Furry friends. Hayrides. A tractor exhibition. Farmstand veggies. Folk music. Wool-making. Get ready for another day in NYC!
Queens County Farm Museum hosts a Sheep Shearing Festival on Saturday, May 11, from 11 am to 4 pm. Spring haircuts for the animals is the main focus, but this thirteenth annual event includes spinning, weaving, and knitting presentations.
“This time-honored tradition gives New Yorkers a unique opportunity to experience the rich heritage of wool production and get an inside perspective on the seasonality of farm life,” stated Queens Farm Director of Agriculture Courtney Sartini.
Here’s the schedule.
Sheep shearing at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.
Guided farm tours at 11:15 am, 12:15 pm, 2:15 pm, and 3:15 pm.
Colonial cooking demos at 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm.
Adriance Farmhouse tours from 11 am to 4 pm on the hour and half-hour. The last one departs at 3:30 pm.
Live music with The Folk Music Society of New York from 11 am to 12:45 pm. Mojo and The Mayhem perform from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Admission for adults is $15, but it’s $12 for those aged 3-11. If you’re younger than three, come on in for free.
The festival celebrates an activity that dates back to when sheep were first domesticated more than 10,000 years ago. Once the sheep are shorn by cagey veteran Donald Kading, their fleeces go to Queens Farm’s longtime partner, Battenkill Fibers in the Hudson Valley, where they’re processed and returned in the form of spun, naturally dyed yarn.
In constant use since 1697, Queens Farm is spread out over 47 acres. The Big Apple’s only working, historical farm features livestock, heavy farm machinery, planting fields, and a vineyard. The entrance is 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Glen Oaks, and there’s free on-site parking.
Images: Queens County Farm Museum