Shaker Village’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12, is free fun for all ages. Highlights include barn tours, wagon rides and traditional craft demonstrations. Photo by Peg Becksvoort
Shaker Fall Harvest Festival
You’re invited to Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village for their end-of-season Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Freshly picked apples from the historic Shaker orchards will be offered for sale along with free cider-pressing of apples purchased there, homemade Shaker apple and pumpkin donuts, plus more.
Chipman’s Farm will have a fresh bounty of seasonal produce for sale, along with preserves and baked goods. Maple syrup and maple candy will be sold by Passamaquoddy Maple from Jackman, Maine. Seasonal mums, other late-season bloomers and houseplants will be available from Donna’s Greenhouse. Also, there will be a book signing by Don Perkins, author of “Barns of Maine.”
Free activities will include wagon rides throughout the day, visits to the Shaker Herb Garden, tours of the Shakers’ barn given periodically by Brother Arnold Hadd, face painting for kids and gourd decorating. Free, traditional craft demonstrations will consist of wool fiber spinning, rug hooking and supplies by Parris House Wool Works; blacksmithing by Tim Greene; wood-turning by Peter Asselyn; and woodcarving by the Poland Woodcarvers. Chris Becksvoort will be on hand for a book signing and dovetail demonstration. There also will be tintype photography presentations and portraits by Cole Caswell, broom making demonstrations by Kent Russwick, a knife making demonstration and booth by Zay’s Knives, along with a beekeeping display and honey tasting.
Bluegrass songs will be performed by Albert Price and the Pseudonyms. Barbecue lunch plates will be available for sale, while supplies last. The Shaker Museum will be open for tours, along with the Shaker Store and Museum Gift Shop.
The festival will be held rain or shine; many activities will take place in the Shakers’ historic 1830s barns. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is located at 707 Shaker Road, off Route 26. For more information, contact the organizers at 926-4597 or info@maineshakers.com.
A-mazing nights
You may have attempted the corn maze at Pineland Farms by day … but it’s a whole other struggle at night. Take the challenge and explore the corn maze in the dark. The spooks will be light for this family-friendly evening on the farm. Flashlights and adult supervision are required. Costumes are highly encouraged.
The maze is open after dark on three nights: Oct. 17-19 from 6-8 p.m.; choose from two time slots each night, 6-7 p.m. or 7-8 p.m. Start at the Welcome Center, 15 Farm View Drive, and follow the signs to the corn maze. Tickets are available for $6 per person by reserving in advance online at shop.pinelandfarms.org. A limited number of tickets are available. They are not refundable or transferable; however, in the event of severe weather, organizers reserve the right to cancel the event and refunds will be granted. Cancellations would be posted on pinelandfarms.org and their Facebook page. If you have any questions about ticketing or registration, call the education department at 650-3031 or email: education@pinelandfarms.org.
Historic church organ
The next meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society will be held at the First Congregational Church, 19 Gloucester Hill Road at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. The focus of the program will center on the church’s history dating back to 1765 and its historic organ. Refreshments will be served at the event. It is free and open to the public.
Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.
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