by William Zimmerman
Ten people picked 200 pounds of strawberries, 15 people hulled them, over a dozen people baked homemade biscuits and strawberry-rhubarb pies and a dozen more served the delicacies at the Stephentown Historical Society’s 29th annual Strawberry Festival on Sunday, June 27, at The Berry Patch on Route 22. Short showers teased the setup and take-down crews but didn’t last. The 5 hour festival enjoyed hot, humid, cloudy weather but without rain. By 4 pm, around 200 people had enjoyed strawberries, shortcake, ice cream, homemade pie and chocolate-covered strawberries under the tent. For many people, 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. which this year includes some major ceiling rework upstairs at the Heritage Center, the semiannual newsletter and monthly programs at the Heritage Center.
The Stephentown Historical Society 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. Most of all 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 fruits and labors of Stephentown and its Historical Society. Without them there would be no Strawberry Festival and indeed no Historical Society.
Do you realize that SHS has served over 2 tons of strawberries in the 29 years of this event? Hmmm. Or maybe just Mmmmmmm.
