Strawberry Banke Season Pass: Should Creatives Become a Member?
Creative inspiration, play, community, and moments to reflect. Easy to access. Easy to decide.
Here’s what I love about having a season pass at Strawberry Banke; on a beautiful Tuesday morning I can hop in my car, take the backroads to Portsmouth, park in the lot (included in membership), have a friendly good morning conversation with the person behind the desk, and stroll the grounds of a gorgeous and meticulously kept property. I can even bring my coffee! As a freelance creative who works from home, this feels really nice.
“The Little Corner Store” at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, NH is like walking right back into 1943- complete with owner.
A walk through Strawberry Banke can provide creative inspiration, a connection to our history, or an hour or two of sheer beauty. I can walk through the houses, talk with the volunteers who “reside” there, take photos, and let myself get lost in what it must have been like. What I find especially cool is that I can move through so many different time periods on a single property.
Visits to Strawberry Banke are never the same. Each day brings a new focus, series, or event. From blacksmithing and weaving to hoop rolling and playing games in the tavern, the options of things to try at Strawberry Banke keeps my inner child happy!
Finding My Zen and Creativity at Strawberry Banke
It is not all about play though, there are spots that are perfect for moments of calm or reflection, too. From the heirloom gardens to the botanical artistry in front of the Shapiro House, I can always find a spot to pull out a notebook and get some quick thoughts down or just sit down, smile, and observe what surrounds me .
Sitting in front of the Shapiro House is a spectacular place to imagine what it was like!
For my particular career as a Voice Over Talent, listening to how “residents” and tour guides use their voice is always helpful. It gives me new understandings of language, intonation, tone, connection, and conversation. Plus, I get to experience interactions with people who are totally in character!
Visiting Strawberry Banke keeps me curious too, which is a huge part of my work. Every single time I go I learn new things that make me wonder about more things. It keeps that part of my brain active and engaged. This directly translates into my work. (Personally, I think it translates to every single part of life for every single person, but we can talk about that another time.)
Strawberry Banke May Be Familiar But it is Anything But Common
Strawberry Banke allows visitors to walk through multiple time periods on a single property. It offers programming that not only helps us understand our Portsmouth past, but what our future might look like. It provides incredible musical offerings every summer through Tuesdays on the Terrace and hosts events throughout the year. From Magical Fairy Houses and Vintage & Vine to two of my favorites- the Magical Christmas Stroll and Pride, Strawberry Banke is not only a tangible experience of Portsmouth’s past, it brings our community together now.
The Christmas Stroll at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, NH is absolutely magical!
For those of us who have lived here most of our lives the uniqueness of this is easy to take for granted. Strawberry Banke, though, is not a common experience available to people who live anywhere. It is a rare and careful offering created by people who are passionate about preserving and learning from our Portsmouth history. It is a place steeped in community- where I swear you can feel the people from the past mingling with us by the bonfire during the Christmas Stroll. It understands the essential role of community and lives in it not just this year, but in all of the years since Portsmouth’s existence and all of the years to come.
This kind of mission is specific but not small. In fact, I am coming to understand that it is only the specific commitments that matter. In a place like Strawberry Banke those look like attention to the dress and language used by the role players. The historically accurate seeds that are planted in the gardens. The fire buckets in the Captain Walsh house. All of these tiny details add up to the important task of sharing our history so that we do not just read about it but know it.
Fire buckets and gorgeous design and architecture at the Captain Walsh house.
Just Like That?
It frankly amazes me that I have access to such unique offerings and inspiration right in my own backyard for just the investment in a season pass. Having a pass takes the wondering out of the equation and encourages me to visit more often. Whether I go for a couple of hours or twenty minutes I give myself the gift of time at beautiful, interesting, and inspiring Strawberry Banke. There has not been a day yet where I do not leave feeling happier, more creative, and more connected to the world around me.
If you are looking for a different form of creative inspiration this spring and summer, I encourage you to try a season pass at Strawberry Banke. Not only is it good for you, but your investment in a pass supports a unique, important, and remarkable mission.
Click here for more information about a Strawberry Banke Season Pass.
Mrs. Pickwick of Puddle Dock Pond
