The Queens County Farm Museum has two upcoming spring events that are sure to delight children and their families.
Soon-to-“bee” environmentalists and their grown-ups are invited for an afternoon to celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22, from 12 to 3:30 p.m. The Bee a Pollinator program will feature bee talks in the farm’s apiary and a tractor-drawn hayride. It will also include beeswax candle-making and a seed ball project to grow your own wildflowers and food for honey bees.
At 3:30 p.m., the farm will transplant six American chestnut trees in cooperation with the American Chestnut Foundation in a ceremony on the farm’s grounds. Admission includes a 10 percent off coupon in the Farm Store. Refreshments will be available for sale, as well as fresh alfalfa to feed the goats.
Tickets to Bee a Pollinator are $10 per child in advance ($8 members) and $12 per child at the door. Adults are complimentary with participating children. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com/e/bee-a-pollinator-celebrate-earth-day-at-the-queens-county-farm-museum-tickets.
On Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Queens Farm will host their Sheep Shearing Festival.
Ever see a sheep get a haircut? You can do so at this signature event where there will be shearing demos throughout the afternoon with the farm’s flock of Cotswold and Cormo sheep. The fiber arts will be celebrated at the festival through craft-making activities and demonstrations in needle-felting, yarn dyeing, wool spinning, weaving and patchwork quilting.
Visitors can also enjoy in-depth tours with farmers, stop by the Con Edison Ecology booth to Adopt-a-Worm for vermicomposting, move to the foot-stomping rhythms of the bluegrass duo, Coyote & Crow, and enjoy kids crafts, hayrides and tasty local food on the farm all day.
Grown-ups can pick up flower and vegetable seedlings for their spring gardens at the plant sale and enjoy something new this year — Queens’ own Bridge & Tunnel Brewery will host a Beer Garden with featured brews during the Sheep Shearing Festival.
Tickets for all ages are $5 in advance, $8 at the door, and free for members by going to www.eventbrite.com/e/sheep-shearing-festival-tickets.
The Queens County Farm Museum is located at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park and can be reached at 718-347-3276 or at queensfarm.org.
