Hallockville’s Country Fair and Fall Events Celebrate Long Island’s Farming Heritage

A gaggle of basket weavers, yarn spinners, thread stitchers, wood carvers, bread bakers and music makers will descend upon the Hallockville Museum Farm this fall to deliver the most quintessential Long Island agrarian harvest season — from workshops and barn dances to its annual Country Fair.

According to Executive Director Heather Johnson, there’s a lot going on this year as the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary. The 28-acre farm museum — home to 19 historic buildings, live animals, gardens, and farmland — is open 365 days per year for self-guided tours. But its events calendar has been chock-full in 2025, and the fall season is no exception.

Top billing, of course, goes to the Country Fair on September 27–28, when the grounds transform into a living recreation of Long Island’s agrarian past. Expect fun tractor pulls, pony rides, a petting zoo, a crafts show, live music, and historic tours and demonstrations.

“It’s festive and the biggest event of the season,” Johnson said. “We’re partnering with our neighbors, the Long Island Antique Power Association, again this year for activities at the sawmill, tractor rides between the two properties, and there will be food trucks and a mobile bar serving both nonalcoholic drinks and cocktails. This year, we’re also bringing back some elements that existed at one of the first fairs — the Harvest Crafts Festival — in 1982.”

Among the more retro additions, Johnson noted, are contests for vegetables, pumpkins and jam, as well as expanded demonstrations in historic cooking and traditional crafts.

Already, Hallockville Museum Farm is steeped in tradition. The original part of the homestead dates back to 1765, built by Reuben Brown. After the Revolutionary War, Ezra Hallock bought the 60-acre farm and lived in the house before selling it in 1801 to his brother, Captain Zachariah Hallock, for his son Zachariah Hallock II. His descendants lived in the home until 1979, and his great-granddaughter Ella Hallock lived there until 1985, moving out at age 95.

The name “Hallockville” comes from the Puritan tradition of carving out a piece of the family farm for male heirs of marrying age. Many of the homes along Sound Avenue belonged to Captain Hallock’s descendants, leading locals to refer to the area as Hallockville. In 1975, a group of locals came together to preserve the homestead and its deteriorating outbuildings, then owned by LILCO. The company eventually donated the homestead, surrounding structures, and 2.5 acres to the museum, which opened to the public and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Since then, the museum has gradually expanded to its current footprint.

Luckily, the chance to experience the property and its hands-on offerings isn’t limited to the Country Fair.

Throughout the fall, the museum hosts a variety of events, including:

Old Time Jam in the Apple Orchard: A weekly gathering for musicians playing traditional acoustic instruments.

Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild Show (September 13–14): Featuring a quilt exhibit, quilt raffle, other raffle prizes, and vendors.

Meat Smoking and Preservation Workshop (October 4): A deep dive into historic techniques, in the old smokehouse.

Bus Trip to the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival (October 19): A joint event with the Sound Avenue Stitchers at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.

Needle Felting Workshop (October 25): Make your own wool pumpkin with hands-on instruction.

Country Parlor Folk Art and Gift Show (November): Just in time for holiday shopping.

And that’s not all — Johnson said new events are being added all the time. To stay updated, check the museum’s website at hallockville.org/events and follow @hallockvillemuseumfarm on social media.

The Hallockville Country Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up, $10 for kids ages 4 to12, and free for children under 4. A family pack (four tickets) is available for $45.