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New Season Begins May 15 at Hanford Mills Museum

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HANFORD MILLS MUSEUM NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Liz Callahan 607/278-5744, [email protected]

New Season Begins May 15 at Hanford Mills Museum

[East Meredith, NY] A new season begins May 15 at Hanford Mills Museum. Guided tours will be offered Wednesdays through Sundays and feature demonstrations in the water-powered sawmill, gristmill, and woodworking shop. In addition to operating the 1926 Fitz overshot waterwheel and water turbines, on select days, the Museum operates its wood-fired steam boiler and steam engines. Tours last about two hours.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors to Hanford Mills Museum and operating the water-powered mill,” says Museum Executive Director Liz Callahan. “We have had several upgrades and additions to the site, including a new metal roof on the Mill complex, a new stone log deck in the Mill yard, and the ongoing restoration of the boxcar, which helps us interpret the impact of the railroad on Hanford Mills.”

Visitors can also tour the Hanford House, barns and other outbuildings and view exhibits and a video. The Learning Lab offers young visitors a hands-on play space with blocks, gears, books, and more. Hanford Mills also has picnic tables and a shop stocked with Mill-made items, books, and local crafts.

Special events at Hanford Mills include the Independence Day Celebration on July 4, the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree & Powerfest on September 7, and the Woodsmen’s Festival on October 5. Free Family Saturdays, which offer free admission to adults who are accompanied by children under 18, will be offered on May 25, June 15, July 20, and August 10. Workshops are offered throughout the season, including a Fly Fishing School run by the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited on May 18, and the  Steam Power 101 Workshop on June 8-9.

See the website for more information, hanfordmills.org.

Admission and Information

Children 12 and under receive free admission. Admission for adults and teens is $9; senior and AAA member admission is $7.  First responders and members of the military receive half-price admission. Museum members and residents who live in zip codes (13757, 13739, 13786, 13750, and 13806) neighboring Hanford Mills receive free admission. Hanford Mills participates in the nationwide Museums for All program. Anyone with an EBT card receives free admission. See hanfordmills.org for additional discounts.

About Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, which includes a sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop. 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 is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.

Hanford Mills 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 www.hanfordmills.org or call 607-278-5744.

 

 

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For more information, please contact:

Liz Callahan, Executive Director, Hanford Mills Museum, 607/278-5744, [email protected]

For photos, please contact Peg Odell, [email protected]g

Ice Harvest Festival at Hanford Mills Museum: Winter’s Coolest Tradition

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Hanford Mills Museum logo

HANFORD MILLS MUSEUM NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Liz Callahan 607/278-5744

Ice Harvest Festival
February 1, 2020, 10 am – 3 pm
Hanford Mills Museum
51 County Hwy 12, East Meredith, NY
www.hanfordmills.org
[email protected]
607/278-5744

Take part in a traditional ice harvest, just as communities did a century ago. Festival also includes ice carving, ice fishing, snowman village, hot soup buffet, food trucks, blacksmithing and cooking demonstrations, and exhibits by local businesses and farmers. Kids 12 and under get in free; Adults and Teens, $9; Seniors, $7.

Ice Harvest Festival at Hanford Mills Museum: Winter’s Coolest Tradition

[East Meredith, NY January 17, 2020] Hanford Mills Museum in the Catskills’ East Meredith will hold the 31st annual Ice Harvest Festival on Saturday, February 1, 2020. In the days before mechanical refrigeration, ice harvesting was an essential wintertime activity. The ice harvested in the winter would be used to keep food and agricultural products cold in the warmer months.

“To farmers, ice was a winter crop and a way to generate income in the winter,” says Liz Callahan, the executive director of Hanford Mills Museum. She said they have been watching the weather and assessing the quality of the ice on the Mill Pond, just as farmers did a century ago. Staff shovel snow from the ice to encourage a good crop of clear ice.

