Three-year-old Kacey tries her hand at the lasso. (Credit: Cyndi Zaweski)
The annual Country Fair drew big crowds to Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead Saturday for an afternoon of old-fashioned family fun.
The North Fork tradition celebrates the region’s rich folk arts and agricultural heritage with craft demonstrations and more than 50 artisan vendors selling handmade items such as jewelry, jams and jellies, candles, hand knit pieces, and more. READ
Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)
The Hallockville homestead is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year and the museum farm there is hosting a day of celebration July 18. (more…)
KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Molly Fryman, 3, of Holtsville takes her first pony ride Saturday at the Hallockville Fall Festival.
The sun was shining and there was just a hint of autumn in the air for day one of the Hallockville Museum Farm’s 33rd annual Fall Festival and Craft Show Saturday.
A steady stream of visitors arrived at the museum complex to view displays and demonstrations, enjoy homemade treats and picnic under the trees.
The festival continues Sunday from 10am – 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12 and children 4 and under are admitted for free. Admission fees directly support the not-for-profit mission of Hallockville. Tickets are available at the gate.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTOS | East End Ass Whisperers members (from left) Sarah Fogarty, Bernadette and Emily Deerkoski of Mattituck take Diesel on a spin around Hallockville Museum Farm’s field during the 32nd annual Fall Festival Saturday afternoon.
Hallockville Museum Farm’s executive director Herb Strobel said that when he woke early Saturday the overcast skies looked a little ominous for the opening of the 32nd annual Fall Festival.
It is the farm’s biggest fundraiser and, he said, “without it we would be in a big hole for the year. That’s why we get down on one knee and pray for good weather. It keeps the place running, keeps the lights on and is a large chunk of our annual revenue.”
“On a good weekend like this,” he said, “we hope to get 4,000 to 5,000 people over the two days and we have over 100 volunteers that set it up.” He added that ” a lot of our success is due in part to our partnership with the Long Island Antique Power Association.”
The 20-year-old organization, founded by Bruce Young of Riverhead, has a barn on the property and runs the tractor pulls at the farm’s events.
By the time the festival began, there were clear blue skies with a nice cool breeze and high wispy clouds. There were demonstrations by the Basketweavers Guild of Eastern Long Island, Peconic Hookers Guild and the Eastern Long Island Quilters. The East End Livestock and Horsemen’s Association, the East End Ass Whisperers and the Little Red Barn had horses, donkeys on display and pony rides. There were also tours of Hollockville’s 1931 Cichanowicz House and the 1765 Homestead House with Richard Wines who played the part of David Halsey Hallock, who was born in the homestead in 1838 and lived there until he died in 1939.
The Antique Auto Club of America Peconic Bay Region had a dozen or so cars on display. On Sunday September 30th they will be hosting a larger show at Hallockville from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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