MORAVIA - History can be celebrated in many ways.

Moravia tried them all Thursday.

“We have a nice small community,” said volunteer Horizon Performance committee member Marianne Michaud. “Summer events such as these bring out the neighbors and the visiting campers to socialize.”

Michaud and fellow committee member Mart Hart said Thursday's performance with The Excelsior Cornet Band would be the first in a summer-long series of concerts for the village.

The band was preceded by a performance featuring Fred Antil, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, and Dick Crozier, a General Robert E. Lee impersonator.

“If you look at the back of a penny with a magnifying glass you can see Lincoln sitting there,” Antil told guests.

The Cornet Band boasts that it is the only one of its kind complete with authentic musical instruments and uniforms of the Civil War era.

Leading the way to Ethel Fuller Park for the show was a children's parade.

“We love it,” said Joe Little, of Moravia. “It's a nice way to spend time with friends.”

Little attended the concert with his wife, Pat, and friends Bob and Clara Young, of Auburn.

In keeping with the history theme, the Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society held an appraisal day, where people had the opportunity to have some of their pieces of history appraised by TW Conroy Associates LLC.

“It has been a great turnout,” said historical society president Joyce Hackett-Smith.

“It was much better than we had anticipated.”

Lesli Joshi, of Moravia, was pleased to know that a turn-of-the-century etching was worth approximately $300.

“Appraisals are just an expert opinion,” said David McLean, of TW Conroy.

“It takes many years of trial and error to learn.”

And more history could be found at the Powers Library, where local authors Frank Foti and Don Mortin held a book signing.

Both Foti and Mortin have written books focusing on Moravia's history.