07-29-09 – 1:30 p.m. - The Austerlitz Historical Society’s 10th Annual Blueberry Festival held on Sunday, July 26, came off without the predicted hail and rainstorms. The few drops in the morning could not dampen the festive spirit. The Historical Society grossed nearly $38,000. Carl Quinn, the AHS Treasurer, is still waiting to receive last minute bills before he can tally up the profit. The adult admissions count was 1,750 people—that's 280 more than attended the Festival in 2008. Many children attended but were not counted since kids aged 12 and under came to the Festival for free. It was a real family day.

Six hundred sixty adults and 117 kids got to the grounds of Old Austerlitz early and ready to partake of the tasty blueberry pancakes and sausages. Thirty gallons of orange juice were consumed. Thirty dozen eggs were used to make the pancake batter. One hundred twenty pints of blueberries were mixed in for the delicious blueberry pancakes. Grace Sivernale’s bakers made nearly 150 blueberry pies, two dozen blueberry coffee cakes, and 24 dozen blueberry muffins. 

Historically, the Blueberry Festival features early 19th-century craft demonstrations and wares, antiques, live music and entertainment for children, many different vendors, and a variety of foods to feed the masses. This year Roger the Jester, Brian Robinson and his birds of prey, Ralph Hartzel and his team of oxen, and Emily Culley Kress’s farmyard animals delighted kids of all ages. Ampersand played traditional American music. The Berkshire Ramblers sang old time folk music. Gary Green and the Big Caboose entertained the crowd with country classics, blues, and swing music. A group of children, FiddleAbout, performed Celtic and American tunes. Paula Bradley and the Moonshine Holler sang old time Appalachian duets featuring banjo, fiddle, guitar, for heartfelt harmonies and flatfoot dancing.

The artisans and craftspeople at the Festival this year included Naturally Inspired Handwoven Baskets from Salisbury, VT; Shaari Horowitz Handpainted & Gilded Wood Bowls from Sharon, CT: Walter Fleming, Tinsmith, from Ballston Lake, NY; The Clockworks from Schenectady, NY; Justamere Tree Farm from Worthington, MA; Pioneer Weave from Essex, NY; Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture from Germantown, NY; Bonnie White Folk Art from Canaan, NY; Susan Anderson from East Chatham, NY; Annie Hayes Primitive Rugs from Delhi, NY; Salt and Stone Pottery from Clark Mills, NY; Tim Jumper's Wooden Images from Hingham, MA; Windsor Chairs by Brendan Murphy from Schenectady, NY; Marty Minch and Berkshire Hills & Dales Spinning Guild from Washington, MA. For more information about the entertainment and craftspeople go to oldausterlitz.org.

Thanks to the hard work and organizational skills of the Blueberry Festival committee: Denise Dunne, Donna Peterson, Connie Mondel, Barbara Willner, Grace Silvernale, Fran Heaney, Joanne Knauss, Charles Knauss, Pamela Dalton, Mary Costa, Cathy Grier, and Vivian Wachsberger, the 10th Annual Austerlitz Historical Society’s Blueberry Festival was a big success.

The Blueberry Festival is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Austerlitz Historical Society, a nonprofit, totally volunteer organization. The Festival helps support the Society’s mission of collecting and preserving artifacts dealing with the life and history of the Town of Austerlitz, establishing a museum and stimulating a keener appreciation of the town’s heritage through educational programs.

Madaline Sparks ready to serve up blueberry sundaes

J. John Dunne and Sharon Kooler selling the pancake breakfast tickets

Ben Puccio and Dan Rapoport making the pancakes

The Ampersand Band

Denise Dunne and Barbara Willner