We want to bring awareness to local history and have some family fun," said Patti Shrom when describing Christiana Heritage Days being presented by the Christiana Historical Society (CHS) on Friday through Sunday, Sept. 12 through 14. The celebration will include music, food, historical demonstrations and displays, children's activities and guided wagon tours through the town. Visitors will also be able to learn about the Christiana Resistance, a slave rebellion that took place in Christiana on Sept. 11, 1851.

Activities will be centered at the William P. Brinton House, 17 Green St., which is the CHS's headquarters, but other events will take place within walking distance at the Christiana Freight Station, 10 Railroad Ave.; the Christiana Masonic Lodge, 115 E. Slokom Ave.; and the Underground Railroad Center at Zercher's Hotel, 11 Green St., which will be open for tours.

The opening event will be on Sept. 12 when Hilton and the Pickers will present a concert on the lawn of the Brinton House from 6 to 8 p.m. "We will have the big tent set up for Saturday, and they will perform there, and it's free to the public," Shrom said. Hot dogs will be available for purchase, as well as pizza from the Christiana Pizza Company.

Events on Saturday, Sept. 13, will include a Civil War encampment, vendors and historical displays. "When people arrive, they need to stop by the welcome booth to get a map of everything going on that day, and if they want to go to the museum, they have to reserve a spot," said Shrom.

Children's activities will include a meet-and-greet with baby animals from A Little Love Farm in Gap. "It's more than a petting zoo; kids can interact with the therapy animals," said Shrom.

A chicken barbecue will be prepared on-site by Randy Yoder, with proceeds from sales to benefit CHS. Two trucks - Joe's Fish Sandwiches and Mocha Motion Coffee - will also be on hand. Pizza will be offered by the Christiana Pizza Company.

Highlights at the freight station will include tours of a caboose; a display of two rail motor cars; and an outdoor G-scale garden railroad display (weather permitting). New this year will be a letter press machine demonstration; souvenir tickets will be available. A miniature train will go from the Brinton House to the train station.

Historic wagon tours of the borough will be offered for a fee. Costumed tour guides will provide information about each site on the tour.

Darlene Colon, society president, who is a descendant of one of the participants in the Resistance, will be at the Underground Railroad Center to offer guided tours. Once known as Zercher's Hotel, the building was used to hold those who were arrested during the Resistance while they awaited transport to Philadelphia for trial.

Also featured at the location will be a replica of a box used by Henry "Box" Brown. Brown was an enslaved man in Virginia who, in 1849, mailed himself to freedom in a wooden crate to Philadelphia. "People can guess how much it cost (for postage) and for a donation they can and sit in the box to feel what it was like," Shrom noted.

Also on Sept. 13, there will be historical demonstrations and displays at the Christiana Masonic Lodge, including a collection of photos about Quaker history and the Underground Railroad. Guests will include author Joel Moore and Gwen Dickinson, who will talk about her father, William Chester Ruth, a local inventor.

The Heritage Days celebration will conclude on Sept. 14 with Friendship Day, which will include a short service with prayers and music at 10 a.m., followed by a potluck lunch at noon. "During the Christiana Resistance, all the community got together to help. We want to bring all the community together again," Shrom said. "It will be a fun, relaxing time."

Shrom noted that when the 2025 celebration ends, plans will begin for next year's event, which will commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Christiana Resistance. "We will be taking preorders for hats, shirts, a lunch tote and backpack with the 175th logo," she said.

"We are also looking for new (CHS) members," she added. "New members will get a gift, and current members can also renew their membership. If you do that during Heritage Days (membership is good) from September 2025 to December 2026."

All proceeds from Heritage Days will benefit the Brinton House restoration project. For more information, including a complete schedule of activities, visit www.christianahistoricalsociety.com and choose "Events." More information is also available by searching for "The Christiana Historical Society" on Facebook.