Mountain men will demonstrate survival techniques on the Mission
Plaza lawn and
”
Wild Card Johnny
”
will perform card tricks in the barroom as
”
Living History
”
returns Saturday to the San Juan Bautista State Historic
Park.
Mountain men will demonstrate survival techniques on the Mission Plaza lawn and “Wild Card Johnny” will perform card tricks in the barroom as “Living History” returns Saturday to the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.
“This is what we typically do every month,” said event organizer Elizabeth Gage. “Sometimes it doesn’t always work out, but usually this is what we hope for.”
Cooking methods of the past will be shown in the back garden of the Castro-Breen Adobe.
“Often we have people baking bread in a clay oven or making tortillas by hand,” Gage said.
Another attraction will be hoop-skirted ladies at various parlor locations who will talk about the artifacts and their uses during the Victorian era.
“These costume docents go through a training program put on by the state park rangers to learn about the period and how to interpret history to the public,” Gage said.
Many of the individuals have their own costumes. The historic park has collection of costumes to lend for the event.
“Victorian women had all kinds of bits and pieces that made up their costume,” Gage said. “Some had dresses with full bell-shaped sleeves, then they would wear half-sleeves underneath that so their wrists wouldn’t show. They were pretty much covered up.”
The park’s collection of Victorian costumes was hand-sewn by previous docents. Some are simple day dresses and others are pieces designed for special occasions.
“For California women in particular, there are certain pieces that can be used because it’s historically correct,” Gage said. “Some styles never change, like the scoop-neck white blouse and cotton skirt with a rebozo (shawl).”
The costume docents will be on hand from noon to 4 p.m. at the Castro-Breen Adobe and at the Zanetta House. Admission for adults is $2.
Those interested in the history and costumes of the area can take a training course with State Park Ranger Alexandra Ott. For more information, call 635-9301 or e-mail pl**********@ya***.com.