“Safety is the priority. Ice must be at least eight inches thick for visitors to fully participate in ice harvesting,” she said. “But there is a slate of fun activities people can enjoy regardless. With the cold weather returning, we are hopeful for a good harvest.” In the past ten years, ice depth has ranged from 7-20 inches.

With enough ice, visitors can borrow ice cleats and walk on the frozen Mill Pond and use an ice saw to cut ice, and other historic tools to maneuver the ice up a ramp. The ice blocks, which typically weigh 50 pounds, are then transferred to the ice house by bobsled. The ice is stacked in the ice house, insulated with sawdust from the Mill. Callahan says the ice will last until the fall.

Another ice-dependent activity is ice fishing. The Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited will provide the equipment and expertise to offer kids the chance to try ice fishing. “It is always wonderful to see a child’s beaming face when they catch a fish, and the Trout Unlimited volunteers are really great,” says Callahan.

The SUNY Delhi Hospitality Center Ice Carving Team will use a variety of tools, including chainsaws and blow torches, to create beautiful ice sculptures. Blacksmiths will demonstrate a variety of historic smithing techniques to make cooking utensils and decorative pendants. In the John Hanford Farmhouse, which recreates home life in the 1920s, there will be cooking demonstrations using the Royal Bride wood-fired cookstove.

Exhibitors include Kortright Handiworks, Watershed Agricultural Council, Cooperstown Distillery, Byebrook Farm, Catharina’s Hats and Mittens, Catskill Forest Association, and the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Hanford Mills will also offer a variety of kids’ activities, including a scavenger hunt.

More than 15 area restaurants will provide soup and chili at the Hot Soup Buffet. Restaurants providing soup include: Alfresco’s Italian Bistro, Applebee’s, Autumn Cafe,  Blue Bee Café, Brooks House of BBQ, Cafe Ommegang, Cooperstown Diner,  Danny’s Market, Denny’s, Jackie’s Restaurant, Morey’s Family Restaurant, Oneonta Bagel Company,  the Otesaga, Simply Thai, and TK’s Diner. Proceeds from the soup buffet and cookie sale (baked goods provided by Junkyard Bakehaus) benefit Hanford Mills Museum’s educational programs.

Visitors can check hanfordmills.org about ice harvesting conditions or call 607/278-5744. The ice must be 8 or more inches deep before the public is allowed on the frozen pond. If there is 6-8 inches of quality ice, Hanford Mills staff will cut ice, and visitors can transfer the ice from the pond to the ice house.

The Ice Harvest Festival is sponsored by Five Star Subaru, SUNY Delhi Hospitality Management Department, and WSKG. The Ice Harvest Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Admission and Information

Children 12 and under receive free admission. Admission for adults and teens is $9; senior admission is $7. Hanford Mills Museum members receive free admission. Discounts also are available for teachers, first responders, veterans, members of the military, EBT cardholders, and AAA members. See hanfordmills.org for details.

About Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, which includes a sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop. 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. Hanford Mills, which is listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places, will open for the 2020 season on May 15.

Hanford Mills 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 www.hanfordmills.org or call 607/278-5744.

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For more information, please contact:

Liz Callahan, Executive Director, Hanford Mills Museum, 607/278-5744, [email protected]

For photos, please contact Peg Odell, [email protected]

Photos of past Ice Harvest available for media use at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VKbUQTRAalfRWa_dtsDZm8gwvkfbcMwg?usp=sharing

 

Antique Engine Jamboree rolling into Hanford Mills Museum September 8

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Hanford Mills Museum News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             

CONTACT: Liz Callahan 607.278.5744 [email protected]

 

Antique Engine Jamboree & Powerfest at Hanford Mills Museum
September 8th festival in East Meredith celebrates ingenuity of the past

[East Meredith, NY August 29, 2018] The ingenuity of the past will be showcased at the 35th annual Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree and Powerfest on Saturday, September 8 from 10 am–4 pm. The Museum grounds will be filled with the rumbles and whirs of antique tractors, cars, trucks, motorcycles, outboard motors,  hit and miss engines, water-cooled and air-cooled gas engines

The Museum’s Steam Team will be operating the wood-fired steam boiler plant and horizontal and vertical steam engines. Hanford Mills is one of the few historic sites in the country where visitors can see a wood-fired steam boiler and steam engines in operation.

