The Festival culminates in a Friendship Dance, led by The Chickahominy Tribal Dancers, in which everyone may participate.
- Sue demonstrates the minuet.
This year’s Festival will be held Sunday November 4, 2012, noon to 4:00 p.m. at Berkeley Plantation. There will be period interpreters strolling the grounds, children’s games, family friendly activities, food and craft vendors.
The formal program which begins at 2:00 includes music, informative speeches and the re-enactment of the 1619 landing of Capt. Woodlief and his men which portrays America’s First Thanksgiving.
The program ends with The Chickahominy Tribal Dancers who will explain their history, perform and invite everyone to join in the Friendship Dance.
Food will be available for purchase from HomeMades by Suzanne, an award-winning Richmond caterer.
Come and learn about Virginia’s official First Thanksgiving! It’s history, disguised as FUN!
The correct date is November 6, 2011. The date for 2012 is November 4th.
…I am very happy to see this site up and running, and honored, as a 13th Generation of Benjamin Harrison Ist, in that I am the first to comment. This year, I will be attending Berkley’s Thanksgiving celebration on November 6th, and hope that at such a crucial time in History, that many fellow Virginians, and Patriots of our beloved Country, will do so as well!…
Thank you, Carol! We are very happy that you will join us for an educational and fun day on the beautiful grounds of Berkeley Plantation!
It is always a pleasure to commemorate good Virginia History!
…God Bless The United States of America! +++…
We are excited to finally visit. John Woodlief is my 9th great-grandfather, so I am thrilled to finally be able to attend.
We are very happy that you can be here for our 50th anniversary celebration, Cindy!
Thanks for this great site. I was wondering if someone might have an answer to my question. i recently found out that an ancestor named Swandall (Swindle) was one of those killed at Falling Creek Ironworks during the massacre of 1622. Some thing else I had read about Berkeley bringing men over from England to work at that iron works, has led me to think that those workers arrived with him on the MARGARET ship…and would have been present at the ordaining of that first day of giving thanks. The dates and timing seem right. Does anyone know if there is a list of passenger names of all the indentured or common men that traveled with Berkeley and landed at his plantation? I was fortunate to visit Berkeley Plantation a few years ago. Any help with making this family connection would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, Ms Lyon! Welcome to our website & thank you for your question. I do have a list of the passengers that came to Berkeley on the “Margaret” in 1619. This list was discoverd in the archives of The New York Public Library, some years ago. For future reference, this document is listed as “The Symthe of Nibley papers, Symthe 3 (18), Page 97, Documents in New Yok Public Library, List of Records No. 140″. These names were recorded by George Yardley and his secretary, John Porey, upon landing at Berkeley. The names are as follows: Toby Felgate; Ferdinando Yate; John Blanchard; Henry Pearse; Richard Godfrey; Thomas Coopy; Rowland Painter; John Cole; Humphrey Osbourne; Humphry Plant; Thomas Davis; Xropher Nelme; Richard Sherife, the elder; Richard Sharife, the younger; Edward Painter; Charles Coyfe; James Clay; William Clement; Samuel Coopy; William Cole; Thomas Pearse; Thomas Denton; Xrpher Burton; William Parker; John Hurd; William Patche; Thomas Patche; Thomas Sanford; William Stone; John Jones; Stephen Torphet; John Taylor; Walter Hampton; Thomas Thorpe; and Captain John Woodlief, who, along with Yardley and Porey, made up the 38 settlers of Berkeley Hundred.
It is possible that your ancestor sailed over in 1620 on the ship, “Supply”. I don’t have a list of the passengers for The Supply and I don’t know much about the Falling Creek Ironworks, unfortunately. But, from what research I have done, it seems that The Ironworks is fairly distant from the Berkeley Hundred Settlement, near what is called, “The Fall Line”, and closer to Richmond, VA.
I wish you much luck in uncovering your genealogy. You may want to visit The New York Public Library, sometime, and look at their archives. From what I have seen on the internet, both The Berkely Hundred Settlement and The Falling Creek Ironworks were established by the Virginia Company of London. So, there is a connection there. If, in future research, I see a reference to your name, I will certainly pass on the information.
Thank you and I hope you will attend The Virginia Thanksgiving Festival one day soon!