Roxbury's feast of old fashioned summer fun kicks off Sept. 2
Come to the picnic grove and beer garden for vintage base ball, music, food and games
Dive into an old fashioned smorgasbord of summertime fun in Roxbury, N.Y. on Labor Day weekendDive into an old fashioned smorgasbord of summertime fun in Roxbury, N.Y. on Labor Day weekend beginning Saturday, Sept. 2. Turn of the Century Days will offer the riches of summer for everyone in the family: vintage base ball all day long, food and more food, a Children's Tent buzzing with crafts and games, tours of the hamlet's most historic homes, and, best of all, an idyllic Victorian-style picnic grove and beer garden for good eats and relaxation. You'll ease right into an evening of incomparable mountain fiddling by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, under the shade trees and the stars.
Roxbury's seventh annual Turn of the Century Days will get underway with gusto on Saturday, Sept. 2: a 10-team vintage base ball tournament starts at 10 a.m. with authentic 19th century games in both Kirkside Park and at the school ball field. At noon, just in time for thirsty, hungry fans, the irresistible sizzle of grilled sausage will waft by and guide you to Roxbury's first ever picnic grove on Kirkside Park's leafy lawns.
You enjoy all the good family fun that hard-working Americans used to savor in their precious leisure time, all rolled up in one perfect summer afternoon and evening as Roxbury inaugurates another new "old" tradition in the Park: the authentic American picnic grove and beer garden.Under the tent, Roxbury eateries and community organizations will outdo themselves to feed you: authentic sausage and grilled meats, crunchy, Catskill-fresh salads will vie with other summertime staples like homemade victuals and chicken barbecue. To wash it down, choose a frosty root beer, old fashioned soda pop or tickle your tonsils with an ice cold beer on tap.
Take time to savor some Victorian beauties too — the fine 19th century homes lining Roxbury's historic Main Street. Trained docents can unlock the rich details of life lived in these architectural gems more than 100 years ago. Or, play aristocrat and step aboard an elegant hotel coach of the Gilded Age to survey this historic hamlet from Gould's perspective, straight between the horses' ears.
Then . . . just relax! Back at the shady picnic grove, you can play bocci or croquet and watch your kids run a sack race, roll a hoop or make a rag doll in the Children's Tent. They'll take inspiration from the old fashioned hijinks of Clan Tynker, an ambidextrous troupe who juggle, pirouette on stilts, make musical merriment and clown around in classic vaudeville fashion. They are guaranteed to elicit ooohs and aaahs, even from the most hardened 12-year-old.
As the afternoon dwindles, strolling musicians Katie Boardman and Dave Raphaelson invite you to harmonize or just enjoy listening to a 19th century parlor music sing-along. They'll warm you up for the musical wonder of Ungar and Mason's mountain fiddle jam, beginning at 6 p.m. What better way to end such a day than with the haunting refrain of "Ashokan Farewell"?
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| Jay Ungar and Molly Mason |
You enjoy all the good family fun that hard-working Americans used to savor in their precious leisure time, all rolled up in one perfect summer afternoon and evening as Roxbury inaugurates another new "old" tradition in the Park: the authentic American picnic grove and beer garden.
Historically, picnic groves and beer gardens were hives of outdoor family relaxation and fun, "a weekend resort laid out amidst shady trees and sprawling lawns," as one historian calls them. Working people would bring their kids, play games, relax and eat, listen to musical entertainment and often join in sing-alongs — all afternoon and evening long. It was picnic, amusement park and music hall, all rolled into one, for ordinary families who still played together back in the day.
Take time to savor some Victorian beauties tooDiscover all the details at at this web site or call 607 326-3722 with specific questions about Turn of the Century Days on September 2-3, Roxbury's two day Victorian trip back in time. Come see how colorful the past can be!