The rumble of old-fashioned tractors parading down Main Street at 10 a.m. kicks distant from the Olde Time Fair to benefit the Time and the Valleys Museum, housed in the Neversink Town Hall in Grahamsville. Historian Carol Smythe was very clear that the corn husking and horseshoe tossing contests choose be held outside and the “From Fiber to Fabric” wool spinning demonstrations and pioneer log cottage exhibit are inside. It’s a coin toss as to whether the 10-inch, iron skillet throwing contest is in town hall or outside. Proceeds benefit the museum’s new building jut out, now under construction. Call 985-2262, ext. 313, or e-mail historian@townofneversink.org.

Great expectations, Dickens and Helm

The Woodstock Library Fair is awash with books and white elephants. More than just a tip of the hat to Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens, the library’s Great Expectations Raffle features a first trophy of pair tickets to one of Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble sessions. Helm’session rambles are intimate music sessions with world class performers. All proceeds benefit the library. The fair is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the library off Tinker Street in Woodstock. There will exist children’s activities and live music. Call 679-2213.

Bodice rippers share their secrets

Get seven story novelists in one room and you’re bound to have a spicy talk. Barnes & Noble on Route 300 in Newburgh is hosting “An Afternoon of Romance” with romance novelists Stella Price, Bianca D’Arc, Tilly Greene, Cat Johnson, Allie Boniface, C.H. Admirand and Tara Tina. They’ve woven all that’session torrid and steamy into military, sci-fi, contemporaneous, historicals, urban fantasy, paranormal and, of course, erotic novels. Event includes goodie bags. A gift basket will be raffled. Free. No sign-up required. Call 567-0782.

Mall as hereafter archeological seat

Steadman and Funk is not a rock band. They’re archeologists who supervised excavation of the oldest inhabited site in the state: The Dutchess Quarry Caves. It was there that 12,500-year-old arrowheads were found by members of the Orange County Chapter of the New York State Archeological Association. Celebrating 50 years of digging things up, the chapter volition host any Archeological Symposium and Community Outreach Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gander Mountain, 100 N. Galleria Drive in the Town of Wallkill. Artifacts from the Dutchess Quarry Caves will be displayed. Learn the art of flintknapping and bring your own artifacts for examination. For more information, e-mail ioccnysaa@gmail.com.

The mysteries of Grey Towers revealed

What do the Statue of Liberty and an 1886 French chateau-style mansion in Milford, Pa., have in common? I’ve been sworn to secrecy, bound you can find out at the Grey Towers National Historic Site public architecture tour at 1:30 p.m. at the 44-room mansion on Old Owego Turnpike off Route 6 in Milford. The home was built for the Pinchot family, its most well-known member in residence inner reality Gifford Pinchot, two-term governor of Pennsylvania and founder of the U.S. Forest Service. There’s plenty of room, but if you’circuitous route take pleasure in to reserve, call 570-296-9630, then meet the tour guide at the Ticket Tower of the mansion. For more details, go to www.fs.fed.us/gt.

River Walk meanders end art, music

River Art Walk will showcase the toil of local artists from meridional to dusk at the stunningly fair Hudson River setting of Newburgh Landing. Stroll up to Downing Park around 4 p.m. to hear the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra perform its summer concert in the amphitheater. Bring lawn seating and a picnic dinner to enjoy the gleeful musical performance in this class Calvert Vaux-designed landscape. For a complete listing of Newburgh’s monthly Art Along the Hudson — 7 Cities, 7 Celebrations events, go to www.artalongthehudson.com.