'Dutch Connection' events at Lewes' Zwaanendael Museum on April 19, 2008

The Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Delaware, will celebrate Dutch-American Friendship Day on Saturday, April 19, 2008, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with a series of Dutch-inspired activities that will be both educational and entertaining for every member of the family. Admission to all events is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Dutch-American Friendship Day activities will include:

An educational program about the first Dutch settlement in Delaware

Bike decorating in the Dutch fashion

Historical Dutch games

Tulip-making family craft activities

The Netherlands vs. Delaware Trivia Quiz

Dutch language activities

Educational programs about two Lewes shipwrecks: The DeBraak, originally a Dutch sailing vessel that was later captured by the British before sinking off the Delaware coast; and the Severn, a British commercial ship carrying an international cargo including many Dutch-made items that sank off Lewes' Roosevelt Inlet in the late 18^th century

Spice Trade, an activity that tests participants spice senses

Photo opportunities taken among the tulips

In addition to the above activities, visitors will have the option of participating in a family bicycle ride from the Zwaanendael Museum, where participants will learn about biking in the Netherlands and about Lewes' Dutch connection, to Roosevelt Inlet where participants will learn about the Severn, a British merchant ship that sank near the site in the late 18^th Century. Participants are encouraged to arrive at the museum at 10 a.m. on April 19 so that they can decorate their bicycles in Dutch fashion prior to the ride that begins at 10:30 a.m.

Note: The bicycle ride is limited to 30 participants. Reservations are encouraged by calling 302-645-1148. Rain date for the bicycle ride is Sunday, April 20, 2008.

Additional 'Dutch Connection' programs that are being offered at the Zwaanendael Museum in April include a display of photographs and memorabilia related to the Dutch royal family, and displays on the founding of Lewes as a Dutch colony. On April 30, 2008, the museum will mark the occasion of Koninginnedag (Queen's Day), a Dutch national holiday that honors the Netherlands' 200-year-old monarchy.

Dutch-American Friendship Day (April 19) commemorates the day that John Adams, the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American embassy in the world.

Last Updated: Friday, 28-Mar-2008 08:36:08 EDT