by Bill Zimmerman
Despite a rainy month and the threat of additional showers on Sunday, June 28, the weather held no rain for the Stephentown Historical Society’s 28th Annual Strawberry Festival at The Berry Patch on Route 22. Two dozen people had picked and hulled about 200 pounds of strawberries. A dozen people had baked biscuits and strawberry-rhubarb pies. Another dozen set up the facility, served the product, parked cars, tended the cashbox and store and cleaned up after the event. At the end of the 5 hour festival, several hundred people had enjoyed strawberries, shortcake, ice cream, homemade pie and chocolate-covered strawberries under the tent. For many visitors, the event was a delicious substitute for lunch. For the Historical Society, it was a lot of hard work, a lot of camaraderie and a nice addition to the treasury. The money raised helps defray the expenses of facility maintenance, the semi-annual newsletter and monthly programs at the Heritage Center.
Strawberry Festival Co-Chairs Beverley McClave and Bill Zimmerman would like to thank the SHS members who toiled long and hard to provide and serve the delectable desserts, Dale Riggs and Don Miles for growing the strawberries and providing the facility and corporate sponsors Stewart’s, Price Chopper and Big Y for their product donations. But most of all they and the Society would like to thank the people of Stephentown and neighboring communities as well as passers by who took time out of their busy Sunday to enjoy the good weather and the fruits and labors of Stephentown and its Historical Society. Without them there would be no Strawberry Festival and indeed no Historical Society.
