Thanksgiving Again…in April?

by Kelly Amabile on

If you didn’t get your fill of Thanksgiving food or
celebration yesterday, and can’t bear the thought of waiting till next autumn for a repeat, why not head to El
Paso in April? Yup, this was news to me, but I thank the reader who
commented yesterday, sparking my curiosity
to learn more. Turns out that when the Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate stopped in El Paso in 1598 to claim the
upper Rio Grande territory for the king of Spain, his group of traveling explorers held a celebration that El
Pasoans consider to be the first true Thanksgiving — 23 years before the Mayflower arrived. (A little bit more
about the history of these colonizers can be found
here.) The
city holds a Heritage Festival each spring from late April to early May that celebrates both that Thanksgiving and
Cinco de Mayo (tequila and turkey anyone?) Among the activities is a reenactment of that historic feast at
Chamizal Park. Anyone know more about this other Thanksgiving celebration?
I’d love to hear from others who have celebrated or participated in festivities related to this event.

[The photo shows a statue of Juan de Oñate that was recently commissioned.]

One for the Road: Taste of History Series

by Kelly Amabile on

Food is on our minds today, of course, so as we prepare to give
thanks and share Thanksgiving feasts across the country, here is a travel/cookbook combo to suggest for when you get
hungry again. The Taste of History series are guides to over 100 restaurants in each of the states they have
covered. Most of the places mentioned are eateries housed in historic buildings like old train stations, churches,
schools and even jails. In addition to historical background, there are several recipes for each entry. The latest
title in this series by Debbie Nunley and Karen Jane Elliott is
A Taste of Maryland History: A Guide to Historic
Eateries. Other titles include guides to Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Historic Thanksgiving Places

by Kelly Amabile on

Budget Travel did a nice write-up on
historic
Thanksgiving  locations. Here are links to the destinations they mention, three great places to consider for a
trip next year: The Berkeley Plantation in Virginia is the
site of the first official Thanksgiving in America in 1619, a year BEFORE the Mayflower landed at Plymouth. The
Jeffersonian Thanksgiving Festival takes place before and after
Turkey Day in downtown Charlottesville, VA. And of course, Plimouth
Plantation in Plymouth, MA, where the Mayflower did arrive so many years
ago. These are great spots to visit throughout the year to learn more about the holiday we celebrate today.

Smithsonian Folksways

by Erik Olsen on

I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen (and heard) at the
Smithsonian Folkways label. They are making a serious commitment
to keeping the history of music alive, and taking advantage of the Web to really get the word out. The Smithsonian
folks have developed a digital music store called Smithsonian Global
Sound that I recommend you check out. At.99 a track, you can at least take a listen. See if it’s for you.