Farmhouse Fest July 31 at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster
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Where can you try your hand at candle-making, taste craft cocktails, listen to live music, shop with local makers and visit with farm animals all on one stunning summer day? Jar Worthy at The Tilly Foster Farmhouse is hosting its first Farmhouse Fest on Sunday, July 31.
The festival will feature local makers, live music, food trucks and even a local distiller.
“We want to bring the community out to celebrate the new location of our shop and to showcase the farm,” said Dana Hanrahan, who owns Jar Worthy and is hosting the Farmhouse Fest. “This is such a beautiful site and it offers so much. We encourage people to bring lawn chairs and listen to the music, see the farm animals, fish in the pond and pick up some fresh vegetables at the farm stand.”
Jar Worthy, which sells all-natural, hand-poured soy candles, as well as soaps, lotions, sprays and custom favors for all sorts of special occasions, opened at Tilly Foster Farm and Educational Institute in Brewster last fall.
Farmhouse Fest attendees can try candle-making at the shop.
A dozen local makers whose work ranges from hand-painted glassware to vintage inspired jewelry and custom home décor will be featured at the festival. One young entrepreneur – 11-year-old Lucy from Carmel – will showcase her business, “The Sweetest Little Charity,” a not-for-profit that sells cotton candy. Tilly Foster Farm Honey will be for sale and the farm stand will be stocked with organic vegetables and herbs.
“I think it’s really important to be able to share this wonderful space with creators like myself,” Hanrahan said
Jar Worthy is the first store on the county-owned property, which also hosts the county tourism department offices and Tilly’s Table Restaurant and barn/event space.
“We set out to make Tilly Foster Farm the premier location in the county,” Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell said. “And it is now a thriving educational farm, a hub for tourism and venue that thousands of Putnam County residents enjoy every year. Hosting a locally owned shop like Jar Worthy that specializes in locally handcrafted items is the next step in the evolution of our county-owned property.”
Putnam County took over the management of Tilly Foster Farm in 2014 and transformed it into a profitable farm and educational institute. Tilly is now a place where students learn agriculture, animal care and cooking, and tourists and local families come to visit farm animals, see art exhibits, listen to concerts and dine. It’s a place with a bountiful garden and where a barn/event space has become so popular it’s booked a year out.
Jar Worthy, the newest addition, is rounding out the farm’s mix.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Jar Worthy’s new home at Tilly Foster Farm,” Hanrahan said. “Jar Worthy is a ‘Day Dreamers Reality,’ and I’ve dreamt of this location. I want each of my guests to experience the same feeling I have when I walk through that little blue door. You may be asking yourself what exactly that feeling is, but I’m going to let you experience it firsthand!”
Hanrahan started her business by making things at her kitchen table and selling them at holiday markets from Brewster and Carmel to Cold Spring.
At first it included a lot of trial and error but, once she hit on the right mix, her customers started wanting more. To keep up with demand, Hanrahan opened a shop on Fair Street in Carmel in 2016.
There, customers could not only buy, but could also make their own candles. Now she does the same at The Farmhouse at Tilly Foster.
“I’m really excited to bring back my candle making workshops where you become the candle maker,” Hanrahan said. “This unique experience is great for ladies’ night, date night, and birthdays. I’ve even had the privilege to host multiple Girl Scout troops over the last couple years and helped them earn their entrepreneur badges.”
The Farmhouse Fest is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 31. Tilly Foster Farm is located on Route 312 in Brewster.
For more information, see jarworthy.com and follow @jarworthy on Facebook and Instagram.
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