Join us in Celebrating the Harvest! Fall is a busy time of year at Old Sturbridge Village. This time of year early 19th-century New Englanders farmers worked tirelessly to harvest corn, potatoes, apples, squash, and other produce from their fields. Families also put time into preserving the harvest by drying, pickling, and sugaring never knowing quite how long the winter would last. As the growing season winds down, come see our gardeners and farmers who are hard at work harvesting and preserving crops, putting fields and gardens to rest, and thinking ahead to the next growing season.

Highlights include:

September 30 – October 1, 2023: Home Gardeners’ Exhibit

Celebrate your own harvest in our Virtual Home Gardeners’ Exhibit! Submit your vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and more to be part of our online exhibit. Learn more about the exhibit.

October 7-9, 2023: 19th-Century Agricultural Fair

Fall was the time for 19th-century Agricultural Societies to hold a Cattle Show. Many shows also included an Exhibition of Domestic Manufacture. This weekend, we are recreating such a display of vegetables, cheese, knitted stockings, baskets and more. Plan your Agricultural Fair visit. This weekend is sponsored by UniBank.

October 14-15, 2023: Ox Weekend

Join us during Ox Weekend as we welcome visiting teams of oxen. You may even be able to try your hand at ploughing with oxen!

Did you know?

Early 19th-century New England farm families stored a lot of the fall harvest is root cellars. Certain root vegetables (such as carrots) and apples were often stored in sand in the root cellar. If these items are exposed to the air, they will lose moisture and shrivel up. The sand seals them from the air and isolates each vegetable or fruit, preventing the spread of rot if one should spoil. Apples give off ethylene gas as they ripen, so the sand also helps lessen the release of the gas and therefore the impacts on other items in the cellar.

Looking for a fall recipe to try at home?

Each day at the Village the costumed interpreters demonstrate 19th-century cooking. Some of the historical recipes (or “receipts” as they were called in the 1830s) are available online. Try making Gourd Soup, Pumpkin and Squash Pie, or Winter Vegetable Soup.

Dates: September 30 - October 22, 2023

Times: The Village is open 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Beginning October 4th the Village will close at 4:00 pm.

Location: Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566

Cost: Included with standard daytime admission or Village membership. Standard daytime admission is $30.00 for adults, $28.00 for seniors (55+), College Student (with valid college ID) $15, Youth (4-17) $15.00, and free for children 3 and under.

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