade pies and milkshakes. Wild Hive Farm will also be baking.

Creek Meeting House is at 2433 Salt Point Turnpike, Clinton Corners. Admission and parking for Clinton Heritage Day are free. Tents will be set up in the event of bad weather.

This article was originally published in the Southern Dutchess News.