Hancock Shaker Village to Showcase 'Baby Animals'
.jpg) This 3-day-old piglet and his brother are the first to arrive. |
The annual spring celebration brings scores of baby lambs, piglets, calves, goats, ducklings, and chicks to the historic Round Stone Barn.
The animals represent livestock once kept by the Shakers, beginning in the 1700s and continuing into the 1960s. In addition to the heritage breed animals raised at the village year round, this event includes "guest" livestock raised by local farms and 4-H clubs.
Visitors get to meet the baby animals and participate in farm chores, such as helping to feed the animals and to save seeds. They may also participate in Shaker-themed craft activities such as basket weaving, making and decorating seed packets, and weaving on a small loom.
The Round Stone Barn is the only circular barn ever built by the Shakers. Widely recognized as an architectural icon and agricultural wonder, this unique dairy barn originally stabled 52 milk cows. It has attracted visitors — most notably Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, who staged a footrace in the structure — since its construction in 1826.
Special Events
"Behind-the-Scenes" farm tours are available daily at 2 p.m. Families can get up close and personal with the animals on these private guided tours, which include access to the newborns, helping at feeding time, gift bags with a variety of toys and games from the Village Store, and a group photo to commemorate the visit. Tickets are $25 per person (including general admission). Reservations may be made by calling 413-443-0188, Ext. 213.
April 17 and April 18 mark Sheep Shearing Weekend. In addition to the regular farm activities, it will feature shearing of the village's Merino sheep and hands-on textile demonstrations and activities that will be conducted by volunteers from three local spinning and weaving guilds.
Green at the City of Peace
Held in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, on April 22 at 2 p.m., the family-friendly event will feature a tour of the village's historic-to-modern green and environmentally friendly features. Included will be information on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, architectural design and construction, smart-growth town planning, and more. There will be a demonstration of the 1858 water power turbine in the Laundry and Machine Shop and investigation of the passive solar features of Shaker buildings, compared the new solar photovoltaic array, which generates 89.9 kilowatts, supplies 66 percent of the village’s electrical energy needs today, and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.7 million pounds over the life span of the system. Free with general admission.
Also, on Saturday, April 17, Greylock Federal Credit Union will sponsor live, family music and children's crafts.
Special-needs visiting hours will be sponsored by Greylock Insurance and include early access to the baby animals to field trip groups with special needs when they make reservations. Both adult and children's groups are eligible for these special access hours.
"More Creatures Gathered Here," an exhibition of paintings of baby animals by Stockbridge-based artist Susan Merrill, will be on display. The works feature sheep, pigs, and turkeys and proceeds will benefit the education programs. For more information about Merrill's work, see www.susanmerrill.com.
"Baby Animals" hours are 10 to 4 daily. General admission tickets are $17 for adults and $8 for youth ages 13 to 17; free for children ages 12 and under and for members.
