A Lovely Entry into Fall

By: Marianne Bez, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications

After 30 years of living in Cooperstown, The Farmers’ Museum Harvest Festival is as significant a milestone of seasonal change as the sound of geese overhead. It has become a tradition that helps me transition from summer to fall. I have attended almost 30 of these festivals -- in the early years as a graduate student, some years in between as a museum staff member and most of the time as a visitor. I associate this event with many different sensory experiences – the sound of a dulcimer, the taste of sweet roasted corn, the sight of colorful leaves underfoot, and the feeling of crisp autumn air warming as the sun gets higher through the day. For me, this event has been a place of many fist experiences over the past three decades. I saw Contra dancers here for the first time in 1979. And years later dog agility demonstrations for the first time. I had my first taste of homemade Huff Ice Cream here – now that was memorable. I learned a lot from conversations with various crafts people and vendors who shared their insight on making musical instruments, tin smithing, growing berries for home-made preserves, candle making, boat restoration and more. I enjoy attending Harvest Festival to experience something familiar as well as something new. This year I am excited to see the alpacas and learn about these curious fuzzy creatures. Harvest Festival puts me in the mood for all things autumn – wool sweaters, fall colors, a fire in the wood stove, apple cider, raking leave, pumpkin carving, and baking pies. As much as I hate to say goodbye to summer, this event provides a lovely entry into fall.