MAMAKATING – “There has never been a more exciting time for collecting glass from the past,” says Mamakating resident David Lewis, who is part of a team creating a new opportunity where the public can get engaged and interested in our region’s fascinating history through antique bottles.

“What has always appealed to me about bottle and glass collecting is how easily accessible and affordable it is,” says Lewis. “My first bottle wasn’t won in an auction or bought in an antique store; I dug it out of the ground when I was four years old. To think about all of the people that once handled this 100-year-old artifact, only for it to be buried and then rediscovered decades later. The journey of these tangible pieces of our past is sometimes just as fascinating, if not more than the bottle itself, and it is something that can appeal to all generations of collectors.”

A collector of local bottles and glass telegraph insulators, Lewis, along with fellow collectors and historians Cory Sabatini and Alex Prizgintas, is bringing new, refreshed interest to the bottle collecting hobby and our area’s rich past. On Saturday, September 19th from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, the Windy Knoll Farm Bottle & Insulator Show in the Town of Mamakating will make its debut, and it’s open to the public for free! Unlike some similar events that are geared towards serious collectors, this new show will offer something for everyone—new members to the hobby and long-time collectors alike.

 “We wanted to make a push towards developing new generations of those with an interest in appreciating our past, so this event will extend beyond the normal expectations of most bottle shows,” says Lewis. Other attractions will include interactive historical displays of bottles made at local Hudson Valley glass factories as well as dairy farming history and local milk bottles from the Orange County Milk Bottle Museum, live pump-car rides on a fully functioning 1/4-mile long railroad, and tours of the Windy Knoll Farm itself (all activities are family-friendly). In addition, a free appraisal table will be offered for those wishing to learn more about when their glass bottles or insulators were made, how old they are, and what they may be worth. Have any old bottles in your basement or attic? This is the place to come to learn more!   

“While so many of us are connected electronically and use those same mediums like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to make purchases, what we are striving to do is develop interest in this hobby as a community. We hope that these gatherings and events instill a friendly and social atmosphere—providing a healthy and nurturing environment for all those fascinated by antique glass bottles.” The Windy Knoll Farm is located at 59 Lewis Lane, Bloomingburg, NY, conveniently off exit 115 on The Quickway. This show is open to the public at no cost. For more information, you can follow Windy Knoll Farm on Facebook or call David Lewis at (845) 857-8635 or Cory Sabatini at (845) 494-9115.