Each fall, this regional favorite brings together a wide variety of performers, artisans, and vendors.

• Saturday and Sunday, September 16 & 17, 2023 • 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, NY
• $15 adults (13-64), $12.50 seniors (65+), $6 juniors (7-12), and FREE for museum members and kids 6 and under (Go to farmersmuseum.org/free to see all free admission options.) 
• Tickets available at the door on the day of the event.

Cooperstown, New York — Celebrate the bounty of fall as Harvest Festival returns to The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, taking place Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Since 1978, this family-friendly event has grown to become a regional favorite, bringing together a wide variety of performers, artisans, and vendors.  Situated on the museum’s picturesque grounds near Otsego Lake, it offers the perfect blend of new attractions and trusted favorites. Visit FarmersMuseum.org for a complete schedule.

One-day entry to Harvest Festival

$15 adults (13-64), $12.50 seniors (65+), $6 juniors (7-12), children 6 and younger and museum members are free. Purchase tickets at the museum on the day of the event. Freemuseum admission is also available for those receiving SNAP benefits (up to 4 people) with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.

Find two days of live performances. Hear music by folk singer and songwriter Kevin McKrell both days. Bill Ackerbauer, an acoustic guitarist who dabbles in harmonica, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and other instruments, will perform his family program on Sunday. Musicians Jim Kimball and Karen Canning perform nineteenth-century tunes on the porch at Bump Tavern. Mr. Kimball has added to the festival’s ambiance since the late 1970s. The Catskill Puppet Theater will hold a performance of Hiawatha on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. More performances will be announced soon.

Plenty of activities for families and kids

There is an abundance of activities for families and kids at Harvest Fest. At the Crafts Table, kids can make corn husk dolls, paper strip pumpkins, and autumn greeting cards. There will also be face painting, scavenger hunts, and a children’s hay bale maze. Outdoor games include cornhole, nine pins, and some traditional 19^th-century games. Ride the Empire State Carousel. At the Farmstead, find cider pressing, corn shelling and grinding, and as well as horse-drawn wagon rides. In the blacksmith shop, kids can discover how metal is shaped by hammering molding clay which has the feel of hammering hot steel. Have the family sit for an authentic tintype photograph on both Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (weather permitting).

Animals always take the spotlight at Harvest Festival. Aside from our beautiful farm animals, Hinman Hollow Sport Training will dazzle you with their canine agility and obedience demonstrations.

In the Main Barn, view the exhibit Growing Tomorrow’s Farmers which celebrates the role children played on family farms from the 19th century to the present. The exhibit, featuring photographs of several families who live in the region, will close on October 29.

If you like historical trades, you won’t be disappointed. Many artisans show off their skills each year. Get hands-on with rope making, coopering, and see spinning and fiber art demonstrations.  You’ll also find, quilters, a jeweler, woodworkers, a porcelain painter, bakers, maple producers, and artists, featuring many unique items from the region. 

Harvest Festival gives visitors the opportunity to join in and assist our interpreters with common activities from the 19^th century such as the harvesting of potatoes. There are interesting happenings in each building in the Country Village including the Blacksmith Shop, the Print Shop, and the Farmhouse.

An abundance of delicious foods from the season’s harvest awaits festival-goers including the mouthwatering roasted corn from Our Green Acres, sausage from Beckmann’s, desserts from Kings Kakery, and great Greek cuisine from The Grapevine (Sunday only). You will also find homemade pies and fresh baked goods from the Pomona Grange.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping with some new and unique gifts for everyone in the family at Todd’s General Store and The Farmers’ Museum Store.

Visit Fenimore Art Museum on the same day–located just across the street. Get two great museums for one low price when you purchase a two-way ticket for $25 or $22.50 seniors. Two-way tickets can be purchased at the admissions desk of either museum during Harvest Festival. See Fenimore’s new fall exhibitions featuring A Cabinet of Curious Matters: Work by Callahan and Whitten and others–plus Randy Johnson: Storytelling with Photographs, now on view through December 3. The museum and Fenimore Gift Shop are open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For an up-to-date schedule and other information, please visit FarmersMuseum.org. The Farmers’ Museum is located at 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, N.Y., 13326.

About the Farmers' Museum

As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19^th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19^th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region. Visit FarmersMuseum.org.

Tuesday Mornings This Summer at The Farmers’ Museum

Family Farm Fun! takes place every Tuesday from 10:00–11:30 a.m.(through August 22).

Summer program for kids:

Family Farm Fun! (for children ages 4–10)
Tuesday mornings in July and August (through August 22) from 10:00–11:30 a.m.
The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, NY
Free for Museum Members. Non-members will be charged regular museum admission.

Cooperstown, New York — Parents are encouraged to bring their young children to The Farmers’ Museum on Tuesday mornings in July and August from 10:00–11:30 a.m. for the summer educational program, Family Farm Fun! (through August 22). Each week, kids will enjoy a variety of new games, craft activities, and lessons with elementary academic content. The program is best suited for children ages 4–10.  Build lasting friendships and rediscover the simple pleasures of traditional New York lifeways through the summer months with Family Farm Fun! at The Farmers’ Museum.

This program is provided free of cost to museum members. Non-members will be charged regular museum admission: Adults and Juniors (ages 13-64): $15.00; seniors (65+): $12.50; youth (7-12): $6.00; children (6 and under): free. Through Labor Day, active-duty military and up to five family members are admitted free, through the Blue Star Museum program. Through Museums for All, those receiving SNAP benefits receive free admission for up to four people with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.

About the Farmers' Museum

As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19^th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19^th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region. Visit FarmersMuseum.org.

Independence Day Celebration
Tuesday, July 4, 2023 • 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, NY
Admission: Adults and Juniors (ages 13-64): $15.00; seniors (65+): $12.50; youth (7-12): $6.00; children (6 and under): free.

Cooperstown, New York — The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown marks Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4, with a traditional 1840s celebration featuring a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, great food, and activities focused on family fun. Starting at noon, watch as the Declaration of Independence is read aloud on the Bump Tavern Green. Take part in the 13 celebratory toasts as our Founding Fathers did with lemonade made from an 1840’s recipe. Sit for an old-fashioned tintype portrait from 10:00am–4:00pm (weather permitting, $30 per 4 x 5 tintype). 19^th-century children’s games will be provided for family play on the Bump Tavern Green. Hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

During the event, museum artisans will demonstrate traditional blacksmithing, letterpress printing, and other trades throughout the day. At the print shop, you can pick up a copy of our 1840’s lemonade recipe, printed on the museum’s Liberty Job Press. At the Lippitt Farmstead, learn about life on the farm and delight in the baby animals in the Children’s Barnyard. In the Main Barn, check out the exhibition Growing Tomorrow’s Farmers and our historic tool collection.  You can also take a ride on the Empire State Carousel, explore the Country Village, shop at Todd’s General Store, and visit the famous Cardiff Giant. Sit on our tavern green while you enjoy grilled burgers and hot dogs from The Crossroads Café.

The museum is open every day this summer from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.  

Admission: Adults and Juniors (ages 13-64): $15.00; seniors (65+): $12.50; youth (7-12): $6.00; children (6 and under): free. Museum members are always admitted free, as are active-duty and retired career military.  Through Labor Day, active-duty military and up to five family members are admitted free, through the Blue Star Museum program. Free admission for those receiving SNAP benefits—up to four people with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The Farmers’ Museum is located at 5775 Route 80 in Cooperstown, just north of the village. Visit FarmersMuseum.org for more information.

About the Farmers' Museum

As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19^th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19^th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region. Visit FarmersMuseum.org.