Experience a taste of 1850’s life in the central Shenandoah Valley at the 4th Annual Court Days Festival. The city’s Court Square will buzz like a beehive of history-come-alive with medicine shows, cooking on an open hearth, ten artisans fashioning furniture, stone walls, baskets, guns and  more on the courthouse lawn.  All against a background of period music, merchants selling their wares, horses clopping by, and the aroma and tastes of old timey foods.  The festival will continue its tradition of interpreting local history via stage plays in our 19th century courthouse and Court Square Theater, period food by restaurants and vendors, horse and wagon rides, and an exhibit of wagons and carriages.  Take part in music workshops all day on 19th century banjo and fiddle styles plus shape note singing.  Exhibits have expanded to include booths by more than 8 museums and 3 preservation societies. Music has expanded to include a finale concert by famed scholar and performer Mike Seeger.   All activities are free to the public with some exceptions.  A $5 button will provide admission to wagon rides, indoor plays, concert by Mike Seeger, and country dance.  The dance is designed for beginner level and street clothes are welcome.  For more information, call Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance at 540-432-8922.

Court Days Lecture Series

Court Days Festival, an effort of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, and the Massanutten Regional Library are sponsoring this year's lecture series which is made possible by a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, which seeks to bring scholars and the public together. The series is free and open to the public. 

The theme of the series is “Waves of Change:  Mid 19^th Century Changes and How They Continue to Affect Us Today”.  The three lectures, held the first three Tuesdays in May at the Massanutten Regional Library, each look at a different aspect of change. 
Schedule of lectures and details

The Harrisonburg/ Rockingham County Virginia community recreates the 1850s life of a small Shenandoah Valley town, as authentic to its local history as possible. Come join us and experience exciting drama, artisans, music, arts and crafts, food, and wagon rides from 10 to 5.

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10am-5pm Street Drama, Artisans, Arts & Crafts, Music, Exhibits, Food, Plays*, Wagon Rides*

5-6pm Mike Seeger in Concert* & $10 Country Buffet

6-8pm Country Dance*

6:15pm - 8:45pm - Film Documentary Night
Presented by WVPT-Virginia's Public Television

All activities free unless noted.

* Requires $5 Court Days button

New!  Download the full Schedule for June 7! (pdf)

New!  Download the program for the 2008 Court Days Festival (pdf)

Directions: From I-81, take Exit 245 (Port Republic Road). Turn right onto Main Street (Rt. 11) and travel north until Court Square. Free parking is available in the Water Street and Mason Street decks and the municipal lot on Liberty Street.