ARRGH!! Pirates and the Festival of Ale @ Higgins

The Annual Ale Festival at Higgins is coming up soon. They've also added a celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day.

The Higgins Armory Museum:
Location: 100 Barber Ave., Worcester, MA
Email: higgins@higgins.org
Phone: 508/853-6015.
Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10 am – 4 pm, Sun. from noon – 4 pm.
Admission: $9, adults; $7, children ages 6-16; $8, seniors, age 60+; free, children 5 and under, and members.

OK - Here's what Higgins has for us:

Avast ye, matey!

It’s all hands on deck at the Higgins Armory Museum this fall, as the museum launches programs ranging from honing pirate vocabulary to celebrating locally-crafted ales. In honor of “International Talk Like a Pirate Day” on September 19, the museum offers a weekend of pirate activities and fun. Later that evening is the popular Festival of Ale, featuring brews from across New England. A complete list of activities is available at www.higgins.org; all programs are free with museum admission unless otherwise noted.

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Talk Like a Pirate Weekend

Sat., Sept. 19 - Sun., Sept. 20, 10 am – 4 pm

Avast ye land lubbers! Pirates invade the Higgins Armory Museum for a rip-roaring weekend. Learn how to talk like a pirate (“arrgh”) or duel with a cutlass, a pirate sword. Games, crafts and prizes for the best-attired pirates. Only a bilge rat would miss this swashbuckling event. For more information, e-mail higgins@higgins.org or visit www.higgins.org.

Festival of Ale

Sat., Sept. 19, 6-9 pm
Advance tickets: $35, $25 for members
Tickets at door: $45. Designated drivers: $5.

Eat, drink and be merry at this popular annual celebration of hand-crafted New England beers in the Higgins’ Great Hall. Sample regional beers, meet area brewers and other beer enthusiasts. Tickets on sale now at higgins@higgins.org or 508/853-6015.

SEPTEMBER PROGRAMS

14th Century Knight: Armor in Transition

Sat., Sept. 12, 11:30 - noon

Why did knights change from using mail armor to plate? Why did it take nearly 150 years? These are just some of the questions answered in this program focusing on the evolution of knightly armor.

Martial Arts of the Medieval Knight Class Begins

Sat., Sept. 12, 1:30-3:00 pm
$100 for museum members, $125 for non-members

Discover how medieval knights used various weapons in battle, including the long sword, dagger, staff weapons, and armor. The class consists of four, 1 1/2-hour weekly sessions. No experience or equipment necessary. Participants must be 18 years or older, or 14 with a participating parent. Pre-registration required. For questions or to register, contact Rhonda Houle at (508) 853-6015, ext 20, or higgins@higgins.org.

Legio III Cyrenaica Roman Legion

Sat., Sept. 12, 2-2:30 pm

Meet members of the famed Roman legion based in Egypt from 60-100 AD/CE, portrayed by a living history group. Learn about the Legion’s history, weapons, tactics and daily life in this engaging presentation.

Arms and Armor Show

Sun., Sept. 13 & Sept. 27, 12:30-1 pm, 2:30-3 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 26, 11:30 am – noon, 2-2:30 pm

This interactive program covers the history of armor, from its evolution as mail to plate armor to its disappearance, then modern reappearance on the battlefield. Volunteers from the audience may help with the demonstration.

OCTOBER PROGRAMS

Haunted Higgins

Sat., Oct. 31
$9 – adults, $7-children; one costumed child (12 and under) free with each paying adult.

A “spooktacular” day for the entire family. Storytelling, trick or treating, creepy crafts, and ghouls and goblins around every corner. Prizes for best costumes, kids and adults. For more information, e-mail higgins@higgins.org.

About the Higgins

The Higgins Armory Museum is the only American museum dedicated solely to the art of arms and armor. The museum’s 5,000 artifacts center on the arms and armor of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including comparable pieces from the ancient period and from around the world.