The 39th annual Rock Hall Country Fair in Lawrence will spotlight historical aspects of the museum, along with offering popular fall fair activities for thousands of residents to enjoy on Saturday and Sunday.
The fair, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, will feature entertainment from the Redhawk Native American Arts Council.
“The Redhawk Native American Arts Council is a not for profit organization founded and maintained by Native American artists and educators serving the tri-state area,” according to RedHawkCouncil.org.
Linda Barriera, former museum director, established the fair, and each year it celebrates early America while connecting the past with the present through crafts, historical education and entertainment.
Rock Hall, at 199 Broadway, was an 18th-century plantation that was transformed into a museum, owned and operated by the Town of Hempstead since 1953.
Amy Vacchio, the museum’s director, described the fair as a “labor of love,” adding that as an Inwood native, she has been attending the event for 25 years.
“I’ve always been here helping out,” Vacchio said. “We start working on it six months to a year before and think of a theme or featured event. I really feel connected to the community — anybody who knows me knows I love this place and I’m passionate about history.”
She said her goal is to bring history to life, inviting historians who serve as artisans that work on the property to give demonstrations at the fair.
“We have someone who makes wampum,” Vacchio said, referring to historical shell beads used by Indigenous people in North America, “someone who spins and sometimes we have broom makers. We have that historical aspect as well where people get to see historical trades being done.”
The fair will also feature a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, arts and crafts, scarecrow making, an animal farm, pony rides, craft vendors, antique cars, harvest market and food vendors. A spooky walk through the museum’s new educational center will also be available, along with the Peninsula Public Library outreach van.
“The van will have giveaways, library card applications, free books, the quarterly library newsletter and two library staff members to meet and greet attendees,” Carolynn Matulewicz, the library’s director, wrote in an email. “We are excited to be part of this long-standing community event. Outreach in our community is a top priority for the library.”
Admission to the fair and parking is free, but a fee will be charged for certain activities like scarecrow making, pony rides, and admittance to the animal farm.
“It’s a really fun two-day event,” Vacchio said. “There’s a lot of work, set-up and prep that goes into it. We’re very fortunate for the Town of Hempstead, who owns the museum, (to) assist with setting up.”
The Friends of Rock Hall, a nonprofit founded in 1976 to support the museum, helps fund the programs and featured events that generate income to support the fair. The organization works to preserve the historic site and promote education programs related to it.
“We’ve been roughly getting about 1,000 people for each of the two days of the fair,” Doug Sheer, president of Friends of Rock Hall, said. “It’s a lot of fun, and people come to both get entertained and to learn. You can always take a tour of the museum or go to presentation to everything from making food in colonial days, working on handicrafts, or view historical objects.”
Raffles will be available for purchase from sponsors of the fair, and all proceeds generated during the two-day event go toward improving the museum.
“As a board, we decide with Amy (Vacchio) what type of entertainment we want for this year — whether we want Native Americans who are coming this year or fellows that do country of folk music or axe throwing and log rolling,” Sheer said. “We also make decisions about food vendors and other organizations to table.”
Sheer added that his favorite part of the fair is seeing people watching the presentations and learning about crafts from the historians.
“People have a lot of fun picking pumpkins, buying apple pies and participating in perennial favorites,” he said. “People may come to the fair, but they may be seeing Rock Hall for the first time, and that’s always great because that’s the ultimate purpose.”
Vacchio called the fair a “great family fun, community event,” saying her favorite part is the pumpkin patch.
“It makes you smile walking by it because it really shows that fall fun and everyone is getting along and creating these artistic messes,” she added. “It just screams out ‘fair.’ Our pumpkin patch and craft area brings delight to everybody.
“We also have the house on display, which is the central focal point of the fair because it’s 18th century,” Vacchio said. “Between the town and the Friends of Rock Hall, it’s a wonderful collaboration, and we get it all done.”
