Hancock Shaker Village Announces 11th Annual Country Fair
PITTSFIELD – Hancock Shaker Village’s 2008 Country Fair promises fun for the whole family with food, crafts, sustainable gardening tips, a pie contest, a world famous musical group performing, and more. The Country Fair, to be held on September 27-September 28, celebrates the bounty of the harvest with agricultural demonstrations, wagon rides, a Farmers Market, and huge tents full of the best local and regional crafters and artisans. It’s a great value for families - children 12 and under get in free and as always, it’s free for Village members of all ages.Farmers Market and Artisan Tents
At the Country Fair, vendors fill the Village with delightful fresh produce, finished farm products, and crafts of all sorts. The Farmers Market tents boast vegetables, flowers, maple sugar treats and hand-made cheeses. Artisans have furniture, Shaker style oval boxes, original paintings, candles and hand-woven textiles available for purchase.
Fair goers can also learn how to get their gardens ready for fall at the Country Fair with sustainable gardening tips - how to save seeds from your tomatoes or put the garden to bed for the season, for example. Sample heirloom tomatoes from the historic Village gardens and teas brewed right on site while enjoying one of the scheduled “herbal walks” to learn what you can easily plant next year.
“It’s so important to us that the Country Fair showcases sustainability in all its dimensions and makes it fun for families to learn about our mission and its connection to sustainable, principled living,” says Ellen Spear, President and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village. “We’re thrilled to add more events this year to the success of the Fair. The Revels and the WGBY ‘On the Menu’ Food Tent are sure to bring a new audience to the Fair and will only add to the great value for families.”
New for 2008: The Revels
A fun and interactive performance entitled "Harvest Home" by the Boston-based Revels is planned for Sunday afternoon of the Country Fair at 2pm. Based on 19th century English, French and American harvest traditions, the program includes "The Souling Song", sung until recent times in England on All Soul's Eve. "Souling" is the origin of the American tradition of "Trick-or-Treating". The concert is included in general admission to the Village.
WGBY "On the Menu" Food Tent with area restaurants featured on the show, including the Route 7 Grill and Castle Street Café, along with local favorites such as Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream, Pittsfield Brew Works and the Village’s own Florence Gould Café.
Timber Framing: A Traditional Approach
Beginning Wednesday before the Country Fair, students can learn timber frame construction using 18th & 19th century techniques and tools, assembling the frame of a small building. Instructional demos and discussion supplement hands-on learning, and by the close of Country Fair on Sunday, a finished building will be on display. To be a part of this workshop, call the Village for more information and to register (students must register ahead of time) 413-443-0188.
A Harvest of Quilts
A display of quilts in the Round Stone Barn has become an integral part of the Country Fair each year. About 45 antique and newly made quilts are displayed in this juried show, fine examples of craftsmanship and tradition. New to the show for 2008 will be daily demonstrations of quilting techniques as well as a hands-on chance for visitors to contribute to a "Linus" quilt that will be donated to those in need.
3rd Annual Pie Contest
Warm up those rolling pins and try your hand as a Shaker Baker in the Village’s Country Fair Pie Contest. There are both professional and amateur categories, with judging held on Saturday afternoon, September 27th. Winners in the contest will receive prizes from the Pie Contest sponsor, Different Drummer’s Kitchen. Guidelines for entry and registration forms are available on the Hancock Shaker Village website, www.hancockshakervillage.org.
Admission to the Village includes this great family event. Hancock Shaker Village members and children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Admission for adults is $15.00 and youth visitors aged 13 – 17 are $7.50. The Village is open daily from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
The 2008 Country Fair is generously supported by The Pittsfield Co-op, Country Curtains, Price Chopper, and Media Sponsor: Yankee Magazine.
About Hancock Shaker Village
Hancock Shaker Village, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is situated on 7500 acres of farm, field and woodland. The fully restored Village includes 20 buildings, 22,000 examples of Shaker furniture, crafts, tools and clothes, as well as heritage farm animals and spectacular gardens. Tours, craft and cooking demonstrations, lectures, and a variety of activities for children and families appropriate to every season are available, as well as a Cafe and Museum Store. Open year-round. Hancock Shaker Village is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is supported in part by grants from The Massachusetts Cultural Council and Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, call (800) 817-1137 or go to www.hancockshakervillage.org.