The machines on exhibit, many dating back to the early 20th century and some to the 19th century, were used for a variety of tasks, including crushing rocks, sawing wood, pumping water, and mixing cement. Antique vehicles, including a 1910 Indian motorcycle, a 1925 Model T Ford, a 1926 Ahrens Fox fire pumper, a 1928 Franklin, 1930 Ford Model A Fordor, and a 1933 Ford pickup truck, also will be featured. The Jamboree includes members of the Southern Tier Antique Gas and Steam Engine Club, the Mohican Model A Club, Antique Outboard Motor Club, Hudson Mohawk Chapter of the Pioneer Gas Engine Association, the Franklin Doodlebug Club, Tired Iron of Butternut Valley, the Model T Ford Club of America. Some of the oldest  machines on display include a 1870s treadle lathe, and a Barnes hand-cranked ripsaw from the 1880s.  There also will be model engines and remote control model boats on the Mill Pond. Roger Ree will offer rides on the 1957 Metropolitan Nash Hook and Ladder Fire Truck ride from the Catskill Game Farm.

A fire truck fan and his mom enjoy a spin around Hanford Mills Museum on the 1957 Metropolitan Nash Fire Truck ride from the Catskill Game Farm at the Antique Engine Jamboree in 2017. The fire truck ride owner Roger Ree has been coming to the Jamboree for 25 years. He will join more than 40 new and returning exhibitors at the 2018 Jamboree on September 8.

During World War II, new tractors were scarce, so people fashioned tractors from old cars. These homemade tractors were called doodlebugs. Members of the Franklin Doodlebug Club will participate in the Jamboree with a 1928 Chevy Doodlebug, and two 1931 Model A Ford Doodlebugs.

“The Antique Engine Jamboree was one of the first events held at the museum,” says Liz Callahan, the Museum’s executive director.  “We are happy to carry on this tradition of showcasing antique engines, machines, and vehicles, and are very grateful to the collectors who share their stories with visitors.” She noted that over the years the Jamboree has been expanded to include renewable energy displays, children’s activities, and steam power demonstrations in the Mill.

The SUNY Oneonta A.J. Read Science Discovery Center will have a hands-on display on energy, which includes a Stirling fan. The Northeast Classic Car Museum will bring their 1928 Franklin and have information about their collection. The Museum’s Learning Lab will be open and have blocks, gears, and simple machines for children to play with. The Stoddard Hollow String Band will play from 11 am to 3 pm, and local vendors will be selling BBQ and pie. Visitors also are welcome to bring a picnic.

Hanford Mills Museum’s 70-acre site will be open to explore. The Jamboree is included with regular Museum admission, which is free for children 12 and under, Museum members, and EBT cardholders.

Hanford Mills Museum will host the Woodsmen’s Festival on October 13. For more information, go to  www.hanfordmills.org, or call607.278.5744.

 

About Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum is open 10 am – 5 pm, Wednesdays through Sundays, and on holiday Mondays through October 14. Hanford Mills Museum is located at 51 County Hwy. 12, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 and 12, in East Meredith, NY, 10 miles from Oneonta and 15 miles from Delhi. Children 12 and under are admitted free, as are Museum members. The admission fee for adults and teens (13-64) is $9; and for senior citizens, $7. AAA and military discounts are available.

As one of only a handful of operating water-powered mills, Hanford Mills Museum has earned a place on both the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.  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.

