Crowds Enjoy the John Jay Homestead Country Fair

On Sunday, you could find revolutionary re-enactors and reptiles under blue skies at the in Katonah. The 19th Annual Homestead Country Fair was put on by Friends of the John Jay Homestead.

Four to five thousand people attend  the fair every year, said Barbara
Matarazzo, chair of the fair's bake sale. All proceeds from the day's
festivities go to support the homestead, which was the home of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States. The bake sale included an apple pie contest. This year's winning apple pie was baked by Anna Lee of Katonah, Matarazzo said.

In keeping with the Revolutionary era spirit of the day, there were re-enactors from the Fifth New York Regiment and the Second New York Regiment, led by Colonel Humphreys. Humphreys, portrayed by Dave Loda of Derby, served as an aide-de-camp to George Washington.

Loda rode his horse, Huckleberry Finn McCool.

The Fifth New York Regiment performs living history, Loda said. "We do re-enactments all over the Hudson Valley."

One tent at the fair featured wildlife that children and adults could touch, including several snakes and other reptiles, staffed by people from The Nature of Things, an environmental educational group. Children could also help saw small logs using a two-man saw and watch a blacksmith turn horseshoes into initials.

Ben Franklin was also seen wandering around the grounds of the Homestead chatting amiably with children and adults. The fair also included a famer's market, live music, and performances by a magician.