Music, Free Children’s Workshop and Historic Driving Tour
Staff | August 9, 2011 | CommentThe “Catskill Arts & Air” open-air art series at the Pakatakan Farmers Market has a full schedule of events planned for Saturday, Aug. 13, including a historic driving tour, artist demonstration, a free children¹s workshop and music.
The day starts off with an artist demonstration and free children¹s workshop from 10 a.m.-noon with Martha Bremer demonstrating traditional basket weaving as well as a variety of chair caning techniques. She also will offer several basket weaving projects for children to try out their weaving skills. Bremer, a master basket weaver, studied at the Brookfield Craft Institute in Connecticut but has been mostly self-taught for the past 25 years.
The Delaware County Historical Association and guides Dorothy Kubik and Tim Duerden will host an historic driving tour of important Anti-Rent War sites around Delaware County. Guides will arrive at 10 a.m. and the tour will head off by 11 a.m. to a lesser-known spot in the Town of Middletown on the border of Ulster County. At the juncture of Todd Mountain Road and Galli Curci Road lies a large flat rock, resembling a platform. Near one end is a strange hole 18 inches deep, obviously manmade. Visitors can picture themselves standing with a crowd in front of the rock, listening to a calico “Indian” give a pep talk to the local farmers while the Anti-Rent flag flies from a pole placed in that hole.
The tour will then travel to the Hunting Tavern in Andes, the scene of several exciting occurrences in the difficult year of 1845, then go on up Tremperskill Road to Upper Dingle Hill Road, the site of Moses Earle¹s house. Across from the house is the pasture where the Anti-Renters surrounded the cattle the sheriff had come to auction off and the likely spot where Undersheriff Osman Steele was fatally wounded. Returning to the Hunting Tavern, the group will then rest for lunch (please bring your own food and drink) and a tour.
After lunch, it’s off to the Delhi courthouse to reconstruct the scene as it was in 1845 with the log jails on Courthouse Square. Those who wish may then proceed to Woodland Cemetery to view the monument in memory of Steele.
Ms. Kubik is the author of the popular book, A Free Soil Free People: The Anti-Rent War in Delaware County. Tim Duerden is the director of the Delaware County Historical Association and author of A History of Delaware County 1797-2007.
At the market, hear music from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. by local favorites, “The Catskill Mountain Boys.” The group plays a wide variety of bluegrass favorites. The boys include Henry Hermann, John Van Benschoten, Mike Herman and Todd Pascarella. The event is free with any public donations going towards a new “inclusive” playground in the Fleischmanns Park.
The Pakatakan Farmers’ Market is held rain or shine. The market is located at the historic Round Barn on Route 30 near the Delaware County hamlet of Halcottsville, in the central Catskill Mountains. The market is five miles north of Margaretville / Arkville and eight miles south of Roxbury. The location is 50 miles west of Kingston on Route 28 (turn right at Arkville cutoff road); 45 miles southeast of Oneonta on Route 30; 35 miles south of Middleburgh on Route 30; and 40 miles north of the Route 17 exit at Roscoe.
For more information, please visit pfmarket.org or call 845 586-3443.