For the artisans who demonstrate their skills at the Heritage Festival, the past is very much present, and there's nothing they like better than sharing their passion for tradition with festival-goers. All demonstrations are ongoing beneath the Artisan Tent on both Saturday (10 am – 5 pm) and Sunday (12 noon – 5 pm) unless otherwise noted. Many artisans provide materials that can be handled and techniques that can be tried. These demonstrations are supported, in part, by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Pottery
Award-winning potter Tim Christensen-Kirby coaxes clay into beautiful forms.

Quilting
Merrilyn San Soucie oversees the creation of a Heritage Festival quilt. Stop by during the weekend and add your creative touch.

Woodworking
Alan Mitchell of Newmarketπ's Homestead School demonstrates bowl-turning--and makes wooden tops for kids. For more info: www.woodschoolnh.com.

Beekeeping
See bees at work—and taste the sweet results. Richard Dionne explains about managing hives and processing honey and beeswax.

Waterfowl Carving
Watch traditional artisan Fred Dolan at work and learn the history of New England decoys and their makers.

Boat Building
Jay Trayner, from Warner, New Hampshire, will demonstrate wooden canoe restoration.

Weaving
Saturday only
Help weave a Heritage Festival tapestry with Sarah Haskell. www.sarahhaskell.com

Origami
Sunday only
Michael LaFosse, one of the world's top designers of origami and paper art, demonstrates and teaches this ancient Asian art. See lobsters and lions, toucans and turtles--and make your own folded creatures to take home. www.origamido.com