Henricus Historical Park welcomes Godspeed
By Marcy Horwitz CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jamestown Yorktown Foundation Jamestown Settlement's Godspeed will dock at Henricus Historical Park for a visit this weekend.

Welcome the Godspeed when she visits Chesterfield County on May 19- 22, and take part in an admission-free, all-ages, multicultural celebration of our common past during "Rock the Boat," Chesterfield's own celebration of the nation's 400th anniversary.

The fun begins on Fri., May 18, when the Godspeed, a replica of one of the three ships that brought America's first permanent English settlers to Virginia in 1607, sails up the James River to Henricus Historical Park. At Bermuda Hundred, a band of welcomers representing the Native American, European and African-American communities will cheer the Godspeed upstream. For more information on the Godspeed's arrival, call 777-9663.

On Saturday, "Rock the Boat" starts when the gates of Henricus Historical Park (251 Henricus Park Road) open at 11 a.m. There will be a landing party on hand to greet the ship, and interpreters will lead tours of the Godspeed. From time to time, militiamen will fire a real cannon.

The Virginia Indians will perform native dances and musical pieces at 2 p.m. "We're really glad to have the Virginia Indians involved in this event," says Amanda Daniels of the Chesterfield Heritage Alliance. "Their involvement makes this special for us."

The Press Gang will perform 17th century river chanteys, and The Virginians, the acclaimed 100-member male chorus, will sing as well.

Special activities are planned for children. Little ones will laugh as hard as children did 400 years ago while watching a puppet show that's "a little different. The puppets are on a stick," says Pauline Mitchell, chair of the Henricus Foundation. Makeup artists will paint realistic arrow and bullet scars - appropriately enough, in Henricus' hospital - and a blacksmith will ply his trade.

Saturday's festivities will end at 6 p.m.

The celebration reopens on Sunday morning with "Unity on the James," a time of remembrance, recognition and reconciliation. Chief Ken Adams of the Upper Mattaponi, Ken Custalow of the Mattaponi, and a multicultural choir will be featured at the service, which begins at 10 a.m. Immediately following, the marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe will be re-enacted at 11:30 a.m. The music, dances, puppet shows, tours and more will continue throughout the day.

Henricus is the site of the second successful permanent English settlement in the New World. It was home to the nation's first hospital and first chartered college. Pocahontas also lived there.

For more information, visit www.chesterfieldtourism.com.