Sharon Springs: History and Seasonal Experiences

Sharon Springs combines a history shaped by mineral springs and grand hotels with seasonal offerings and local shopping. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between the historic streetscape, a summer visit to the lavender farm, and the annual Harvest Festival held in September. This lets you plan your travel dates around the themes that interest you most.

Mineral Springs and Historic Buildings

In the mid-19th century, the mineral springs of Sharon Springs sparked a tourism boom. This development brought grand hotels and natural parks. The Historic District provides a broader framework for the historic streetscape: a plan published in 2012 lists 180 buildings as part of it. The American Hotel is a specific example of the town’s building and restoration history. Built around 1840, it reopened to the public on May 23, 2001, after an extensive renovation that lasted five years. Its construction date and later reopening represent different stages in its history.

Museum and Historic Education Programs

The Sharon Historical Museum Complex displays objects of local interest, including numerous artifacts related to the mineral baths and early hotels. The collection therefore covers themes that also shaped the development of Sharon Springs. The Sharon Historical Society uses its museum and schoolhouse for historic education programs. For students, these include guided tours of the sites and collections, as well as a variety of hands-on activities. The programs also involve adults and the community. In this way, they connect historic places and collection objects with hands-on approaches to local history.

Lavender and Seasonal Visits

In the hills of Sharon Springs, Slate Hill Lavender Farm grows lavender and dried flowers. The farm is open to the public on U-pick days and during special events: the stated season runs from Father’s Day weekend through the end of July. As seasonal hours may change, check the farm’s latest information before visiting. If lavender and dried flowers are the focus of your trip, this summer window is key to planning.

Harvest Festival and Seasonal Produce

The Sharon Springs Harvest Festival takes place every year on the third weekend in September and has been a tradition for more than 15 years. Visitors can buy seasonal produce at the Harvest Market. You can therefore distinguish the recurring festival date from the dates you need to confirm each year when planning your own trip.

Local Bakery and Farm Store

There are also a variety of local shopping options beyond the festival market. Brimstone Bakery has a retail space in Sharon Springs and makes cookies, biscotti, brownies, bars, pies and other cakes, scones, and sweet and savory baked goods. The Blue Star Farm store in the Village of Sharon Springs offers fruits and vegetables, sweet and hard cider, cider donuts, cheese, and other local products. Their focuses differ: baked goods are at the heart of Brimstone Bakery, while Blue Star Farm’s selection includes fruits, vegetables, cider, cheese, and other products.

Connections to the Town of Sharon

Some of the landscape and recreation references mentioned are located within the Town of Sharon. Route 20 is a New York State Scenic Byway; its entire stretch through the Town of Sharon is part of this designation. Bowmakers Pond is a recreational spot in the Town and is used particularly for picnicking and fishing. These details add two more themes to the town’s history: a designated route and the pond’s use for recreation.

Discover more destinations: Schoharie, Richmondville, Cobleskill

For the broader travel overview: Schoharie County.