Saturday, July 19; Sunday, July 20
Times: The Village is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost: Included with standard daytime admission or Village membership. Standard daytime admission is $30 for adults, $28 for seniors (55+), $15 for youth (4-17), $15 for college students (with a valid college ID), and free for children 3 and under. Purchase tickets online and SAVE $3 per person!
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Churn Back Time: Dairy Discovery Days at the Village
Step into the rhythm of 19th-century farm life as we explore some of the daily routines of early 19th-century New England farm families. Stroll among the vibrant CowParade art installations, then watch costumed interpreters hand-churn butter, craft cheese, tend to milk cows, and prepare traditional dairy products using historic tools and methods.
Highlights include:
- See demonstrations of making hard cheese (both days, with removal from the cheese press on Sunday)
- Watch demonstrations of making butter and soft cheese (Sunday)
- Visit the farm that our heritage breed cattle call home and meet a calf up close
- Learn about the process of making ice cream using 19th-century methods and receipts (recipes) – including Parmesan ice cream!
- Taste a sample of Dahlia Cheese from Round Table Farm (Hardwick, MA)
- Watch a milking demonstration
- Enjoy CowParade at the Village and see more than two dozen unique, imaginative life-size cow sculptures painted by artists from around the region
- Chat with our artisans as they create some of the tools necessary for dairying, like cheese baskets, milk buckets, and milk pans
- Stop by the Scoop Shop for a sweet summer treat
- Kids can partake in a free cow craft
- See hearth cooking demonstrations focused on cheesy dishes like cheesecake (Saturday) and dressed macaroni (Sunday)
- And more!
Details are subject to change without notice.
Did you know?
Old Sturbridge Village’s heritage breed cattle include American Milking Devon / Shorthorn crosses and Randall Linebacks- A fair quality cow in 1830s New England would produce enough milk to make approximately 100 pounds of butter and 150 pounds of cheese a year.
- In early 19th-century New England, most milk was turned into butter (particularly in the spring and fall) and cheese (particularly in the heat of summer) because these foodstuffs were longer-lasting than milk, which would quickly spoil without refrigeration. Many farm families made more than they needed for their own family, which they could then sell and trade.
- There are numerous types of butter churns, including dasher churns, rocking churns, and crank churns in the OSV Museum Collection. The OSV Museum Collection has approximately 48 artifact butter churns.
Celebrating Art & Agriculture with CowParade
CowParade is an international phenomenon featuring life-size cow sculptures painted by artists around the globe. 250 million people on 6 continents and 32 countries have seen CowParade! This summer, cows featuring designs focused on life in New England, American 250, and more will go “on parade” at the Village. As the season winds down in September, these unique artworks will be rounded up for a special auction. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Old Sturbridge Village, ensuring that this vibrant public art event continues to support our commitment to living history, animals, agriculture, trades and arts, and early life in rural New England.