Party like it's 1773

Members of the Lt. George Farragut Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are inviting community members to party like it's 1773.

The DAR parade float commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party will be on display in the Hayden Library from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The float will be on display inside the library all week.

DAR members will present a 30-minute program that will repeat as new groups of people arrive.

"Some of us will be in colonial attire," DAR Regent Michelle Fansler said. "We have engaging, hands-on activities for four of the five senses to interest the entire family."

• Smell the Tea — The five types of loose-leaf tea that were thrown overboard Dec. 16, 1773, into Boston Harbor will be available for families to smell and vote on their favorite scent. One of the teas was George Washington’s favorite — guests are invited to guess which one.

"We have 'tea chests' that are close to the same dimensions as the tea chests that were dumped into the Boston Harbor," Fansler said.

• Feel and try on hats — People will have the chance to try on a mop cap and tricorn hat and enjoy photo opportunities in front of the ship.

• See and color — Coloring pages drawn by a DAR member will be provided, as well as a Boston Tea Party word search handout.

• See and Listen — A special QR code on the display and an iPad with headphones will be available for children to watch and listen to a 3-minute "Schoolhouse Rock" video to learn all about the Boston Tea Party.

• Hear — Three members of the local DAR chapter descend from participants of the Boston Tea Party. They will share stories about British Regulars (Red Coats) peeking into their relatives’ houses looking for the protestors and how they got away without getting caught. Were the protestors heroes or villains? Attendees will be encouraged to think about the different perspectives.

• Learn — A summary will be shared from the book, "Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot" by Joseph Cummins. Guests will hear more about the who, what, when, where and why of the Tea Protests that led up to the American Revolution.

Volunteers from Project Appleseed, a nonprofit that uses rifle marksmanship instruction to bring American history to life, will be in a meeting room presenting a slideshow and will describe the first day of the American Revolutionary War. Visual aids will include a Brown Bess rifle, bullets and more. The program will go from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

DAR will also be inviting young writers to participate in the American History Essay Contest for fifth through eighth and ninth through 12th grades. The deadline for the essay is Dec. 15 via email. Winners in grades five through eight will be awarded $50. High school-level winners will receive $200. Winning essays will go on to compete at the state level.

The Hayden Library is at 8385 N. Government Way.