For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Liz Callahan, [email protected] 607.278.5744 www.hanfordmills.org

Calendar Listing

September 8, 10 am – 4 pm
Antique Engine Jamboree & Powerfest
Hanford Mills Museum
51 County Hwy 12
East Meredith, NY
www.hanfordmills.org
607/278-5744

Antique engine enthusiasts from across the region exhibit their steam and gas-powered engines. Tour the Mill powered by the Museum’s steam boiler and steam engines. Jamboree also features bluegrass music, Mill demonstrations, kids’ activities, BBQ, and pies. Festival included with regular admission. Children 12 and under receive free admission. Adults,$ 9; Seniors and AAA members, $7.

Independence Day Celebration offers authentic family fun

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Hanford Mills Museum News Release
For Immediate Release

Independence Day Celebration at Hanford Mills Museum features steam power demos, jumping frogs, fishing derby, BBQ, and old-fashioned fun

[East Meredith, June 19, 2019] It’s going to be a BYOF celebration at Hanford Mills Museum on July 4th. That’s bring your own frog for the frog jumping contests. No frog? No problem. Organizers say that watching the contests are just as much fun. The Independence Day Celebration, which runs 10 am to 4 pm on July 4, also features a fishing derby with prizes for kids, steam power and water power demonstrations in the Museum’s historic sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop, the Hanford Mills String Band, field games, and local vendors.

“The Independence Day Celebration is a day of authentic family fun,” says Liz Callahan, the Museum’s executive director. “Some families make Hanford Mills a part of their July Fourth every year, and we are always delighted to welcome new people to Hanford Mills.”

Steam Power Demonstrations

Hanford Mills Museum is one of the few historic sites in the country that demonstrates steam power. They will be operating the wood-fired boiler and steam engines throughout the day.

“July Fourth is the ideal time to explore American ingenuity,” said Callahan.

She noted that while Hanford Mills operates the waterwheel during tours offered every Wednesday through Sunday, steam power demonstrations occur only a few times a year.

Free Ice Cream Samples, Food Vendors

Visitors can sample ice cream made on steam-powered churn chilled with ice cut during February’s Ice Harvest Festival.  Local vendors like Tickled Pink BBQ and Shaver-Hill Farm will sell lunch and snack items. Visitors are welcome to bring picnics too.

Special Fun for Kids

Children 14 and under can take part in a fishing derby on the Mill Pond from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, with prizes awarded at 2 pm. Children can bring their own fishing poles and bait. There also will be poles available to borrow. Volunteers from the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be on hand to offer help and fishing tips. Frog-jumping contests will be held at 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. Kids should bring frogs to participate in the races. Children can also take part in sack races, tug o’ war games, and play with a variety of blocks and gears in the Learning Lab.

“With ice cream, jumping frogs, steam power, live music, fishing on the Mill pond, waterwheels, and local food, we have all the ingredients for a unique and happy Fourth of July,” says Callahan.

The Independence Day Celebration on July 4 runs from 10 am to 4 pm, with the Museum site open until 5 pm.  The Independence Day Celebration is included with regular admission. 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.

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 is $9 for adults and teens, $7 for seniors and AAA members, and $4.50 for retired military. Hanford Mills participates in the National Endowment for the Arts Blue Star Museum Initiative, so all active duty Military and their families receive free admission. Through the Museums for All program, anyone with an EBT card also receives free admission. East Meredith residents (13757) and nearby zip codes also get free admission. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.

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For questions or to set up a interview, please contact Liz Callahan, 607.278.5744.

For photos, please contact Peg Odell,  607.278.5744.

News Release: Call for Antique Engine Exhibitors

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Hanford Mills Museum logoHanford Mills Museum News Release

For Immediate Release

 

Show Your Engines!
Hanford Mills Museum seeks exhibitors for its Antique Engine Jamboree on September 9
Register by July 31 to receive special incentives

[East Meredith, July 13, 2017] Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith will hold its 34th annual Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree and Powerfest on Saturday, September 9, 10 am to 4 pm. The Museum is seeking exhibitors who have antique farm machines, tractors, model engines, outboard motors, motorcycles, cars, trucks, fire engines, and water-cooled and air-cooled engines. Exhibitors interact with visitors, sharing stories about the skill and mechanical know-how necessary to restore and maintain antique engines.

