Yorktown Grange Fair
| Yorktown Grange Fair | |
|---|---|
 Carousel at 2008 Yorktown Grange Fair | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Grange fair |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | Yorktown Grange Fairgrounds |
| Location(s) | 88 Moseman Avenue, Yorktown Heights, New York |
| Years active | 1924 to present |
| Website | https://yorktowngrangefair.org |
The Yorktown Grange Fair is an annual event honoring the agricultural heritage of Northern Westchester and providing residents with a weekend of agricultural and educational exhibits, community participation activities, entertainment, food, and carnival rides. It is presented by the Yorktown Grange Agricultural Society, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.[1]
History
Organizer: Yorktown Grange #862
Yorktown Grange (#862)[2], a grange society, was established under the direction of state Grange Deputy A.E. Hall, of Armenia, N.Y., in December 1898, after a meeting of several area farmers. It was organized on December 30, 1898, with 17 members, and seven additional members were received at the January 12, 1899 meeting.[citation needed] Some of the names among the early members can be recognized today by roads within Yorktown’s highway system memorializing their contribution to society: Strang, Hill, Curry, Hyatt, Mead, Moseman, Lee, and Kear.[citation needed]
By 2022 the Yorktown Grange was an active fraternity comprising 45 members and contributing to the community by participating in civic events.[3] The Grange conducts workshops, open to the community, on topics like canning and preserving, home health and safety, gardening, cooking, and more. The Grange hosts the Yorktown Grange Car Show in June and craft fairs during spring and the holiday season. The Yorktown Grange Fair is the organization's main event, welcoming area residents to the Moseman Avenue fairgrounds for three days in early September.[4]
Early history of the fair
In 1920, the Grange purchased a building at the corner of Hanover Street and Railroad Avenue for $2,400. The first meeting in the Grange Hall was held on April 1, 1920; during the meeting, one member, Chester Hyatt, suggested holding a fair to show off his "fine potato crop". The first Grange Fair was held October 19, 1923.[5] The early displays of produce, baking, and flowers were auctioned off after being judged, creating a traditional finale to the fair, which continues today.[6]
As the popularity of the fair grew, the crowds became too large for the Grange Hall. In 1946, the fair was moved to the Yorktown School (now the Community and Cultural Center) on Commerce Street in Yorktown Heights. The gymnasium was used for exhibits, and tents were put up outside to accommodate livestock and the sale of commercial space.[citation needed]
Eventually, the original hall became a burden to maintain, and discussions were held regarding a new meeting place. After serious study and debate, the decision was made to sell the original hall, purchase land, and build a new hall.[citation needed] The Grange purchased a 14-acre parcel on Moseman Road, and plans for a new hall were developed.[citation needed] In September 1954, the first meeting was held in the new hall, and the fair was held on the Moseman Avenue fairgrounds. After three days of heavy rain, the new grounds were very muddy, and the fair was a financial failure.[7][citation needed] However, the previous fair, having been entered as a community service project with the State Grange, had placed first in the State and was awarded a plaque and $200. Even better news was that on the National Grange level the Fair was awarded $500 and another plaque.[citation needed] In December 1954 the Fair Association was formed to organize and implement the fair.[8] The first Fair Association met on February 24, 1955.
Yorktown Grange Agricultural Society
On March 25, 2021 the Yorktown Grange Agricultural Society was incorporated in the State of New York as a not-for-profit corporation, enabling the Yorktown Grange to continue its community service activities on a stable, tax-exempt corporate foundation.[9]
The Grange Fair, 1950s to today
The Grange Fair has continued to grow since the 1950s[10][11], adapting to the changing demographics and interests of the Northern Westchester communities it serves, while maintaining its aim of preserving the area's agricultural heritage. As a "country" fair, the event features traditional agricultural and livestock exhibits and blue ribbon competitions in crafts such as baking, needlework, and woodworking, an antique tractor parade and exhibit, craft and food vendors, and a midway with rides and games.[citation needed] In recent years the fair has added photography, art, and Lego-building contests to the ribbon competitions.[citation needed]
The mile-long tractor parade, held at noon on the Saturday of the fair weekend, is a highlight of the fair and a major event in the hamlet of Yorktown Heights.[12] Antique tractors, some horse-drawn, assemble on Commerce Street and proceed through local roads to the fairgrounds with hundreds of spectators lining the parade route.[13]
The Annual Grange Fair starts the Friday after Labor Day on the Moseman Avenue fairgrounds. The fair is organized and staffed by volunteers, primarily members of Yorktown Grange #862. It provides an opportunity for local youth to showcase their animal husbandry skills with competitions for cow, horse, poultry, and waterfowl, goat, sheep, and rabbit showmanship. Backyard gardeners are welcomed to enter their flowers and vegetables for ribbon awards. Local artists are invited to show their creations, and the children can compete for Lego ribbons.[14]
Recognition
- Proclamation from the Westchester County Executive, dated September 3, 2019 declaring September 6 to September 8, 2019 Westchester's Grange Weekend.[15]
- New York State Grange First Place Community Service Award, 1954.
- National Grange Community Service Award, 1954.
References
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Agricultural Society". New York State Department of State.
- ↑ "List of Granges in New York State". New York State Grange.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange". Volunteer New York. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Fair". Town of Yorktown, NY. Town of Yorktown, NY.
- ↑ Lynne Ames (September 19, 1982). "ABOUT WESTCHESTER: Old-Fashioned Flavor at the Yorktown Grange Fair". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Fair". What to Do: Armonk, Bedford and Chappaqua. whattododigital.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Yorktown Fair Opens; 1,000 at Grange Affair as Rainy Weather Subsides". New York Times. September 17, 1954.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Fair Association". New York State Department of State.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Agricultural Society". New York State Department of State.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Fair Set". The New York Times. September 2, 1962.
- ↑ "A Moo Moo Here, A Blue Ribbon There". The New York Times. September 5, 2010.
- ↑ "Yorktown Grange Fair, Tractor Parade Scheduled". Yorktown Patch. Patch. September 7, 2021.
- ↑ Dan Reiner. "Yorktown Grange Fair Boasts Local Agriculture". lohud. Gannett. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Get Growing and Plan Entries for 2022 Yorktown Grange Fair". The Examiner News. Examiner Media. August 24, 2022.
- ↑ "Proclamation from the County Executive" (PDF). Yorktown Grange. September 3, 2019.
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