Military History and Appreciation Day is today

The Sparta Historical Society and its Van Kirk Homestead Museum will hold a Military History and Appreciation Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 15.

Admission is free. Food provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7248 in Sparta is available for purchase.

There will be a Revolutionary War re-enactors encampment; Civil War re-enactors with fire and drill demonstrations; and displays of equipment and vehicles from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras.

The Van Kirk Homestead Museum also will be opened.

The spring exhibit is called “Metal: From Earth to Form and Fashion,” which focuses on the science, artistic endeavors and the history of metal. Metals displayed are aluminum, copper, iron, lead, silver, tin and zinc and the alloys (combination of 2 metals) are brass, pewter and steel.

Ore samples are exhibited as well as products manufactured from their extractions, such as toys, musical instruments, jewelry and functional household objects.

In addition, the museum’s first floor and basement will be open to visitors with updated permanent exhibits, including the first-floor “Edison Revisited” gallery.

The basement exhibits, Colonial Kitchen and Mining, are open for viewing with educational docents.

The Sparta Historical Society is located at the Van Kirk Homestead Museum, 336 Main St, (Rte. 517, use Middle School Driveway), Sparta. It is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every second and fourth Sunday.

The spring exhibit continues through July 28. For details or group reservations, call 973-726-0883 or send email to spartahistoricalsocnj@gmail.com

Funding has been made available in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission through the County History Partnership Program, as administered by the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council.