Stepping Out

Fair days 19th century-style

Embracing a bygone era at the Long Island Fair

Posted

Stepping Back In Time

Long Island Fair
Enjoy some early fall delights at the Long Island Fair, Old Bethpage Village’s authentic recreation of a 19th century county fair. This popular annual festival offers an appealing glimpse of days gone by, including all sorts of historical entertainment and activities. Stilt walkers traverse the grounds, and entertainers enthrall families with puppets, juggling and storytelling, in addition to performances by brass bands, fiddlers, and popular local folk trio Gathering Time, among others. Historical demonstrations, agricultural displays and competitions, livestock shows, tractor rides, Civil War and Rough Rider reenactments bring the 1800s alive. Also visit animals at the livestock barn, take part in corn husking and scarecrow-building contests, and test your skill and strength at the two-person cross-cut sawing in friendly competition. Additional attractions include a reptile show, carnival rides, horse drawn wagons, and even pig racing.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23-24, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $15, $12 seniors and children ages 5-12. Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage. (516) 572-8401 or www.lifair.org.

Art Adventures

Draw Out! Festival
Find your creative inspiration at Heckscher Museum’s Draw Out! Arts Festival. The museum grounds and Heckscher Park welcome families and artists to take part in demonstrations, games, art-related activities, and entertainment. Try your hand at live figure drawing led by Christian White; create an “I Care” masterpiece and poem with author -cartoonist Paul Rodriguez; join Doug Reina for Plein Air painting by Heckscher Pond. Also meet Lisa Breslow, whose work is featured in the current exhibit “Ebb & Flow: Seascapes and Shoreline Views.” Entertainment includes performances by singer-songwriter Kirsten Maxwell and The Huntington Center for Performing Arts. Those who like games will want to take in some larger-than-life chess and checkers with Your Move Chess & Games.
Sunday, Sept. 24, 12-4 p.m. Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington. (631) 351-3250 or www.heckscher.org.