Don’t Miss Holliston Historical Society’s 36th Country Harvest Fair

The 36th Annual Country Harvest Fair, a fundraiser for the Holliston Historical Society, will take place this year on Sunday, September 25, 2016 on the grounds of the Historical Society at 547 Washington Street, Holliston. (rain date October 2), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Harvest Fair is the main fundraiser for the Historical Society. Money raised helps cover the costs of the Society’s programs, but also the cost of upkeep to the property, says Shirley Melle. “We’re in the process now of having the barn painted, just the front of it. It costs so much money to keep up an old house. We’re going to be having storm windows put in, and we need to have our chimney relined. This helps toward all that.”
Melle also explains that one of the main programs the Historial Society puts on is “the 18th century educational week for all the 3rd grade classes. We have them come in every May. We cover the clothing (from the period), the games, bring them into our herb garden and go over the herbs the colonists used, do hearth cooking – that’s one of the kids’ favorite activites, and we simulate a school, do crafts, candlemaking and cross stitch.”
The Annual Harvest Fair is a draw unto itself. Melle can’t say enough about the pies alone. “We will begin the prep for the fair September 23rd, that being our famous pie night, once again chaired by Mary Curran. This is a fun, fun night when we all get together, washing, paring, and cutting up apples while another crew adds the flour and sugar mixture, and yet another crew rolls out the crust. … I cannot express the camaraderie one feels after working together making our famous pies,” she writes. In addition to pies, Society volunteers bake up a number of other treats for the bake table.
The biggest draw to the Annual Harvest Fair are the unique vendors, many of whom return each year. This year, 28 vendors peddling hand-made wares have returned, along with some new creative vendors discovered from other venues. Items to be found at the fair will include handcrafted country signs, hand painted silk scarves, primitive decorations, coffee mugs and beautiful hand painted wine glasses, Andy’s Heaven & Hell Hot Sauce & beef jerky, bat houses, wood crafts, fall wreaths and arrangements, fabric handbags, cutting boards, decorative painting on wood, fudge, cannoli, honey products, photography, crocheted and knit items, wind chimes, pencil drawings, refurbished vintage dolls, greeting cards, name trains, tiered china caddies, antiques and collectables jams and jellies, sweaters, jewelry, baby items and more. Two popular local authors, David Ostrowy and children’s author Susan Berard-Goldberg will be returning to the fair as well, and local businesses have also contributed to a silent auction table.
For children, the Harvest Fair will feature a bouncy house and a farm animal petting zoo provided by Pj Kilkelly. There will also be a face painter.
All fair goers are also encouraged to check out some of the Society’s collection on display, as well as the Asa Whiting House, of which the main floor will be open from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. as well as the library on the second floor.
No fun event would be complete without music, and for the third year, bluegrass band “Always in Season” has volunteered to play at the event for a couple of hours. Their payment? Pie.
Come on down and join the fun!
For more information on the Holliston Historical Society, visit www.hollistonhistoricalsociety.org.