Woodsmen Festival at Hanford Mills Museum October 5

A perennial fall favorite—the Woodsmen’s Festival at Hanford Mills Museum—will be held on Saturday, October 5, 10 am – 4pm. The festival offers timbersport demonstrations by the SUNY Cobleskill Woodsmen’s Club, woodworking, forestry, and maple syrup exhibitors, music, and kids’ crafts and science explorations. Visitors also can tour the historic water-powered sawmill and woodworking shop, and see late 19th and early 20th century technology at work.

“We like to feature the speed, strength, precision, and teamwork of the SUNY Cobleskill Woodsmen’s Club,” says Liz Callahan, executive director of Hanford Mills Museum. “The Woodmen’s Festival also showcases woodworkers, foresters, craftspeople, and farmers. It makes for a wonderful fall outing.”

The SUNY Cobleskill Woodsmen’s Club will demonstrate cross-cut sawing, overhand and underhand chop, ax throwing, fire build, and other lumberjack skills. The club competes throughout the Northeast. There will be woodworking, wood turning, and coopering demonstrations and exhibitors. Fennig’s All Stars will play in the Mill Yard from 1-4 pm. Exhibitors also include Catskill Forest Association, Shaver-Hill Farm, Catharina’s Hats and Mittens, the New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, My Woodlot, and Tickled Pink BBQ.

The Cooperstown Graduate Program, which prepares graduate students for careers in museums, will be offering a slate of activities for kids and a take-home craft. The Learning Lab will be open with gears, blocks and kid-focused activities.

Kevin Gray will be creating tintype portraits made in the same way as was done during the Civil War. Visitors can have their portrait made from 10 am to 1 pm. The cost of a plate is $35.

Hanford Mills Museum’s gift shop features Mill-made crafts, traditional toys, sweets, books and local products. Hanford Mills Museum closes for the season on October 14.

Admission and Information
Children 12 and under are free. Admission for adults and teens is $9, for seniors, $7. AAA and other discounts available. Museum members receive free admission.

About Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site. The mission of Hanford Mills Museum is to inspire audiences of all ages to explore connections among energy, technology, natural resources and entrepreneurship in rural communities with a focus on sustainable choices. The Museum, which is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places, is open Wednesdays through Sundays through October 14.

Hanford Mills Museum is located at 51 County Highway 12 in East Meredith, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 & 12, just 10 miles from Oneonta, and 15 miles from Delhi. For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.