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Former Peekskill Resident Libby Pataki Applauds Saving Of Putnam Farm

SOUTHEAST, N.Y. -- It's going to be an old fashioned country fair in Southeast this week.

Tilly Foster Farm is hosting a country fair this week.

Tilly Foster Farm is hosting a country fair this week.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tilly Foster Farm
Libby Pataki said she is happy the farm is being preserved.

Libby Pataki said she is happy the farm is being preserved.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of wikimedia commons

Putnam County is hosting the Tilly Foster Country Fair at Tilly Foster Farm, 100 Route 312 in Southeast. The inaugural fair will feature 30 carnival rides and four concerts. The fair is also a great place to see the Town of Southeast's fireworks show.

Country Fair hours are 4 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, July 3; 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, July 4; 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 5; and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 6.

Libby Pataki, director of tourism for Putnam County, said the fair is all about celebrating the county's takeover of the farm, which will be run as an educational center. The fair will celebrate the county's takeover of the farm.

"We are hoping for a big crowd at the fair," Pataki said. "We'll be serving fair food like zeppoles and popcorn, though I try not to eat it."

The county is working with the Cornell Cooperative Extension and other educational institutions to turn the farm into an education center with a focus on agriculture.

The farm is on the county preservation list.

"You come off the highway and you feel like you're in the country," Pataki said. "It's very rural. The protection of the grounds has been important. We want to preserve and protect the land so it can be put to good use."

Pataki said it could be a place similar to Muscoot Farm in Somers, where she would take her family when she lived in Peekskill. The Pataki family is very passionate about farming.

"My husband (former Gov. George Pataki) doesn't like to do gardening in small measures," Pataki said. "We always end up with way too much. These places are important.

Pataki said it was important the property not be turned into a development.

"Once you do that, you can never go back," Pataki said. "When my husband was governor, his priority was to acquire land and protect it as open space.

Admission to the Country Fair and parking is free. Visitors may purchase single ride carnival tickets for $1 apiece or an unlimited ride wristband for $25.

 

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