July 4th event offers old-fashioned family fun
[East Meredith] Ready for a frog-jumping Fourth of July?
Hanford Mills Museum’s annual Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 4 features old-fashioned fun, with two frog jumping contests, a fishing derby on the Mill Pond, tug o’ war, and sack races. Visitors also can tour the historic Mill and woodworking shop and see water- and steam-power demonstrations featuring the 1926 Fitz Overshot waterwheel, the steam boiler and steam engines. The Independence Day Celebration runs from 10 am – 5 pm. Children 12 and under, Museum members, and active duty military and their families, receive free admission.
Mill staff and volunteers will be making vanilla ice cream on a steam-powered churn, chilled with ice harvested from the Mill Pond in February. Free ice cream samples will be available while supplies last. “The ice cream is the sweet reward of last February’s successful ice harvest,” said Hanford Mills Museum executive director Liz Callahan. The ice is kept frozen in the Museum’s traditional ice house, packed with sawdust from the Mill.
Balter will be performing, featuring Peter Blue on accordions and nyckelharpa, John Potocnik on fiddle, Tom Wetmore on bass, and Marcel Smith on drums.
Food will be available to purchase from Tickled Pink BBQ and Shaver-Hill Farm. The Museum’s Rural Genius exhibit, which features three local inventors, will be on display.
Special Fun for Kids
Children 14 and under can take part in a fishing derby on the Mill Pond from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm, with prizes being awarded at 2 pm. Children should bring a fishing pole and bait (or borrow one of the poles that will be available courtesy of the Department of Environmental Conservation in Stamford.) There also will be sack races, tug o’ war, and frog-jumping contests (at 12:30 and 2:30 pm, bring your own frog). There will be storytelling at the 12:30 pm frog-jumping contest.
“We look forward to celebrating the Fourth of July with visitors,” says Callahan, who noted that some families return year after year.
Unique Steam Power Demonstrations
“We are one of the few places in the country that features steam power,” explains Callahan. “Firing up the steam boiler and operating it is demanding and labor intensive. Staff and volunteers make up the ‘steam team,’ whose experience, training and dedication enable us to run the boiler and steam engines just as the Hanfords did a century ago.” She noted that while the Museum operates the waterwheel during tours offered every Wednesday through Sunday, steam power demonstrations occur only a few times a year. Visitors on July 4th can see both power sources.
About Hanford Mills Museum
Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site. The mission of Hanford Mills Museum is to inspire audiences of all ages to explore connections among energy, technology, natural resources and entrepreneurship in rural communities, with a focus on sustainable choices. The Museum which is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places is open Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 am – 5 pm.
Children 12 and under, and Museum members receive free admission. Admission for adults and teens is $9, for seniors, $7, retired military, $4.50. Active duty military and their families receive free admission. AAA and other discounts available.
Hanford Mills Museum is located at 51 County Highway 12 in East Meredith, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 & 12, just 10 miles from Oneonta, and 15 miles from Delhi. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.