Mathews Museum

May Faire 2024 Slideshow!

Thank you volunteers, citizens and vendors for a wildly successful event!

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MATHEWS MAY FAIRE 2024: A RURAL LIFE

Sneak Peek at May Faire 2024

Just a few of the events happening today!

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Pound Cake Contest Winners

Good afternoon,
Congratulations on a "great day" to all.

The winners of the Pound Cake Contest are:
Traditional Category
3rd place: Deb Woodward - Gloucester
(was awarded her prize on the Courthouse Greens)
2nd place: Doris Clark Shaw - Mathews
1st place: Mary Jenkins Buchan - Hanover County

Creative Category
3rd place: Kim Cortes - Mathews
2nd place: Sarah Gayle Randolph - Irvington
1st place: Robin Dehoux - Mathews
(was awarded prize by Karen Doremus on Main Street!!!!)
The other prize winners were notified by phone last night.
All were so excited and "over the moon" to receive a cash prize with their ribbons.

A giant "Thank You" to our judges, Dave Goldman, Lisa Kroese and Amanda Robinson, they did a fantastic job. Huzzah!!!!!!!!!
To the Pound Cake Contest team, Jamie, Janet and dear Kathy from NY - thank you from the bottom of my heart💖

May Faire 2024

You don't want to miss this!

May Faire 2024 Photo Contest

Upload your favorite photo of Mathews! Registration deadline is April 28th, 2024.

Events Scheduled for May Faire 2024!

Sponsored by the Mathews Historical Museum- On the Court Green
Saturday, May 4th, 2024 9:00 am-4:30 pm

“A Rural Life,” -- the county’s 6th annual spring heritage festival --will take place Saturday, May 4th. This year’s festival will take on a “county fair” atmosphere, showcasing our Mathews very rural way of life—the people, their histories, their agricultural heritage, and their stories both past and present—all focusing on farming, fishing, and families. There is no charge for this event.

*9:00 The “big red fire engine” will sound its horn, May Faire will begin, and the Mathews High School band will perform on stage

*Local talent Michelle Thacker will offer the National Anthem

*Jonathan Austin, and his 24-hour Emergency Juggling and Magic Act! --a full time professional entertainer specializing in jokes, comedy, juggling, magic, and a unicycle—will visit and circulate in the crowd!

*3:30    COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’s FIFE AND DRUM CORPS WILL CLOSE THE DAY’S ACTIVITIES ON STAGE

*An archeological dig sponsored by the area’s Fairfield Foundation will be there as well as an early American demonstration using period-type archery equipment

* CA & J Farm, www.cajfarm.com , from the Mobjack area will be hatching Chicks right in front of your eyes at the May Faire Farm! Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits and 3 Farm Dogs will be there to enjoy along with demos & ideas from the Farm!

*a hand-cranked corn grinder will be there, grinding corn to feed to the newly hatched baby chicks, as well as an old-fashioned apple cider press, making apple cider for the children to sample

*there will be the traditional arts and crafts, antique tractors and food booths, and a May Pole dance, along with displays of agricultural tools and implements from the past up to the present. Indoors at the Museum, 200 Main Street, there will be exhibits of crafters’ talents—quilts, jams, and other homemade items!

*At the old Court House at 9:30 am, “then and now” photographs going back 60 years, taken by local aerial photographers, will be on display. At 11:30 there will be a special presentation, “100 years of Daffodils in Mathews” by area horticulturist Brent Heath, owner of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.  That will be followed at 1:00 by Mathew’s teacher Michelle Williams who will be talking about “Home Economics in Mathews: Then and Now.” Mrs. Williams’ students will also be on site to offer some student-processed food items for purchase.

*For automobile enthusiasts, there will be an exhibit of MG automobiles as well as an exhibit of Corvettes

*Come join in the fun and visit Mathews May Faire on May 4!  Additional information will be posted at www.mathewsvamuseum.org, as the schedule develops, or, for more information, questions, contact MayFaireMathews@gmail.com

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“A Rural Life,” the county’s 6th annual spring heritage festival, will be held Saturday, May 4. Each year, the first weekend in May, residents and visitors are invited to explore a different aspect of the county’s past. This year’s festival will feature a “county fair” atmosphere and will examine our very rural way of life—the people, their histories, their agricultural heritage, and their stories both past and present—focusing on farming, fishing and families.

May Faire 2024 Chair, Barbara Bass notes that the event will look “very much like an old fashioned county fair. It will provide an opportunity to remember and celebrate the past and raise awareness of some of our greatest historical treasures and peoples. We anticipate a variety of educational booths as well as our traditional events. ”

The Committee is already hard at work planning a variety of activities which will reflect the county’s agricultural heritage. Plans include musical performances by our school children; an archeological dig sponsored by the area’s Fairfield Foundation; C & J Farms bringing baby chicks which are planned to hatch on site, and baby pigs, bunnies and dogs; the traditional May Pole Dance; arts and crafts booths; and displays of agricultural tools and implements from the past up to the present. We welcome anyone interested in helping develop this exciting event.

For more information, questions, contact the chair at cbbbbb@breezeline.net