Hancock Shaker Village to Hold 50th Anniversary Country Fair
Photo courtesy Hancock Shaker Village
Wagon rides are among the many attractions coming to Hancock Shaker Village's Country Fair.
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hancock Shaker Village’s 50th anniversary Country Fair is geared towards the whole family, with Shaker-inspired games in the Kids Tent, a farmers’ market with samples of heirloom vegetables to taste, a juried fine craft show, wagon rides, antique engines and tractors, sustainable gardening tips, a pie contest, square dancing demonstration, quilt show, and more. Celebrating the bounty of the harvest, the Country Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“For those who have told us they miss the Hancock Shaker Village Craft Fair, we’re delighted that we have more fine craft artists than ever lined up for this year’s Country Fair,” said Ellen Spear, president and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village. "This event is always a festive highlight of the year and a great way for families to learn about our mission and its connection to sustainable, principled living.”
Children 12 and younger and Hancock Shaker Village members are admitted free of charge. Admission for adults is $17 and youth visitors age 13 to 17 are admitted for $8. For more information, call 800-817-1137 or visit www.hancockshakervillage.org.
Farmers Market and Artisan Tents
At the Country Fair, more than 70 vendors will fill the village with fresh produce, finished farm products, and fine crafts of all sorts. The farmers’ market will boast vegetables from Clover Hill Farm, homemade jams from Cricket Hill Jams and White Oak Farm, gourds and gourd art from L Kreations, Berkshire Blue Cheese, teas and spices from Commonfolk Farm Herbs (run by Betsey Ann Golon from Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum) and the Tea Peddler, along with other treats. Among the many artisans selling their wares will be Nathan Taylor Baskets (Shaker and Nantucket baskets), Stephen Earp (redware pottery), the Carpenter's Workshop (Shaker-style furniture), the 19th Century Tinsmith (19th century American tinware), and Bonnie White Folk Art (folk art paintings, prints, calendars, puzzles, Christmas cards). Kari Chapin, author of The Handmade Marketplace, will award the “Best in Show” of the crafts area, and a judge will determine the award for the farmers’ market.
A Harvest of Quilts
This year, Hancock Shaker Village again celebrates a harvest of color and the Shaker tradition of fine craftsmanship with A Harvest of Quilts, a two-day juried exhibition that will feature approximately 30 antique and newly-made quilts on display in the Round Stone Barn. There will also be daily demonstrations of quilting techniques. Viewers Choice and Heritage Award prize ribbons will be awarded on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Kids Tent and Wagon Rides
At the Kids Tent, Hancock Shaker Village interpreters will lead a host of activities, including crafts, old-fashioned games, and face painting. There will also be wagon rides through the scenic village grounds and a hay pile to jump and play on.
Sustainable Gardening Tips
Visitors to the Country Fair can learn how to get their gardens ready for fall with sustainable gardening tips, such as how to save seeds from tomatoes or put gardens to bed for the season. They can also sample fresh-brewed teas from the historic village gardens while enjoying one of the scheduled “herbal walks” to consider what to plant next year.
Square Dancing Demonstration
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, there will be a square dancing demonstration led by Pittsfield Squares.
Timber Framing: A Traditional Approach
Beginning Wednesday before the fair, students can learn timber frame construction using 18th- and 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 the fair on Sunday, a finished building will be on display. Participants must register directly with instructors Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon by calling 413-684-3223 or 413-684-3612.
5th Annual Pie Contest
Warm up those rolling pins. The pie contest will include both professional and amateur categories, with judging held on Saturday afternoon. Entries must be baked from scratch and fillings can either be the baker’s own recipe or Shaker Cranberry Pie or Shaker Applie Pie from The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. This year’s pie judge team includes Berkshire Living Managing Editor Lesley Ann Beck, RuralIntelligence.com Co-editor Marilyn Bethany, WAMC President Alan Chartock and MCLA Professor Roselle Chartock, Berkshire Eagle Executive Editor Tim Farkas, and Mimi Rosenblatt, host of Mimi’s Morning Mojo on WSBS. Guidelines for entry and registration forms are available at www.hancockshakervillage.org.
The 2010 Country Fair is supported by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Country Curtains, Price Chopper, and Media Sponsors: Yankee Magazine and WGBY.
