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| By Katelyn Gendron Reminder Assistant Editor WEST SPRINGFIELD Summer is officially over as the leaves have begun to turn their deep hues of red, orange and yellow, signaling the beginning of the harvest season. In today's New England society the changing of the leaves means that parents are rushing off to grocery stores to stock up on bags of candy for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. But 150 years ago, New Englanders were spending the harvest season sitting around fires telling stories of ghosts, goblins and witches. For the past 18 years Storrowton Village Museum has resurrected that tradition by gathering locals for a night of scary storytelling called "Haunted Old New England." Storrowton Village's historic church, built in 1834 will provide the perfect ambiance for the event with dim candlelight and lit chandeliers, which will illuminate the pews of this meetinghouse. Dennis Picard, director of the Storrowton Village Museum said this program is not a "haunted house experience" but a revival in spoken-word entertainment. "Sometimes the imagination can be spookier than something seen in two dimensions," Picard said of the power of the human imagination and storytelling. Visitors to the Storrowton Village Museum's "Haunted Old New England" on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. will be entertained, enchanted and spooked by storyteller April Grant. She said since her first public storytelling experience around a campfire, which made all those who were listening "spellbound" she has been sharing historical tales and stories of her own. Grant said she is trying to "recreate the atmosphere" of New England storytelling 150 years ago. "The stories aren't just to frighten people but to give them an insight into what people thought in colonial New England," she said. Grant said the stories she tells will "stimulate people's imaginations," such as "Gold Tray and Silver Tray," about a princess and a talking fish. Other stories will include ghosts, resurrections from the dead, and evil queens. Her storytelling technique includes not just the spoken word but also the singing of "Halloween folklore." "This is a lot more interesting that going to the movies or watching TV at home," Grant said of the event. According to Picard, those who attend will have the opportunity not only to be entertained by the stories but also to learn about the folklore of historic New England. Picard said he encourages people of every age to come out to this event because the entertainment value, power, influence of "storytelling is not just restricted to children." Admission to "Haunted Old New England" is $5 per person. For more information or to make reservations for this event call the Storrowton Village Museum at 205-5051. |