This is an in-person program geared towards families and kids. Admission is $10, or free for members. To register as a non-member please visit schenectadyhistorical.org/tickets. To register as a member, simply email educator@schenectadyhistorical.org and we will add your name to the guest list. In the Colonial past, the Mabees had to be self-sufficient. What few toys the Mabee children had, had to be made by hand with easily available materials. For children across centuries and around the world, a simple strand of corn husks could be fashioned into a precious doll. In this workshop, we’ll teach the history and the practice of making your very own corn husk doll. Pre-registration is required. Tickets are $10 per person, members are free. Limited to 25 people.  

Played at home by both men and women, guitars and fiddles were the instruments of choice for early rural America. Lightweight and easy to carry, these musical tools were expertly handcrafted by specialized craftsmen known as "luthiers." Today, in a world of mass production and manufacturing, only a handful of artisans still practice this ancient trade. Join us at the Mabee Farm Historic Site as we demonstrate and discuss the ins and outs of the trade with local luthier, Roy Watson. A lifetime guitar player, Roy shares his passion for music with his family, though it wasn't until retirement that he was able to devote his time to building and constructing these delicate instruments. Roy specializes in crafting guitars, banjos, and other stringed acoustic instruments out of locally sourced wood. This is an in-person talk presented at Mabee Farm Historic Site as part of our "Crafted in Schenectady: the Building of a Community" exhibition.  Admission is $10, or free for members. No advance registration necessary.