Hellertown Historical Society

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Heritage Day 2026 Event Profiles

At Heritage Day 2026 on Saturday, May 16, Dr. Andrea Smith will present “The 1737 Walking Purchase” at 12 pm in the Tavern Room. This 45-minute talk considers Pennsylvania’s 1925 decision to commemorate the infamous 1737 Walking Purchase, a deceptive land transaction that dispossessed the Lenni Lenape of 1.2 million acres, including much of the Lehigh Valley, and reflects on the lasting consequences of sanitizing the past.
 

View the 2026 Hellertown Heritage Day Schedule Here

Join us on Saturday, May 16, at 1 pm in the Tavern Room during Heritage Day 2026 for “Benjamin Franklin’s Times in the Lehigh Valley,” a first-person presentation by Christopher Black of the Bachmann Players of Easton. Portraying Franklin, Black explores Franklin’s 1755 visit to the Lehigh Valley, the history of the Walking Purchase, the rising tensions that led to the French and Indian War, and Franklin’s efforts to help defend the region.
At 2 pm on Saturday, May 16, in the Tavern Room, Jason Searock will present “On the Warpath to Peace: Moravian Missionaries and Indigenous Believers” as part of Heritage Day 2026. His talk looks at the Moravian missions of the early 1760s, when Native tribes and European settlers in Pennsylvania were caught up in Pontiac’s War, and examines how missionaries and converts often found themselves between hostile warriors and fearful settlers in Northampton County.
At 3 pm on Saturday, May 16, in the Tavern Room during Heritage Day 2026, Christopher Black of the Bachmann Players returns for “A Conversation Between John Adams and Thomas Paine.” This first-person presentation explores Adams’ role in the Continental Congress, his contributions to the Declaration of Independence, key edits left out of the final document, and his response to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense through Thoughts on Government.
Meet living historian Tim Platek at Heritage Day on Saturday, May 16. Platek, a modern minister who portrays Continental Army chaplain Rev. Thomas Davis, will be featured at both the Michael Heller Homestead and Grist Mill Park, bringing to life the role chaplains played in George Washington’s army.
Big Valley Bluegrass is bringing its high-energy blend of traditional bluegrass, jazz, and folk to Heritage Day in Hellertown on Saturday, May 16. Catch them live at the Americana Music Tent from 12:30 to 2, and bring a lawn chair, bring some friends, and enjoy one of the day’s great live performances.
Meet artisan Denise Wilz at Heritage Day in Hellertown on Saturday, May 16. Wilz began creating redware in 2002 after an evening class inspired her to use her great-grandmother’s tin cookie cutters to make clay ornaments, and she has since become a Master Artisan of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.
Come hungry to Heritage Day on Saturday, May 16. GrubNight and Paisano’s will be serving at Hellertown’s Grist Mill Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Lost Tavern Brewery next door with beverages made right here in Hellertown.
Antique and classic car enthusiasts will love the selection of American automobiles on display at Heritage Day in Grist Mill Park, Hellertown, on Saturday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thirty vehicles, including a Model T Ford, two Model A Fords, a 1940 Packard, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, and other classics, will be on display in the spacious field south of Sunfish Pond.
The Bachmann Players of Easton will bring colonial history to life at Heritage Day in Hellertown’s Grist Mill Park on Saturday, May 16. Members of the group will spend the day in the Field of Living History preparing a campfire meal, demonstrating colonial artistry, explaining hunting during colonial times, and exhibiting colonial toys, while Christopher Black will appear in the Tavern Room at 1 p.m. as Benjamin Franklin and again at 3 p.m. as John Adams
AMERICANA MUSIC TENT

11:15 am – 11:45 am
Saucon Valley High School Band performing the National Anthem and Opening Remarks, and recognition of the 1761 Heller-Wagner Grist Mill inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Big Valley Bluegrass band concert.

2:15 pm
Living historian Tim Platek portrays a Revolutionary War Chaplain giving a church service to Continental Army troops.

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Allentown Band concert.

TAVERN ROOM HISTORY TALKS

12:00 pm
The 1737 Walking Purchase with Dr. Andrea Smith.

1:00 pm
The Bachmann Players: “Benjamin Franklin’s Times in the Lehigh Valley,” with Christopher Black.

2:00 pm
Jason Searock presents “On the Warpath to Peace: Moravian Missionaries and Indigenous Believers.”

3:00 pm
The Bachmann Players: “A Conversation Between John Adams and Thomas Paine.”

ALL-DAY ATTRACTIONS 
(11 am – 5 pm)

Living History Field
Meet re-enactors portraying local Revolutionary War militias and British units.

Colonial Artisans
Demonstrations and sales of redware pottery, leather goods, woodcarving, and much more.

Children’s Activities
Burlap sack races, egg races, a cakewalk, colonial magic shows, and colonial arts and crafts.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides (12 pm – 5 pm)
Narrated history tours along Saucon Creek.

Antique Automobiles
A display of antique and classic cars representing manufacturing history since 1908.

Petting Zoo
Barnyard animals including bunnies, goats, and ducks.

FOOD AND DRINK

Food Trucks
Italian favorites from Paisano’s and variety from Grubnight.

Lost Tavern Brewery
Local beer and cider available in the concession area.

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