Head to the Rock Hall Country Fair

Two-day weekend event brings history to life in Lawrence

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Curious about colonial life? Head down to the Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence on Oct. 20 and 21 for the 33rd annual Rock Hall Country Fair.

Admission is free, and there will be craft vendors, historic demonstrations, a pumpkin patch, pony rides, period-accurate food and scarecrow-making. The most awaited attraction is the Indian River Olde Time Lumberjack Show. Amy Vacchio, a museum assistant, said that the same group perform at a Rock Hall Fair roughly 15 years ago and was a huge hit. The highlight of the lumberjack show is a log-rolling competition. In a pool the group brings, the lumberjacks try to balance atop a log in the water.

“I hope that the [fair] brings some new people to the museum,” Vacchio said. “And that we have some beautiful weather to enjoy along with some family-friendly fun.”


The fair was one of the first initiatives that museum director Linda Barreira instituted when she started at the museum 33 years ago. “I think that the museum is a perfect setting for families,” she said. “[The fair] is a vehicle to celebrate history, the harvest and the changing seasons. Our goal is to make it a comfortable place for children to learn about the past.” Barreira added that she thinks the fair has become an event that people look forward too, but they’re also looking to attract new visitors.

Rock Hall was built in 1767 for Josiah Martin, a West Indian plantation owner who left Antigua, an island in the Caribbean after a slave uprising. The Hewletts owned the home after the Martins, then they deeded the building to the Town of Hempstead in 1948, and it opened as a museum in 1953. Today the museum offers guided tours, special lectures and hosts field trips from local schools.

All proceeds raised will go to improving the museum, however, Barreira explained that it’s the Town of Hempstead that does most of the heavy lifting financially. Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, who represents the area, explained what the museum brings to the area. “It’s a beautiful place that really captures the history and traditions of the Town of Hempstead and Long Island in the 1760s,” he said. “Every time I go there I find a new piece of Town of Hempstead history that I didn’t know. I hope that everyone who visits is as lucky as I’ve been.”

Regular hours for Rock Hall Museum are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, tours are typically given on the hour and groups of eight or more are encouraged to make reservations by calling the office. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome.

The country fair begins at 11 a.m. on both Oct. 20 and 21. The museum is at 199 Broadway in Lawrence. More information is available on the website, friendsofrockhall.org.