Exhibitors who register by July 31 will receive a free Hanford Mills Museum baseball cap and be entered to win a wooden bench made at Hanford Mills Museum. Register by contacting Brendan Pronteau at Hanford Mills, by calling 607/278-5744, or send an email to [email protected]. Exhibitors can also download a registration form at hanfordmills.org.

“We are grateful for the exhibitors who share their collections with the Museum’s visitors,” says Liz Callahan, the Museum’s executive director. “The Antique Engine Jamboree celebrates the ingenuity of the past.”

The Antique Engine Jamboree also features steam-power and water-power demonstrations in the historic Mill, bluegrass music, BBQ, and kids’ activities.

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 is $9 for adults and teens, $7 for seniors and AAA members, and $4.50 for retired military. Hanford Mills participates in the National Endowment for the Arts Blue Star Museum Initiative, so all active duty Military and their families receive free admission. Through the Museums for All program, anyone with an EBT card also receives free admission. East Meredith residents (13757) and nearby zip codes also get free admission. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.

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.

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For questions or to interview, please contact Liz Callahan, [email protected], 607.278.5744.

For photos, please contact Peg Odell, [email protected], 607.278.5744

Learning Lab at Hanford Mills

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Learning Lab at Hanford Mills

Hanford Mills Museum features a space for young children and their families to explore, build and create. The Learning Lab offers a range of activities, including building with gears, blocks, problem-solving challenges,  and power generation models, and a reading center with comfortable kid-sized seating. 

Hanford Mills will continue to add activities to the Learning Lab. The Learning Lab is located across the Mill pond from the Museum’s historic sawmill and woodworking shop.

News Release: Learning Lab Grand Opening

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Hanford Mills Museum logoHanford Mills Museum News Release
For Immediate Release

Contact: Liz Callahan,  607/278-5744

 

Hanford Mills Museum to open new place for children to explore, create and build

Learning Lab Grand Opening part of Free Family Saturday on June 17

[ East Meredith, NY June 2, 2017] On June 17, Hanford Mills Museum will open the Learning Lab, a new space for young children and their families to explore and create. The Learning Lab offers a range of activities, including building with gears and blocks from Keva and Imagination Playground, problem-solving challenges, mini-waterwheels and other power generation models, and a reading center with comfortable kid-sized seating.

“We created the Learning Lab to provide an inviting, kid-friendly space to foster innovation and creative problem solving,” says Liz Callahan, the Museum’s executive director.  “Kids can explore topics highlighted in Mill tours like power, energy, technology, and sustainable resources. And, because young children learn through play, we have lot of fun activities for kids to choose from.”  She noted that the Learning Lab is included with regular admission.

“We are looking forward to having the space filled with children, and hope that local families will view this as a resource they can visit again and again,” said Callahan. “It is an enjoyable, meaningful and affordable way for families to spend time together.”

June 17 is a Free Family Saturday at Hanford Mills Museum, so any adult who is accompanied by a child under 18 receives free admission. Children and teens also receive free admission that day.  Additional Free Family Saturday dates at Hanford Mills are July 22, August 12, and September 2.

Hanford Mills staff worked with museum education consultant Katie Boardman of the Cherry Valley Group and Museum Studies students from the Cooperstown Graduate Program to create a space especially for children 8 and under. The planning was supported in part by a grant from the Museum Association of New York.

Hanford Mills will continue to add activities to the Learning Lab, and will be installing solar panels on the roof of the building soon to provide opportunities to talk about solar power. The Learning Lab is located across the Mill pond from the Museum’s historic sawmill and woodworking shop.

About Hanford Mills Museum
As one of only a handful of operating water-powered mills, Hanford Mills Museum has earned a place on both the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.  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.

