PITTSFIELD - The public is invited to Hancock Shaker Village’s 15th annual Country Fair extravaganza on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The farm and village event will boast locavore food, handcrafts for sale, best in show awards, bluegrass music and agricultural-derived activities for the whole family. Come explore the Kids Tent, wagon and pony rides, and a display of antique engines and tractors.
New this year, the First Annual Chicken Games (in honor of the London Olympics) will be held, with races at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. both days. Country Fair event tickets are included with museum admission.
The Harvest of Quilts exhibition will feature approximately 30 antique and newly-made quilts on display in the Round Stone Barn. Selected quilts in the Harvest of Quilts exhibit will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds helping to support Hancock Shaker Village programs.
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.
Seasons at Hancock Shaker Village, an exhibit in the Poultry House gallery, features 50 works by regional artists Marguerite Bridge, Michael Cohen, Ivor Parry and Scott Taylor who, over four seasons, studied the Village property and its historic buildings and livestock and responded with vibrant drawings, oil paintings and watercolor
The Farmers Market Tent will offer fresh produce, flowers, honey and soap; enjoy Delights of the Earth, Jennings Brook Farm, and Giuseppe’s Wild Mountain Honey.
During the Fair, learn about HSV’s Community Supported Agriculture program and sign up to join the farm for 2013. From mid-June through late-October, Village CSA members enjoy fresh produce, herbs, fruits, and flowers on a weekly basis, in an overflowing canvas bag complete with recipes. For as little as $250 a year, a couple can partake of a Village-grown bounty of lettuce, broccoli, Swiss chard, beets, potatoes, and dozens of other healthy and sought-after items.
The Crafts Show and Sale will consist of more than 70 vendors, with artisans offering fine crafts of all sorts, furniture, Shaker-style oval boxes, hand-woven textiles, candles, and antiques; find The Grant House Press, Grasselli Oval Boxes, Maggi Kern Crafts, and Mostrom & Chase Handweavers, among other purveyors.
Robin Catalano, content editor for Annie Selke Companies, will award the "Best in Show" of the crafts area, and Anastasia Stanmeyer, editor Berkshire Magazine, will determine the award for the farmers’ market on Saturday afternoon. In the Kids Tent, Hancock Shaker Village interpreters will lead a host of fun activities, including crafts, old-fashioned games, and face painting.
Wagon Rides ($5 each person) will entail open-air drives through the scenic Village grounds and, of course, a hay pile to jump and play on.
Entries to the 7th Annual Pie Contest must be baked from scratch and fillings can either be the baker’s own recipe or Shaker Cranberry Pie or Shaker Apple Pie from The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. Guidelines for entry and registration forms are available hancockshakervillage.org.
Country Fair admission is free to Hancock Shaker Village members and children 12 and under. Fair and Village admission for adults is $17 and youth visitors aged 13 to 17 are $8. For more info: 800-817-1137, hancockshakervillage.org.
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