Come celebrate the harvest season at Old Sturbridge Village! This time of year, early 19th-century New England 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 hard at work harvesting and preserving crops, putting fields and gardens to rest, and thinking ahead to the next growing season. For details and to purchase tickets visit: www.osv.org/event/celebrating-the-harvest-2/.

 

Fall Hours

In October, Old Sturbridge Village will be open Wednesday– Sunday from 9:30 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. and then re-open at 4:30 p.m. for “Phantoms by Firelight.”

 Select weekends throughout October standard daytime admission to the Village features:

 

19th-Century Agricultural Fair (October 7–9, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.)

New England agriculture fairs began in the early 1800s and were held to exhibit and share new technologies, improved farming techniques, and show off their finest in livestock and harvest.

 During this three-day weekend event, guests will see an “Exhibition of Domestic Manufacture” throughout the Village with craftspeople displaying handwoven cotton and woolens, knitted items such as stockings and shawls, and items from our trades shops such as tinware, pottery, brooms, baskets, and books! Also on display are the finest of the harvest including vegetables, fruits, butter, cheese, and other consumables.

See the work of our talented artists and explore the “fair” as part of standard daytime admission. Agricultural Fair Weekend is sponsored by UniBank. For tickets visit www.osv.org/event/agriculture-fair-weekend/.

 

Ox Weekend (October 14–15, 9:30 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.)

Oxen are domesticated cattle trained to work as draft animals. A “yoke” of oxen was often cheaper to buy than horses and that made them the farm machinery of the 1830s. Farmers used them to haul goods to town in wagons, haul lumber for building, and round the farm and to do the heavy work of plowing fields.

 On this weekend the oxen team at Old Sturbridge Village will display their talents as they host visiting oxen teams from other farms and compete in plowing matches, obstacle courses, and parades. Guests can even try hand plowing with the oxen. All activities are part of standard daytime admission. To buy tickets go to https://www.osv.org/event/ox-weekend/.

Ox & Yoke Mercantile

Open 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays.

Extended hours at the Ox & Yoke Mercantile and Café begin in October for your holiday shopping! Stop by for seasonal gifts, home décor, and Village-made crafts and pottery. You can shop online for select items from our store at shop.osv.org Located outside the Visitor Center and right next to the parking lot, the Café offers tea, coffee, delicious soups, sandwiches, and delectable sweet treats and snacks. During these extended hours, guests can also enjoy wine and beer, pumpkin-flavored coffees, cookies, and more!