Stretched out along the pathway were a series of small displays with artisans—most in period dress—demonstrating old-fashioned crafts like broom making and tinsmithing. Visitors could learn about butter churning, sheep shearing, blacksmithing, spinning and dyeing, beer making, and beekeeping. It was reassuring to know that in our modern-day world, these skills are not lost and are being passed on to younger generations.

All kinds of animals were on display for petting and admiring. You could milk a cow, courtesy of Gumaer Farms Dairy, or learn how milk is pasteurized. When asked if the brown cow gave chocolate milk, the inquirer was informed by the friendly attendant, “Yes, but only on one side.” That was but one “fact” available to the inquiring mind. Later in the day, an overheard conversation revealed that it takes 200 bees to fill a half-cup, a fact that could come in handy some day.

Ducks, nibbling beet greens and waddling up a ramp to jump into a plastic pool, could be petted, as long as you watched your fingers. Many children in attendance were eager to “get up close” to the dairy goats, sheep, miniature horses, white rabbits, and friendly ducks, but most shied away from the impressive 2,300-pound oxen.

Two Martin Van Burens strolled the grounds during the course of the day. The one with genuine side-whiskers and an uncanny resemblance to the eighth president was Gordon Van Buren, bearing the name but reportedly not a direct descendant. The other President Van Buren was portrayed by park guide Tom Fraser.

This year, in addition to its usual agricultural fair aspects, Harvest Day also served as the first event in Columbia County’s celebration of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, which officially begins next year. The year 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the river that bears his name and Samuel de Champlain’s discovery of Lake Champlain, as well as Robert Fulton’s 200th anniversary of the invention of the first practical steamboat. The achievements of these men would eventually lead to the development of New York State and the country.

To commemorate the Quadricentennial, members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, now living in Bowler, Wisconsin, were present to represent the native peoples who lived along the Hudson River at the time of Henry Hudson’s voyage. According to literature distributed by the band, “the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians is a federally-recognized Indian Tribe with a long history in New York State. Its presence in the Hudson River Valley pre-dates that of the colonies….While it has twice been forced to leave its New York homelands, first for a mission village in Massachsetts and later for lands in Wisconsin, it has always considered the Hudson Valley to be its ancestral home where numerous historical, cultural, and archeological sites remain.”

The band was part of the welcoming ceremony, both opening and closing the proceedings with impressive singing and drumming. Dan Datillio, Superintendant of the Van Buren National Historic Site, officiated. Brief remarks were offered by Kinderhook Town Supervisor Doug McGivney, who read two proclamations, State Assemblyman Tim Gordon, and State Senator Steve Saland. Shannon Holsey, a Tribal Council member from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation, read a moving poem written by Chief Seattle in the 1900s and added, in her own remarks, “Thank you for honoring Mother Earth. We feel welcome here.”

Van Buren’s 36-room mansion, the centerpiece of the Historic Site, was open for viewing during Harvest Day, with docents in attendance to offer interesting facts about the house and answer visitors’ questions.

Lindenwald is open seven days a week and is well worth a visit. Tours of Lindenwald are available through October 31 and are offered every hour on the hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition, the Lindenwald Wayside Trail, a three-quarter mile loop around the grounds, is available to the public, with interpretive markers offering information about Van Buren and his Lindenwald farm. An entrance fee of $5 is charged for entry to the house, but there is no charge to walk the grounds.

The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, part of the National Park Service, is located at 1013 Old Post Road, off Route 9H, two miles south of the Village of Kinderhook. Information at www.nps.gov/mava/.