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09/06/2017 09:55 AMA Dutch Invasion is coming to the Connecticut River Museum.
The Onrust ship returned to the Connecticut River for the first time since the 1600s earlier this summer, and will soon make its way back to the Hudson River, but before the ship that first charted and explored the Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River departs from its berth, the Connecticut River Museum will be celebrate the ship, the organization that brought it to life, and the history and legacy of the Dutch in the Connecticut River Valley with a Taste of the Netherlands on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The Taste of the Netherland’s event features samples of Dutch food and beverages by Catering by Selene, a cannon demonstration, live music, and traditional tavern games. There will also be a ticket option to take a cruise down the river on the Onrust with Project Director Greta Wagle. There will also be Dutch drink tasting hosted by Mark Griswold and Stephen Gencarella of the iCVR radio show Fermented.
Guests will enjoy standard historical tavern games and popular Dutch games, including sjollen, played for centuries and similar to shuffleboard on a tabletop. There is also a dice game, klackers, that was widely enjoyed in the 17th century, but has its origins traced back thousands of years.
“If anyone’s ever come to our winter tavern nights, it’s a little like those, but Dutch-themed,” said Connecticut River Museum Director of Education and Marketing Jennifer White-Dobbs. “It’s a taste of history with a party atmosphere, a great opportunity to spend an evening on the waterfront and learn about the legacy of the Dutch in the river valley with good food, drinks, and fun games.”
Proceeds of the event support The Onrust Project, the nonprofit composed of mostly volunteers who built the replica ship and conduct its education programs. The vessel is a reproduction of Captain Adriaen Block’s 1614 ship, the first European vessel to explore and chart this area, as well as parts of Rhode Island. It was this exploration that sowed the seeds for the fur trade and the foundation of New Netherlands—known today as Hartford.
All summer, visitors to the museum have been able to take river cruises and learn about the history of the ship and its first trip up the river. It has also been used for educational programs where students learned about the ecology of the Connecticut River.
“We wanted to celebrate the Onrust Project, which built, maintains, and owns the ship,” said White-Dobbs. “We’ve been partnering with them since June to have the ship docked here. We want to say thank you. It will be here until mid-October, but early September seemed like a good time to do it—the weather is nice and it’s the beginning of fall foliage season.”
Taste of the Netherlands is on Saturday, Sept. 9. Standard tickets are $30 for members or $35 for nonmembers, and include drink and food tasting, music, games, and cannon demonstrations. A supporting ticket also includes a 45-minute cruise on the Onrust with a special mixed drink and a conversation with The Onrust Project Director Greta Wagle; these tickets are $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Attendees must be 21 years and older, and must show identification. For tickets, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-767-8269. In the event of rain, the Taste of Netherlands will be in the boathouse, and cruise tickets may be redeemed before the Onrust departs for the Hudson River in mid-October.