Children and their parents (top) embark on the first scenic hay ride of Farmstead 2 on Saturday, while Susquehanna County Commissioner Betsy Arnold (above, left) catches up with fellow Elk Lake High School Class of 1981 alumni Paul Carlin, Grant Adams and Karen Adams – the latter two of SCOFF Outdoor Cooking, Auburn Center.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Participants in and patrons of the second annual Farmstead Arts & Music Festival in South Auburn couldn’t have asked for better weather on Sept. 16. Warm fall sunshine danced with multi-hued clouds throughout the afternoon, giving way to a rain shower only as the event was coming to a close. But it was the vendors offering a vast array of products and musicians catering to young and old alike who were the stars of the day.
Farmstead is sponsored by the Kitson Arts Alliance, whose members hail from communities across northeast Pennsylvania and who have a shared goal of drawing together those involved with music, agriculture, antiques and the arts in their many forms to foster exciting new collaborations. Farmstead, held at the Carlin Farm north of Meshoppen, has proven to be suitable grounds for such partnerships to sprout and flourish.
Music for Saturday’s festival leaned to the country and folk rock end of the spectrum, with Tim and Abi Zieger jamming with their friends at the Zieger Family stage and sets on the main stage by Bob Zamber, LondonForce Duo, and Gary Carl. Emcee Rick Hiduk provided announcements throughout the event, introduced bands and guided the announcements of raffle winners.
In addition to sing-alongs hosted by the Zieger family, kid-friendly activities included a visit to the ‘Frozen’ bounce castle from Bounce Party Rentals, petting docile alpacas, and hay wagon rides that traveled a “country block” covering more than two miles and offering spectacular vistas of Susquehanna and neighboring Wyoming and Bradford counties.
Next on the to-do list for the Kitson Arts Alliance is the Fall North Branch Artisans Tour (NBat). For more information, check out the organization’s Facebook page and log on to www.KitsonArtsAlliance.org. A Firelight Music Jam will be held at 4 Seasons Farm Market (Carlin Farm) at 5 pm on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Additional Photos from Farmstead
State Rep. Tina Pickett (second from left) visits with Farmstead patrons and Auburn Township residents (from left) Sandy Jayne, Eleanor Sutton, and Judy Palmatier.
Old World Fan Birds – Kelly Casamassina – Lake Ariel
Creative Cave – Timothy Blood – Auburn Center
Traver Family Chicken BBQ – Lita, Cheryl, and Dan Traver; Rudy and Elsa Rozboril; and Adrianna Vaskas
Honey & Lace – Shyanne and Nicki Lewis and Mackenzie Pinkney – Nicholson
Lori’s Country Delights – Irene Talcott and Lori Gramberg – Tunkhannock
Susquehanna County Farm Bureau – John Benscoter and Thom Helmacy
Bendolynn Woods Alpacas – Kevin Flynn and Selina Bendock – Silvara
Calliope Creations – Amy Robinson and Brian Antosh – Mehoopany
Catrina King Art – Catrina King – Tunkhannock
Jayne’s Paper Crafts & Photography – Jayne Stevens – Coplay
Chris Lathrop Art Studio – Chris Lathrop – Montrose
Dancing Heifer Art – Sadie Allen – Granville Summit
Haymakers Grill – Jennifer Sartell – Thompson
LuLaRoe – Jason Wisnosky – Tunkhannock
Pittston Popcorn – Cindy Rock and Gloria Kolbeck
Trudy’s Creations – Trudy Berg – South Montrose
Bath Fitter – Robert Walker – Wilkes-Barre
Frayed by Chance – Heather Ramey – Tunkhannock
Trades of Hope – Kelly Milliron – Laceyville
Holly’s Hobby – Holly Grogeski – Mehoopany
Mike Houser Antiques – Meshoppen
Bob Zamber – Tunkhannock
Tim & Abi Zieger – Factoryville
LondonForce Duo – Shannon Walling and Angelo Maruzzelli – Tunkhannock
Gary Carl – Lovelton
Pete Bomboy
Endless Mountains Media Services – Rick Hiduk – Meshoppen (photo by Diana Burridge)
Kitson Arts Alliance – Patrick Robinson
Kitson Arts Alliance – Diana Burridge and Dan Tompkins
