Annual Hallockville Museum Farm Country Fair Set for Sept. 28-29

Families looking for a taste of the past will find it at the Hallockville Museum Farm’s 43rd annual Country Fair, where war reenactors, tractor parades, and potato sack races will celebrate the North Fork’s rich history.

The country fair will be held Sept. 28 and 29, offering a weekend of family-friendly activities, historical re-enactments, and farm demonstrations. The event will be held at the 28-acre preserved farmstead on Sound Avenue in Riverhead, in partnership with the Long Island Antique Power Association.

New additions to this year’s fair include the 3rd New York Regiment 1775 Long Island Revolutionary War reenactors, a colonial cooking demonstration by Diane Schwindt, and a performance by the Islip Horsemen’s Association Spirit of Long Island Mounted Drill Team. Attendees can also see a traditional post and beam building demonstration.

Visitors will have the chance to experience Long Island’s agricultural history through a variety of activities. Folk arts and skills demonstrations, historic home tours, hayrides, and a petting zoo are among the many activities planned. Other offerings include tractor pulls, a parade, pony rides, baked goods, and handcrafted items for sale. There will also be traditional games for children and live music. Food and beverage trucks will be available on-site.

“We are delighted to team up with the Long Island Antique Power Association again this year to present a broader farm-life experience,” said Heather Johnson, executive director of Hallockville Museum Farm. “From tractors and blacksmiths to potato sack races and craft sales, there will truly be something for every member of the family to enjoy. Our Country Fair is the perfect opportunity for people to unplug and experience a traditional North Fork celebration on an authentic Long Island farm homestead.”

The story of people in the Hallockville area includes Native Americans, Puritans, Polish immigrants, and others who have influenced the land.

This history includes the men and women who worked the soil, fished along the shores, and lived off the land’s resources, as well as those who attempted to develop it. Each group had a vision for the future, whether it was to create rich farmland for their descendants or to provide inexpensive nuclear power for the region. Visible evidence of their presence remains, ranging from prehistoric artifacts and historic farm buildings to remnants of modern industrial operations.

By the late 20th century, approximately 520 acres in the northeast corner of Riverhead Town and a small portion of adjacent Southold Town became known as the “KeySpan Property.” The area consisted of roughly 300 acres of farmland, 200 acres of woodland — mostly old fields and second-growth forest — and over 5,000 feet of shoreline on Long Island Sound, bordered by high bluffs of sand and clay. While some areas had been heavily disturbed by recent activities, the property also included the undisturbed Hallock Pond and large sections of wooded and semi-wooded wildlife habitat.

In the early 21st century, a significant preservation effort transformed this area into Hallock State Park Preserve, ensuring the protection of adjacent farmland. The area referred to in the 19th century as “Hallockville,” due to the many Hallock families who lived there, largely corresponded with the 20th-century “KeySpan” property, making their histories part of a unified narrative.

The Hallockville Country Fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are priced at $15 for attendees aged 13 and older, $10 for children aged 4 to 12, and free for children under 4. A family pack of four tickets is available for $45. More information, including a schedule of events, can be found at hallockville.org/countryfair.