New Boston

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The Fair at New Boston

September 5 & 6th, 2009

George Rogers Clark Park - Springfield, Ohio

Photos by Kathy & Jim Cummings


	Link to GRCHA and the Fair at New Boston

The Fair at New Boston was in it’s 27th year in 2009. And throughout the years the volunteers and crew at New Boston have learned to do it right. One has only to enter the Fair and will immediately see all kinds of spectacular goings on. Vendors selling their wares vie with street hawkers selling everything from food to newspapers and all in late 18th and early 19th century style. The sights are many from Silas the Ratcatcher to Daniel Boone. Turkey legs roasting over an open fire compete with cream puffs and ice cream. Musicians can be seen in the taverns and on the street corners. Venture down into the Indian camp for a glimpse of Native life. Come along as Parson John married a young couple on Sunday afternoon.

Watch out for the oxen and horses and wagons. For in the early 19th century horses had the rightaway. And if shopping is your thing the Fair at New Boston has it all. Buy handmade soap, have your silhouette made, watch the French Lacemaker in his elegant tent. If you were in the market for a floorcloth there were many to choose from. Or outfit yourself from head to toe with handmade goods. And to be really

entertained stop and see Signora Bella the slackrope walker or Otto the Swordswallower. Once a day the Cheapside theater offered a truly fine performance of the play “She Stoops to Conquer.”

There was a military presence at the Fair too. General George Rogers Clark made an appearance at the park that bears his name. Cannons were guarding the hillside and both British and American troops met on the battlefield with the Indians. So come along with us and take a visit to The Fair at New Boston.


	There’s so much to see and do at The Fair at New Boston that two days hardly seems enough time to experience it all. But with all of the sights and sounds and colors at the Fair it is still the people that make it exciting.

		See the Many Faces of The Fair at New Boston 2009


What is a fair for - if not for the children.

	Children in period dress were having a great time. They were roving as musicians, selling food items and seeing the sights. We’ve also included photos of the other children - those that came to visit and played with swords and recorders wanting to step back to an earlier century. And it was a big surprise to see how many other children tried to get in the spirit of the fair by persuading their parents to let them “dress” with hats, and parts of costumes left over from Halloween or school plays. Will they be the re-enactors of tomorrow?

		The Children of The Fair at New Boston 2009


	All sorts of happenings occur at the Cheapside Theater during the Fair at New Boston. This year we sat in on the 18th century play She Stoops to Conquer. Most everyone has been the target of practical jokes, and most have been out on blind dates. Oliver Goldsmith bases his 1773 comedy She Stoops to Conquer on two such incidents, creating a complicated, convoluted plot based on miscommunication and mistaken identities.

		She Stoops to Conquer at The Cheapside Theater 2009


		The Battle Re-Enactment at the Fair at New Boston is a tactical battle - that is an example of a battle that might have taken place in the 18th century. The site of George Rogers Clark Park though, is actually on land where Clark brought his Kentucky forces to fight the Shawnee Indians at the town of Peckuwe in 1780.

	Battle Photos from The Fair at New Boston 2009

What would a fair be without entertainment?

Daniel Boone and a host of other entertainers performed at the 2009 Fair at New Boston

Kristopher Shultz and Mel Hankla both portray George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark and George Rogers Clark?
Famous men are often portrayed by various people around the country. During the recent Lincoln Celebration there were over 200 known Lincoln portrayers. But an unusual site at the Fair at New Boston was - George Rogers Clark - and George Rogers Clark the younger!