The Daniel Boone Homestead, the birthplace of American pioneer, frontiersman and explorer Daniel Boone, will reopen for the 2022 season with a Community Day on Sunday, March 13, from noon to 4 p.m. All admission fees will be waived that day.

In past years, the March event at Daniel Boone was held to celebrate Charter Day, which is observed annually on the second Sunday in March by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Charter Day celebrates the granting of the Pennsylvania Charter to William Penn.

This year, the event at Daniel Boone Homestead was renamed by the site's new administrators to recognize the public's continual and faithful support of the historic site during the pandemic. "We have a new board and a new managing organization - Daniel Boone Homestead Associates," explained new site manger Heather Hicks. "There has been a pause, but we really wanted to honor the community who has been so supportive and inspiring during these last two years."

Events held on Community Day will include tours of the Boone house and other historic structures and demonstrations by the Amity Colonial Dancers. Children will be able to learn quill writing, be mustered into the Revolutionary War militia and play period games.

"(Activities) will be similar to what (visitors) would expect at Charter Day. We will have various interpreters and demonstrations on the property showing 18th-century Colonial crafts and skills," explained Hicks. "The sawmill will be running, and historic quilters will talk about the history of quilting." She added that there will also be talks on gunsmithing, hunting and trapping and an appearance by a Revolutionary War militia. Visitors will also have an opportunity to learn about volunteer opportunities at the site.

Hicks noted that several projects took place while the site was closed. "We did a Boone house paint analysis that revealed that the original paint was a Spanish red, so we repainted the Boone house to be more historically accurate," she said. "We made upgrades to our bridges and restrooms. We will have new lights added to our parking area."

Upcoming plans include a grounds cleanup day on Sunday, March 20; Heritage Wool and Textile Day on Saturday, May 14; and the Daniel Boone Dash, set for Sunday, May 22, which will include a 5K, 10K and family fun walk.

In addition to promoting the site for its historic value, Hicks said the goal is to make the area accessible and enjoyable to the community. "Daniel Boone loved the outdoors and he loved nature, and we want people to enjoy the park as Daniel did as a boy," she said.

Daniel Boone Homestead is located off Route 422 at 400 Daniel Boone Road, Birdsboro. Beginning on March 13, hours of operation will be on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guided tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The grounds are open for pedestrians from sunrise to sunset and to vehicles from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information, call 610-582-4900 or visit http://www.thedanielboonehomestead.org or http://www.facebook.com/danielboonehomestead.