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Woodstock’s Farming Story
September 30, 2023 @ 10:00 am - November 12, 2023 @ 5:00 pm
Opening reception Saturday, September 30, 3–5 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Historical Society of Woodstock announces the opening of a new exhibition, Woodstock’s Farming Story, on Saturday September 30 2023 at 20 Comeau Drive Woodstock, N.Y. with an opening reception on September 30 at 3 pm. The exhibition, through images and artifacts, looks at how farming has been part of Woodstock’s story from its earliest days to the present. The exhibition will run through November 12th and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Like most of rural America during the 1800s, Woodstockers relied on farming to provide for the needs of their families and to serve as sources of income. Even “town families” maintained large gardens and chickens as well as a milk cow in their backyards. Will Rose, for example, writes in his book The Vanishing Village about the wonderful smell of the fruit trees and berries throughout the village. The artists who arrived in the early 1900s also learned the value of Woodstock’s barns as both a subject for their paintings as well as a place to live. The exhibit also looks at present day farmers as they bring their own twist to Woodstock’s farming story.
Would you want to hear the story about the farmer who kept bears as livestock? How about the woman who had a fried rattlesnake recipe and a special skillet just for it?
These and many other Woodstock family stories have been handed down through the generations. Please join with some members of Woodstock families as they recount these tales and many others that will make you laugh and amaze you.
This will be a panel discussion at the Historical Society of Woodstock on Saturday, October 7th, from 11 AM until 1 PM. Audience participation will be encouraged. This event is part of the Path Through History weekend.
”In addition, our new publication Catskill Love Song–Coloring Book will be available for purchase at the HSW gift shop during the exhibit. It is based on the recent song, “Catskill Love Song by musician and author Steve Charney. Steve and illustrator and author David Goldin created this coloring book to support the mission of the HSW to preserve, interpret and share the unique history of Woodstock.
Also open to visitors is the new permanent exhibit Remembering Woodstock and the newly renovated Tool Shed, featuring examples of tools used in Woodstock’s past.
The Historical Society of Woodstock was founded in 1929 by a group of artists, writers, academics, and local citizens. In addition to the exhibition space, which is located at the historic Eames House on Comeau Drive in the center of Woodstock, the Historical Society has an extensive archive consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, textiles, photographs, books, manuscripts, correspondence, documents, film/sound recordings, and antique tools. The archive serves as a resource for a wide range of exhibitions, public programming, and research.