Photos: Queens County Farm Museum holds 18th Century Tavern Night

The Queens County Farm Museum hosted its 18th Century Tavern Night on Friday, Nov. 14, in the Adriance Farmhouse of the museum, located at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. in Floral Park.

The 18th Century Tavern Nights are held in the historic Adriance Farmhouse. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud

Attendees enjoyed a four-course meal served by candlelight, featuring staff members dressed in 18th-century attire and teaching them about colonial history.

Staff members dressed in 18th-century clothing and taught those in attendance about what life was like in Queens at the time. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud

Food served at the 18th Century Tavern Night included freshly baked bread, churned butter and a selection of pickled vegetables for the first course, a warm bowl of pottage of pompion, also known as pumpkin soup, for the second course, roast beef, chicken fricassee, red cabbage and apples and spicy corn relish as the third and main course and cinnamon flop with whipped cream for dessert, which represented the fourth and final course.

Guests ate their four-course meal by candlelight to immerse themselves in the era. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud

“The atmosphere really gets you in because they do candlelight lighting, and so it’s hard to see. You can see, but it really gets you into the mood of how people lived back then, how you would interact with people, and just seeing other people’s faces and things,” one attendee said. “It sets you back to the time and you don’t want to take out your phone or use any modern things. So it really brings you to just a different time where it was just a little simpler.”

In addition to the four-course meal, attendees also had the option to buy themselves 18th-century style drinks, including beer, wine, cider and on-theme cocktails.

There were also 18th-century-style drinks. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud

“The main purpose of this is to give people a look back on their roots,” Queens County Farm Museum 18th Century Adriance Farmhouse Curator Christina Lord-Barry said. “On how Queens was first founded and developed, how important taverns were in that time period and just to give them a taste of what it was like.”

More 18th Century Tavern Nights are scheduled to be held on Dec. 5, 12, 13 and 19, as well as future dates in January. Tickets and information on the event can be found on the Queens County Farm Museum’s website. Booking is at a first-come, first-served basis until the space is filled.

“This is a long-standing tradition here at the farm in the old historic house from 1772,” Queens County Farm Museum Executive Director David Hughes said. “We’re looking forward to another busy season. It’s going to run November through December and into January. And, you know, it’s a special night. You’re actually kind of stepping back into time here in a very wonderful night. You’re basically absorbing the old atmosphere of the ambience of this house.”