All events will follow University of Southern Indiana COVID-19 guidelines.
Events will be added throughout the year so be sure and check back!
April 1-August 1
Robert Owen 250th Creative Writing Contest
April 10th 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Community Garden Day with the Garden Club of New Harmony
Be a part of the community celebration of Robert Owen and his time in New Harmony by helping make it even more beautiful! The Garden Club of New Harmony is hosting a day of volunteering on Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Grab your masks, tools and gloves and meet the other volunteers at the basketball court at Church Park, across the street from the Working Men's Institute. No gardening experience needed! A limited number of tools will be available for use for those who do not have their own. Please note that this is not a Historic New Harmony event and contact Marlene Huffaker at marlene.huffaker@gmail.com with the Garden Club for questions and/or to sign up! In the event of rain, this event will take place at the same time on April 17th.
April 26th at 1 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
Dr. Bill Elliott
"Fruits of Failure: Lasting Legacy of the Owen-Maclure Community of New Harmony, Indiana"
May 8th-May 22nd
Finding Robert Owen Scavenger Hunt
Sponsored by the Leather Leaf Inn
Join the hunt for Robert Owen in New Harmony. Robert Owen will be hidden throughout town in the area bordered by South, North, Arthur and East Streets. You must locate all 10 for a chance to win one of two prizes: First prize $200, Second prize $100. Pick up the entry form from the Atheneum starting May 8th and return it to the Atheneum by May 22nd at 5:00 p.m. You must locate all 10 Robert Owen's for a chance to win! Drawing will be Monday May 24th at 1:30 p.m. live on Facebook.
May 14th
Robert Owen Day
The town of New Harmony joins other sites around the world in celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Owen's birth. We officially kick off our celebration with a most notable proclamation from New Harmony's Town Council, highlighting his life, influence, and continued global impact. The proclamation will be read and posted at the birthday celebration on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at Owen Square in New Harmony (directly across from Thrall's Opera House). A short presentation will take place at 10:30 a.m.
May 15th 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Robert Owen's 250th Birthday Party
The public is invited to join in a birthday celebration for Robert Owen. Held at Historic New Harmony's Owen Square (directly across from Thrall's Opera House) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the celebration will offer family games, crafts, music, and exciting opportunities to learn more about the man, his time in New Harmony and his influence around the world. Guests are invited to bring picnics. Picnic tables and tents will be set up. Make sure to grab a Robert Owen birthday cookie too! Masks and physical distancing are required. For more information, visit USI.edu/Owen250 or call the Historic New Harmony offices at (812)682-4488.
May 20th at 1 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
Matthew Mosca
"Painting the Great Window"
June 22 at 1 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"The Frontier Scientist: Thomas Say"
July 17th at 8:30 p.m.
Community Movie Night
Join us at the Atheneum for a golf cart drive in! Grab your golf cart or lawn chairs and snacks and enjoy A League of Their Own on the Atheneum lawn. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. All current Covid-19 protocols will be followed. Service animals only. While snacks and drinks are permitted, no alcohol is allowed.
© Columbia Pictures
August 26th at 1 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"The Unfashionable Mr. Owen"
September 23rd at 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"Black Owenites: Cooperation and the Long Civil Rights Movement"
October 2-3
No Digital Weekend
A little time away from the computer, internet, email, Facebook, Twitter, video games, and other bright flashy things are needed from time to time. Your eyes and your brain deserve a break. Not to mention your entire body. When we think about how much technology we use every day and how much it controls our lives, you can see that a little distance from those things may be in order. There has been a flood of studies over the years that shows that we are more productive after giving our minds a break and spending time outside. Stepping away from our devices can improve cognitive function and giving our brains time to “wander” which in turn can improve creative thinking.
Historic New Harmony wants to celebrate the ingenuity and creativity of human beings without the constant distraction of the technology we use every day. By giving our minds a digital detox, we can improve ourselves through art, science, nature, and education. All of which, Robert Owen believed would be used in his perfect Utopia, here in New Harmony.
October 12th at 1:00 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"Robert Owen, Harmonic Passions and the Practice of Happiness"
November 11th at 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"Entangled"
December 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Community Conversation
"Robert Owen’s Impact and Legacy in Nineteenth-Century France"
This program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities
in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Robert Owen 250th Celebration is also brought to you through the generous support of Dr. George and Mrs. Peggy Rapp.
