Hancock Shaker Village 50^th Anniversary Country Fair

Celebrating the bounty of the harvest, the Country Fair will be held on September 25th and September 26th from 10:00am to 5:00pm in Pittsfield, MA. At the Kids Tent, Hancock Shaker Village interpreters will lead a host of fun activities, including crafts, old-fashioned games, and face painting. There will also be wagon rides through the scenic Village grounds and, of course, a hay pile to jump and play on.

Hancock Shaker Village’s 50^th anniversary Country Fair promises fun for 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 September 25th and September 26th from 10:00am to 5:00pm in Pittsfield, MA. “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 under and Hancock Shaker Village members are admitted free of charge. Admission for adults is $17.00 and youth visitors aged 13 to 17 are $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 delightful fresh produce, finished farm products, and fine crafts of all sorts. The farmers’ market will boast vegetables, homemade jams, gourds and gourd art, local cheeses, teas and spices. Among the many artisans selling their wares will be Shaker and Nantucket baskets, redware pottery, Shaker-style furniture, 19th century American tinware, folk art paintings, prints, calendars, puzzles, and Christmas cards.  Great opportunity to do some holiday shopping from local artisans.

Kids Tent and Wagon Rides

At the Kids Tent, Hancock Shaker Village interpreters will lead a host of fun activities, including crafts, old-fashioned games, and face painting. There will also be wagon rides through the scenic Village grounds and, of course, 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 3:00pm on Saturday, there will be a square dancing demonstration led by Pittsfield Squares.

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, September 25th. 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. Guidelines for entry and registration forms are available on the Hancock Shaker Village website, www.hancockshakervillage.org.

A Harvest of Quilts

Approximately 30 antique and newly-made quilts on display in the Round Stone Barn, along with daily demonstrations of quilting techniques.