Summer Solstice Sunset Hike

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

6:30 pm

Join us for a Summer Solstice Sunset Hike to the Shaker Feast Ground. Enjoy the summer air while hiking through the beautiful Shaker meadows and forest. The hike will end at the top of Mt. Assurance where we’ll enjoy a stunning sunset, amazing views of Mascoma Lake, and a carefully curated Wine and Cheese Reception. Shaker scholar Mary Ann Haagen will present a brief history of the Enfield Shaker Feast Ground and its use for outdoor worship services in the mid-19th century.

The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight, which is why it is often called the longest day of the year. During the month of June, the solstice occurs when the sun reaches its highest and northernmost point in the sky. Evening on the Summer Solstice is the best time to take a hike and breathe in some fresh air. This moderately strenuous hike should take about 35 minutes each way and you’ll need to feel comfortable walking on uneven terrain in low light conditions. Please wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes and bring a flashlight for some extra illumination on the way back down.

Limited to 20 participants. Advanced registration required.

Museum Members – $20/person

Non-Members – $25/person

Want to know more about Mary Ann Haagen?

Mary Ann Haagen has studied and performed the music and dance traditions of the Shakers since 1980.  Her work is particularly inspired by the songs she learned from Shaker Sister Mildred Barker (1897-1990) of Sabbathday Lake, Maine, and by the scholarship of Daniel Patterson, UNC.  She holds degrees in music from Cornell University, Columbia University and the Dalcroze School of Music, NYC. She directed the performing group, The Enfield Shaker Singers from 1989 to 2005. She regularly lectures on and teaches Shaker music. She is a visiting scholar in music at Dartmouth College.  She and her husband Charlie are deeply involved in the historic preservation of the Enfield, New Hampshire Shaker Village.  Her research and writing on the Shakers focuses particularly on the New Hampshire Shakers.