2024 EVENTS!
We have a cracking schedule of events for 2024, so we hope you'll find something to pique your interest and encourage you to come visit us. Of course, you can always visit on non-event weekends (Fri,Sat,Sun) also, from 11-4 open hours.
MAY
Sunday, 12. May - Themed Tea, 1-4 'Dress Up in Your Finest.' Mothers and daughters, grandmothers and aunts and friends, you're all invited to come welcome Spring at Azilum's 'Dress Up Tea'. Wear your coolest outfit, your Sunday best, whatever takes your fancy--there will be prizes!
Enjoy a tour of the LaPorte House, some friendly appreciation of everyone's outfits, and then a delicious home made three course tea in the LaPorte House's gracious dining room.
$35 per person. Must be pre-booked: call 570-996-7534.
Friday - Sunday, 24-26. May, Opening Weekend (Blacksmiths will be there) HIDDEN HOUSE TOUR! Sunday 1 pm ONLY! $20 gets you into the attic and basement of the House, and up to the female servants’ quarters on a longer, more in depth tour with our site historian. Here is your chance to ask questions and venture theories about why certain construction details exist (we don't know everything!).
JUNE
Saturday, 1. June - Wellness Day--following up 2023's successful event, come enjoy Azilum's beautiful surroundings as you explore some wellness practises. Always wanted to try Reiki? Want to get more flexible with Yoga? Curious about saline therapy? This is your chance to experience it all! Light, healthy snacks will be available. $30. Must be pre-booked. Call 607-425-8858 to do so!
Saturday 8. June - Blacksmithing Day with Class. If you've always been curious about the art of Blacksmithing, Azilum's Master Blacksmiths will teach your the basics, and more, and guide you to make your very own simple tool that you can bring home and brag to your friends that you made! Or, gift it to someone special (and still brag!). Classes are limited to six participants and must be pre-booked. Call 570-996-7534 to do so. $35 per person. Over 16 please, or with a parent/guardian.
Friday - Sunday, 21-23 June - Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival. Back for a third year, the Solstice Festival is a three day celebration of the arts: music, painting, dance and more! Azilum's Blacksmiths will be on hand to showcase their artistry, and painters, authors, musicians, and dancers both local and beyond will delighte visitors with their beautiful creations. For more details, see the Festival's website, susquehannasolsticefest.com.
JULY
Saturday, 6. July - Family Fun Day. Bring your family, your neighbors, your friends, and enjoy a great day out amid Azilum's beautiful scenery. We'll have tons of entertainment and activities for everyone, including a fabulous magician, a balloon artist, a representative from DCNR who'll do some cool nature-themed activities, and our Master Blacksmiths will be showing everyone how they make the tools that are so essential to daily life. Historic Scavenger Hunt with prizes!
Special price: adults admitted for only $2 if they're accompanied by a child under 12. (Children under 12 get in free) J&R's Kitchen Food Truck will be on hand too, with their delicious burgers, mexican hand-helds, and more! So plan to spend the day.
Saturday, 13. July- Community/Descendants' Day We really appreciate our neighbors and friends, and especially are excited to welcome any and all descendants of Azilum's original settlers on this special day. Costumed characters, a talk on the history of Azilum and the French influence in Bradford County, house tours and our Master Blacksmiths will help visitors 'step back in time' to the late 1790s and realize what life was like for Azilum's residents.
Special pricing: Adults $5 for two rather than each! So bring a friend (or two, or three...) J&R's Kitchen Food Truck will be on hand, so plan to spend the day!
AUGUST
Saturday, 3. August - Civil War Day. Come and witness history re-created as our favorite Civil War soldiers skirmish, march and volley! Explore the camp where they'll be cooking as they did 'back in the day' and even holding a pie contest! Watch as traitors are captured and tried, and thrill to the bone-shaking firing of the canon. Master Blacksmiths will be on the site, working their metal magic, and J&R's Kitchen Food Truck will be there too, to be sure you don't go hungry!
Come twilight, experience the LaPorte House as it would have been back in the mid 1800s, with a candlelight tour. Then sit back and watch the sparks fly during the exciting night time canon firing!
Friday - Sunday, 23-25. August - Closing Weekend - Revolutionary War Day. We close our regular 2024 season with an exciting new event for us: a Revolutionary War Day! Relive what it must have been like in the Endless Mountains in the 1760s and 1770s when our country was fighting for its freedom from English rule. Revolutionary War soldiers in full costume will be staging battles and skirmishes, and will be happy to talk with visitors about why they do what they do, and what soldiers' lives were like in the 1700s. Explore their camp and enjoy costumed civilians as well as soldiers!
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL EVENTS, TO BE SCHEDULED.
SO WATCH THIS EVENT LIST!
APRIL/OCTOBER
Saturday, 20 April and/or Saturday, 5. October - Open Hearth Experience--Join us as we chop, prep and cook a three course meal over the LaPorte House's historic fireplace (1833). Then sit down with your fellow participants and enjoy the meal! 2023's Experience was a great success, so come get a feel and appreciation for what cooking (and eating) was like back in the early 1800s. $65 per person. Must be pre-booked. When dates are scheduled, call 570-996-7534 to book.
Saturday, 26. October - Escape the Guillotine--An Escape Room like no other. See if you can figure out the ciphers, puzzles, riddles and clues in each of the LaPorte House's puzzle rooms to break free from the threat of Mme. La Guillotine! $50 per couple or $35 pp. Must be pre-booked.When date is scheduled, call 570-996-7534 to book.
We had a wonderful time prepping and cooking a three course meal over the historic (1833) fireplace at the LaPorte House on October 7. Eight participants enjoyed a tour of the house as well as all the chopping and baking and fricasseeing! Watch the website for news of the next Open Hearth Experience!
