10-09-2026 7:14pm

Step Into Living History: SSAAM’s 1899 Camp Meeting Reenactment This Saturday

Donnella Tilery Editor

This Saturday, October 10, the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) invites the community to step directly into the sights, sounds, and spirit of an 1899 African American Camp Meeting—a tradition that once brought families together across the Sourland region from the late 1800s through the 1930s.

From 12–4 PM, visitors will experience history not as something distant or abstract, but as something you can hear, taste, touch, and feel. SSAAM’s annual Historic Skillman Camp Meeting Reenactment transforms the museum grounds into a vibrant gathering place filled with gospel music, storytelling, costumed reenactors, historic games, family crafts, and even horse and buggy rides through the Sourlands.

Admission is free, but SSAAM encourages guests to register in advance so the team can plan ahead for box lunches.

A Day Filled With Tradition, Joy, and Community

✨ Face Painting by Maya, the Face Painting Fairy
🎶 Live music from the SSAAM Heritage Choir
🐴 Horse and buggy rides through the Sourlands
📖 Stories from the past, shared by costumed interpreters
🏉 Historic games for all ages
🎨 Family crafts inspired by camp meeting traditions
🥪 Box lunches available for purchase
🍑 Peach‑inspired bake sale, honoring the Sourland’s historic peach industry and the African American communities who helped shape it

Bake sale proceeds support SSAAM’s educational programming and community initiatives.

Visitors will also have the chance to explore the historic Mt. Zion AME Church, a cornerstone of African American life in the Sourlands and the original site of camp meetings that strengthened community bonds for generations.

A Weekend of History Across Somerset County

SSAAM’s reenactment is part of Somerset County’s Journey Through the Past, a countywide celebration of local history taking place October 10–11. The museum will be open Saturday from 10 AM–5 PM and Sunday from 12–4 PM, welcoming guests to learn, explore, and connect with the region’s rich heritage.