Hanford Mills Museum is located at 51 County Hwy. 12, at the intersection of Delaware County Routes 10 and 12 in East Meredith, NY, 10 miles from Oneonta and 15 miles from Delhi. The Museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm, and also on Labor Day and Columbus Day. Children 12 and under receive free admission, as do Museum members, anyone with an EBT card, and Museum neighbors who live in the following zip codes: 13757, 13739, 13786, 13750, and 13806.

For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call 607.278.5744.

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www.hanfordmills.org

www.Facebook.com/HanfordMillsMuseum

CONTACT:        Liz Callahan, [email protected] 607.278.5744

Ice Harvest Festival offers history on ice and day of winter fun

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Hanford Mills Museum logo

HANFORD MILLS MUSEUM NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Liz Callahan 607/278-5744, [email protected]

Ice Harvest Festival
February 4, 10 am – 4 pm
Hanford Mills Museum
51 County Hwy 12, East Meredith, NY
www.hanfordmills.org
[email protected]
607/278-5744

Take part in a traditional ice harvest, just as communities did a century ago. Festival also includes ice carving by the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Center Ice Team, ice fishing with Trout Unlimited, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowman village, hot soup buffet, food trucks, blacksmithing and cooking demonstrations, and exhibits by local businesses and farmers. Kids 12 and under get in free; Adults and Teens, $9; Seniors, $7.

Ice Harvest Festival at Hanford Mills Museum: History on Ice!

[January 27, 2017 East Meredith, NY] The annual Ice Harvest Festival at Hanford Mills Museum on Saturday, February 4th offers adults and children a chance to take part in a traditional ice harvest using historic tools and techniques. Before refrigeration, harvesting ice was an essential winter activity. The ice was stored in ice houses until it was needed in the warmer months to keep food and agricultural products cold.

“Kids can cut ice, haul ice, help stack the ice, and get a ride on a horse-drawn sled.  It is very different from reading about things in a book; it is real.  Of course, the cocoa and soup are always big hits, too,” says Jack Tessier, a board member of Hanford Mills who has attended several Ice Harvests with his wife and children.

Festival also offers Ice Sculpting, Ice Fishing, Horse-drawn Sleigh Rides, Hot Soup Buffet, Local Farmers, and More

The SUNY Delhi Hospitality Center Ice Team will create sculptures from blocks of ice. Children can try out ice fishing with the help of volunteers from the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Other activities include taking horse-drawn sleigh rides around the Museum site, watching blacksmith demonstrations, shopping from local farmers and businesses, including Promisedland Farm, Byebrook Farm, and the Cooperstown Distillery. There also will be a snowman village, bonfires, and films of ice harvests in the 1920s-1940s. At the Hanford House, which shows family life in the 1920s, visitors can play tabletop games and see historic cooking demonstrations.

There will be an auction of the Werner Rentsch painting “Ice Cutting at Hanford Mills NY,” which the noted artist made after attending an Ice Harvest Festival a few years ago. The artist donated the painting for the Museum to use to raise funds. Bidding is now available online at hanfordmills.org.

The Ice Harvest Festival, which is always held on the first Saturday in February, regularly brings 1,000 or more people to the small hamlet of East Meredith in Delaware County. Starting in December, Museum staff monitor and groom the ice to ensure a good crop of clear strong ice.

“We have families who come year after year, and are also glad to welcome people coming for the first time. Some people who came as children are now bringing their own children,” says Museum Executive Director Liz Callahan. “People value the opportunity to take part in an authentic experience and to connect with the history of the area.”