Dozens of volunteers came together recently to clear away the brush, invasive species and weeds from French Azilum's riverside. Pictured below are just some of the volunteers and their efforts. The result is that visitors can now see the river clearly from all areas of the site. We hope to continue improvements to the Nature Walk and picnic/boat launch areas in 2023.
Our 2023 Event List is ready! You'll see some exciting new happenings at our site as well as several old favorites. Some things might be re-scheduled or changed--so we suggest calling 570-996-7534 about a month ahead of the event(s) you're interested in to be sure of the time and date Please leave a message if there is no answer. Please remember we are almost entirely volunteer-run (we have one paid employee, our Summer Intern) and rely on special event donations, entrance donations and individual/corporate giving to continue to ensure Azilum's future is as remarkable as its past. Thank you for attending!
FRENCH AZILUM 2023 EVENTS
For up to date info, please call Deborah on 570-996-7534. Please leave a message if she does not answer, so she can call you back. Please do not just hang up and call again later.
UPDATED!
AUGUST - Friday through Sunday, August 25-27 - Closing Weekend. Last chance to visit during our regular opening hours!Tour of LaPorte House and 'From Outlander to Downton' included.
OCTOBER - Saturday, October 7–Historic Cookery/Open cHearth Cooking Class. Learn to build a fire in the hearth, how to use and control heat, and how to create a three course dinner using only 18th century ingredients and methods. Then sit down and enjoy the meal with your fellow cooks. Limited to six participants. Must be pre-booked by calling 570-996-7534. $65/person.Tour of LaPorte House and 'From Outlander to Downton' included. THIS WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY SO CALL ASAP!
Saturday, October 28, 11-4,7-8 Escape the Guillotine! This is an Escape Room event like no other! Re-live the anxiety of French nobles who had to escape captivity or face 'Madame la Guillotine' and death. $35 per person, $50 per couple. Ages 15 and up. Timed entries ONLY, so must be pre-booked. Call 570-996-7534.
FRENCH AZILUM Summer 2022
Event Schedule
For more information & event hours, see TheFrenchAzilum.com. Site Open Hours 11-4, Fri., Sat., & Sun.; Tours at noon,1,2&3 sharp! Admission donation: $5 adults, $3 students, under 12 free. 570-265-3376;thefrenchazilum@gmail.com
May 27,28,29- Opening Weekend
Bridgerton Tea! on Sunday, 29 May, 1-4; call 570-996-7534 to book. $30 pp.
June 4 - Family Fun Day-magician, balloon artist and more! Adults $2 if accompanied by child under 12. Children under 12 free.
June 11&12-Blacksmithing Weekend - beginner & intermediate classes offered on Saturday & Sunday.$35 pp
June 17,18,19-Plein Air Weekend- come watch local and regional artists paint our spectacular site and the surrounding scenery. Regular Admission. SPECIAL 'ALL ACCESS' ADMISSION PRICING FOR FESTIVAL EVENTS AND LIST OF ALL FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES AT SusquehannaSolsticeFest.com. Classes, talks, demos, history, dancing...even a river paddle!
June 25-Textile/Quilt Exhibit Day
Local and regional quilters exhibiting their beautiful work in the LaPorte House. Regular Admission.
July 23-French Heritage/Descendants' Day-family members of the original Azilum settlers as well as those who are fascinated by French history will be on hand all day! (Le Gouter or Tea with the Queens 2-3:30, $20 pp additional donation; limited seating 570-996-7534 to book). Regular site admission (does not include Le Gouter). No 3 pm tour this day.
July 24-Church Service (date subject to change)-remembering the settlers at Azilum who were Bradford County's first Catholic residents. Free will donation.
August 6&7- Civil War Weekend with night tour of House/Canon Firing- come see and talk with re-enactors from the Civil War Period, and watch skirmishes, trials and other events throughout both days. Regular Admission.
August 14-Vino & VanGogh -CANCELLEDCreate your own acrylic masterpiece inspired by Azilum's scenery, under the skilled guidance of award winning artist Shvonne Strickland. Azilum supplies the wine!*$45 THIS YEAR'S THEME: WILDFLOWERS! Must pre-book. Call 570-996-7534 to book.
August 20- Renaissance Day-Knights & Maidens, sword fighting, fencing, and informational displays and demos from days long gone by. Barony of the Endless Mountains (SCA). Regular Admission.
August 27-Closing Weekend-last chance to visit the site before we close for winter!Regular Admission.
*served by PALCB licensed server
FOR DETAILS ABOUT EVENTS IN PRIOR YEARS,
SEE DESCRIPTIONS BELOW!
Be sure to book your spot soon to join in the fun!
The Open Hearth Cooking Experience at French Azilum’s LaPorte House planned for October 30, 2021, from 10-2 or 3 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO AUTUMN, 2022. a few demonstrations of Open Hearth Cooking will take place during our 2022 Open Season, especially on Blacksmithing Weekend and possibly one or two other days which will be announced.
The recent Blacksmithing Weekend was a big sucess, with many thanks to our Blacksmiths Rusty, Steve, Matt, Dave, and Stevie. Beginners and intermediate students were guided to craft a range of items, from plant hooks, to trivets, to door hangers, to dinner bells!
Blacksmithing Class Update
Vino & Van Gogh at French Azilum!
On Sunday, October 10, from 1-4 pm join us at Azilum’s LaPorte House for a splendid themed Tea! This one will see whether you have what it takes to be the Lady of a Victorian Country House. After all, you have to know how things ought to be done if you want to properly direct your staff! Some etiquette pointers, as well as fun challenges will make up the theme of the event, all held in the gracious LaPorte House, which was lived in as a private home from its building in 1836 to 1988. Then you will sit down to a wonderful, home made, three course Afternoon Tea.
