FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fall in Historic Richmond Town:
Programs & Events September-November 2022
Staten Island, New York: Fall in Historic Richmond Town continues with special programming all season long, September-November, 2022. Enjoy the changing leaves and crisp fall air at our Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm weekends, explore the haunted history of Staten Island with nighttime tours and special programs, and experience the time-honored festival of historical trades and crafts on Old Home Day.
Our Open Village season continues through October 2. Wednesday-Sunday from 11am-5pm, visitors can watch skilled artisans as they practice their trade, tour the restored interiors of period homes, take part in civic life, and explore functioning open hearth kitchens. General admission tickets are $10 (adults), and $5 (kids 6+), kids ages 5 and under are free. Ticket purchase includes access to the Visitor Center, Open Village and the Historical Museum. Open structures vary daily. Holiday Season hours begin October 3 (Friday-Sunday, 11am-5pm). Guided tours are available daily. Email info@historicrichmondtown.org for more information.
Also continuing this season is the English Country Dance; every second and fourth Wednesday of the month through December 28, 7:30-9:30. The public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the social dances popular in England in the 17th-19th centuries.Tickets are $10; no experience necessary and all ages are welcome.
Highlighting the fall season are two of Historic Richmond Town’s most popular and beloved events: Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm and Old Home Day Weekend.
Decker Farm pumpkin picking weekends return Saturday, October 1, and run every Saturday and Sunday in October as well as Monday October 10 from 11am-5pm. Built in 1810, it is New York City’s oldest, continually working, family farm. All are welcome to search the patch for the perfect pumpkin, indulge in delicious fall food favorites, enjoy a hayride, hay maze and more. “We're excited to reopen New York City's oldest family farm for five consecutive weekends in October.” Says Historic Richmond Town events & Festivals Manager, Andrew Andron. “Decker Farm has something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors from throughout the five boroughs and beyond this fall.” General admission tickets are available online and at the door. Birthday party packages are also available.
This year, Old Home Day will be hosted as a two-day festival weekend; October 15-16, 10am-4pm. The beloved event will bring the historic village to life with costumed interpretation of historic trades and demonstrations of home crafts that allow visitors to experience Staten Island’s past and present with displays by living historians, modern makers and cultural organizations.
Historic Richmond Town Director of Education & Public Programs, Luke G. Boyd, is excited to bring back the traditional features of the event as well as introduce some new additions. “This year's event welcomes living historians who present demonstrations of cooking and crafts from the 17th century, as well as Indigenous lifeways,” he says. “The new Dutch & Native Market will feature living Historians representing indigenous people and Dutch settlers to interpret the trading of goods, treaties and cultural exchange between the indigenous peoples of Staten Island in the 17th century." Tickets are available online and at the door.
Other highlights this fall include:
Hispanic Heritage Month Program - Sunday, September 25, 11am-3pm. Historic Richmond Town is proud to chronicle the diverse histories of Staten Islanders throughout the human experience, and to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our borough, city, and country. Features a performance by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company. Included with general admission.
Paranormal Investigations - Select Fridays & Saturdays September 16-November 4, 8-10pm. This three-hour event will begin with an introductory presentation with Paranormal Investigator Vinny Carbone analyzing the origins of paranormal investigating, its place in modern society, and separating fact from fiction. Guests are then taken on an ACTUAL ghost hunt utilizing professional equipment to possibly communicate with the former inhabitants of this location. Tickets $40.
Village Ghost Tours - Select Fridays and Saturday, September 23-November 4, 7:00 and 8:30pm. From authentic colonial ghost stories to creepy modern-day encounters, Village Ghost Tours explore historic houses by candlelight and delve into folklore and mysteries from the past. This ghost tour is led by costumed storytellers who share their own unexplained and unnerving tales and takes you through the village and into historic structures after-hours. Tickets: $10.
Virtual Bookbinding Workshop - Saturday, October 8, 1-:2:30pm. Historic Richmond Town is proud to partner with the Richmondtown branch of the New York Public Library to host a special hands-on learning opportunity at home. Felicity Beil, master of historic trades and crafts will lead this session virtually. FREE. Requires registration in advance as space is limited.
Open House New York - Saturday & Sunday, October 22-23, 12-4pm. Open House New York is an annual city-wide festival of architecture and urban design. As part of this special weekend, you can tour the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House, the oldest house on Staten Island and the 4th oldest home in New York State. FREE. Reservations are required as space is limited.
Fall Tavern Concerts - Saturday nights, October 22-November 12, 6:00 & 8:00pm. This indoor concert series will take place in the restored Guyon Tavern, located on Richmond Road. The Tavern boasts a wood-burning stove, flickering candles, live music and the true feel of a 19th century saloon. Beverage options harken back to the period and include hot spiced apple cider, scratch made mulled wine, as well as a refreshing selection of beers.
Hearth & Harvest Weekend - Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 10am-4pm. Watch as costumed interpreters prepare dishes using 18th & 19th century recipes, tools and techniques in historic kitchens throughout the village. Tickets: $15.
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About Historic Richmond Town:
Historic Richmond Town interprets and restores a living history village, operates a historical museum, and collects and preserves material culture to inspire engagement with and understanding of the diverse histories of Staten Island. Historic Richmond Town preserves and maintains 40 historic structures over 112 acres of preserved parkland across four unique sites on Staten Island. The main site is a living history village featuring the Historical Museum that showcases the vast collection through engaging exhibitions. Historic Richmond Town offers public tours, membership, lectures, workshops, over a dozen special events and a variety of educational programs. A visit to Historic Richmond Town is an immersive step into history.
Historic Richmond Town is a non-profit educational cultural institution. Programs and events help raise funds to support the mission. Historic Richmond Town is operated by the Staten Island Historical Society, a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation instituted and incorporated in 1856.
Press Contact:
Amy Kennard
Director of External Affairs, Historic Richmond Town
718-351-1611, ex. 266