Ideas For Georgian Style Events

Feel Free to Use,

But Make Sure to Credit Me!

I came up with these events for "Historic Rock Castle", feel free to use if you are interested, just make sure that my name is credited and include this webpage for even the slightest bit copied! Feel free to contact me directly at sassycountess@live.com with any questions.

 Their website is here http://www.historicrockcastle.com/

"The images on this page  are available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License" 

This is an 18th century mansion in Tennessee, and they represent late 18th and early 19th century. What I did was take the historic element and modernize it a little to get the general public involved.

 

Easter

            Easter Hunt – While everyone today likes to do Easter Egg Hunts, they were not the only hunts at 18^th and 19^th century estates. Foxhunts were extremely popular, even in America. George Washington and his friends went on hunting trips and even changed the layouts of their farms to accommodate the sport. Why not make a type of fox hunt at Easter on the grounds?

 How this can work:

*Invite everyone to bring his or her favorite stick horse, or purchase one at the house gift shop. (There may be a local wood worker who makes these, if not then I have seen someone close to me.)

*There will be seven heats –

            1. Small girls

            2. Small boys

            3. Medium girls

            4. Medium boys

            5. Teenage girls

            6. Teenage boys

            7. Adult men

            8. Adult ladies

            9. Senior men

            10. Senior ladies

*There will be an “obstacle course” where they ride their stick ponies to an area with a cut out representing a hedge, gate, creek, etc. There will be a person at each location and they will ask an historic question (all questions and answers will be posted on the website so that they can have the chance to memorize them beforehand) The person with the correct answer first gets a 3 second head start to the next hazard.

            Trick – the ladies must ride “side saddle”

*The winner receives a T-shirt with a picture of Rock Castle with a fox in the front of it. The shirts will read as follows.

            1. -6. will read, “I was as sly as a fox at Rock Castle”

            7. and 9. will read, “I caught some tail at Rock Castle”

8. and 10. will read “I’m Rock Castle’s Foxy Lady”

They will all have on the back “2013 Foxhunt at “Historic Rock Castle”, Hendersonville, TN c.

*When the last lady is walking up the stairs “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix should start playing. Everyone knows this song and will generate a great stir.

*To make sure that we have enough shirts, many can be ordered and the extras sold. These should sell because they a cute and clever. And wherever they are worn, they are advertising the site.

*To eat - a sideboard of egg salad thick bread sandwiches and lemon-aid or fruit tea with cookies.

*Easter tie-in – A petting zoo of bunnies and sheep

Mother’s Day

            A Mother’s Day Tea – Tea’s were very popular, and are now considered romantic and whimsical. Why not have a lovely tea on mother’s day? There can be different hot and cold teas, as well as small sandwiches and pretty deserts. Every mother will receive a T-shirt that reads “Mothers Rock at Rock Castle”. The sizes can be asked at the time of reservation.

 

Reservation will include price of shirt plus a “hostess gift” that we can recommend as flowers to be donated to a local senior center for the mothers within. This helps the community and also gives RC great press.

Wigged and liveried gentlemen who will act as though everyone at the table is a dignitary of old, will serve tea and bring the food and deserts directly the person. Guests are included to wear their very best and even dress in period attire if they chose.

Father’s Day

            A Father’s Day Sporting Day – My youngest son suggested this, and I thought that it was a wonderful idea. Gentleman sporting events such as bowling on the lawn, croquet matches, and even a cricket match can be played on the grounds. If there is a locale school team, maybe they can have a scrimmage with instructions. All fathers will receive a T-shirt that reads “Fathers rock at Rock Castle”. Water will be provided, but snacks and drinks can be purchased.

*Dueling – Start back to back each with a pistol that has a “bang” flag and the one that gets his flag out last receives a red handkerchief that is pinned to his shirt. The winner receives a green one. They are all put into separate bags for door prizes and must show their hanky for the prize.

*I also thought about asking some local wrestlers to dress up and duke it out like they did back then for a show.

Talk Like Jane Austen Day

            Talk like Jane Austen Day – This can be a day on July 18 because that is the day of her death. We can invite everyone to dress in their best Regency finery as we speak in lines from Austen novels. “It is universally acknowledged, that a single man of large fortune is” in want of a snack. “you want to tell me, and I have no objection of hearing” about this event., etc., etc.

There will be word games such as lines on a piece of paper and everyone has to guess from which book the quote is from. And card games such as whist, etc. Price of event includes a T-shirt that reads “Why, my dear, you must know that I came to speak like Jane Austen at Rock Castle”

Valentine’s Day

            Love in the Castle– My friends remind me that you cannot forget about Valentine’s Day. So, what about some romance?!

*Each room in the house can have someone reciting a beautiful love poem… save three. After the poem, the reciter gives each couple/person a card with that poem hand written beautifully. There may be someone locally who does calligraphy, which would be really pretty. We can suggest that these can be framed, and even make a framed set for purchase.

*One of the rooms will have a part of one of Byron’s poems. After all, he was ''Mad - bad - and dangerous to know,'' ~Lady Caroline Lamb. He was invited to every party, and all women swooned over him, but were not allowed to be near him by their husbands, brothers and fathers.

*Another room each lady will receive a small bouquet of old fashioned flowers with a love card attached from their lover who is attending with them. Or, if they are alone, a love note from a “secret admirer”.

*The last room will be a singing group singing a love song.

 *Partner with a local restaurant so that the first step will be a wonderful dinner.

*Guests exit to Visitor’s Center for a glass of Champaign and purchase gifts from shop.