A hot soup buffet will feature soup and chili provided by area restaurants, including Brooks’ House of BBQ, Cafe Ommegang, the Cooperstown Diner, Cross Roads Cafe, Danny’s Main Street Market, the Delhi Diner, Doubleday Cafe, Fiesta Mexican Grill, Jackie’s Restaurant, Jay’s Place, Mel’s at 22, Morey’s Family Restaurant,  Oneonta Bagel Company, The Otesaga, Simply Thai,  Sloan’s N.Y. Grill, Signatures Restaurant, the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Program, Applebee’s, and Denny’s. . Proceeds from the soup buffet as well as the sale of baked goods, which are provided by Junkyard Bakehaus, benefit the Museum’s educational programs. In addition, the Cabana Coffee food truck will offer hot and cold beverages.

The Ice Harvest Festival shows “how things can be done without modern fuels,” explains Tessier. “People were able to meet their needs through knowledge of their local environment, and we will need that knowledge in the future. The fact that Hanford Mills Museum can provide that knowledge in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere makes the event that much more special.”

The Ice Harvest Festival is sponsored by the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Management Department, WSKG, The Daily Star, and Five Star Subaru.

The ice harvested at the festival will be used to make ice cream at the Museum’s Independence Day Celebration on July 4.

See the website for more information, hanfordmills.org.

Admission and Information

Children 12 and under receive free admission. Admission for adults and teens is $9; senior admission is $7. AAA and other discounts available. Museum members receive free admission. Those living in zip codes (13757, 13739, 13786, 13750, and 13806) neighboring Hanford Mills also receive free admission.

Because GPS may take drivers on roads that are not winter-friendly, the Museum has a list of suggested routes available at https://www.hanfordmills.org/visit-a-historic-workingmill/our-location or by calling 607/278-5744. In particular, when driving from the Albany area on Interstate 88, they recommend taking exit 16 (Emmons/West Davenport) instead of exit 18 or 19.

About Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, which includes a sawmill, gristmill and woodworking shop. 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, will open for the 2017 season on May 17.

Hanford Mills 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 www.hanfordmills.org or call 607-278-5744.

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For more information, please contact:  Liz Callahan, Executive Director, Hanford Mills Museum, 607/278-5744, [email protected]

For photos, please contact Peg Odell, [email protected]

B-roll of past Ice Harvest Festivals available at: http://bit.ly/IceHarvestFestivalB-roll

2016 Antique Engine Jamboree

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Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles

  • 1910 Model T Roadster
  • 1930 Model A Ford
  • 1933 Ford Pickup
  • 1956 Chevy
  • Indian Motorcycles

Engines

  • 1908 United
  • 1909 S.S.S.
  • 1916 Economy
  • 1917 International
  • 1921 Taylor Vacuum Engine
  • 1924 Novo
  • 1925 Fairbanks Morse Hit and Miss Engine- running a corn grinder
  • 1927 Empire Vacuum Engine
  • 1933 Stover CT-2 2 HP
  •  1939 Stover CT-3 3 HP
  • Buzzsaw Rig

Model Locomotives and Model Engines

  • 1878 model 3 3/4″ gauge Live Steam Locomotive
  • 1954 4-8-4 Lice Steam Locomotive 3 3/4″Gauge
  • Model Steam Engines, Model Hit and Miss Engines, Model Case Steam Tractor

Marine Engines

  • 1939 Elto Handitwin, 1926 Elto Rudder Twin, Remote Control Boats on the Mill Pond
  • 1927 Elto Rudder twin, 1935 Evinrude Sportsman, 1937 Elto Ace

Doodlebugs (antique homemade tractors)

  • 1928 and 1929 Ford Doodlebugs
  • 1928 Chevy Doodlebug
  • 1931 Ford Model A Doodlebug

Fire  Trucks

  • 1926 Ahrens-Fox Fire Pumper
  • 1957 Catskill Game Farm Nash Metropolitan Fire Truck Ride

Tractors 

  • 1950 Page Tractor
  • 1961 International Harvester Cub Cadet (The Original)
  • 1952 Worthington park/golf course Tractor
  • Multiple tractors from Tired Iron of Butternut Valley

Renewal Energy

  • Equity Energy
  • New York Power Authority