This September marks a milestone: the 75th Annual Herb Fair & Market, presented by the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America (NYUHSA), celebrates three-quarters of a century of honoring the world of herbs. The event returns to Caramoor on Saturday, September 19, from 10 am to 4 pm, and admission is free.
Building on the success of its first two years at Caramoor, Katonah’s celebrated center for music and the arts, this diamond anniversary edition promises a richer experience than ever. Guests can look forward to a vibrant artisan marketplace, hands-on workshops, free expert presentations, and activities for the whole family, all set within Caramoor’s stunning historic grounds.
Marketplace Treasures
Browse an expertly curated marketplace brimming with herb-infused gourmet foods, botanical wellness products, and handcrafted goods for the home, table, and garden. This year’s vendors include: A Hand Made House, American Herbal Tea, Arta, Cabbage Hill Farm, Catskill Candle Studio, Clay Story CT, Clayton Baskets, Dancing Spirits Herbs, Exalted Alchemy, Folkloric Jewelry, Haute Chocolate Brooklyn, Hudson Valley Garlic Growers, Junai Knitted Goods, Kelly & Co, Kokili, Lisa Medoff Designs, LMNOP Bakery, Lumiere Doree Candles, Luz Ortiz NY, MG by Hand, New York Stoneware, Olga Joan, Om Champagne Tea, Platform, Sage Cacao, Sallye Ander, Salt Box Press, Shino NYC, Sixteen Sisters, Spadea NY, Taste of Honey, The Highlands Foundry, Webb & Adam Provisions, Well-Sweep Herb Farm, and Wychs Bloom.
Educational Presentations
Free and open to all attendees, this year’s presentations are held in the Speaker Tent and cover everything from ancient spices to modern stress. Speakers include:
● 10:30 AM – Patrick McDuffee, Well-Sweep Herb Farm: Southeast Asian Spices: Turmeric & Beyond — Turmeric is the 2026 Herb of the Year, and Patrick McDuffee dives deep into its many varieties alongside other herbs from India and Thailand. Learn how to grow, harvest, and store these plants in a northern climate, plus culinary and medicinal tips to expand your palate.
● 11:30 AM – Maggie Pate, Nåde Studio: Indigo Dye Bath: Bring Your Own Fabric — After a brief introduction to indigo’s rich history, Maggie Pate demonstrates the dye bath process firsthand. Bring a freshly washed natural fiber item to repurpose, refresh, or transform into something entirely your own.
● 12:30 PM – Nan and Phil Leonard, Hudson Valley Garlic Growers: You and Your Garden Need Garlic! — The Leonards make the case for growing your own garlic year-round. From planting to harvest, they walk through the critical growth stages, explore different garlic varieties, and share the many ways to enjoy your homegrown bounty.
● 1:30 PM – Christina Winters, Wych’s Bloom: Tired. Wired. Overwhelmed: Three Plants for Modern Stress — In an age of constant information and chronic stress, herbalist Christina Winters introduces three plant allies for our times: one to ease daytime tension, one for those “tired but wired” evenings, and one for building long-term resilience. A hands-on herbal preparation demo is included.
● 2:30 PM – JY Lym, OM Champagne Tea: Go With Your Gut! — Curious about kombucha? JY Lym walks beginners through the basics: what it is, how the SCOBY works, and how to brew and flavor it at home using herbs, roots, and mushrooms. An accessible guide to fermentation and gut health.
Hands-On Workshops
This year’s hands-on workshops span the full breadth of the herbal world, offering guests a chance to create, taste, and explore in small, immersive sessions led by expert practitioners. Space is limited for all workshops. Advance registration and tickets are required. Visit herbsocietyny.org to reserve your spot:
● Julia Whitney Barnes – Creating with Cyanotype | $160 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Learn the full cyanotype process from chemistry to finished print. Work with fresh plants, 3D objects, paper cutouts, and photographic negatives, and explore experimental techniques like wet cyanotype, toning, and mixed media.
● Christopher Hawver, Chef – Lunch and Learn with Herbs | $75 | 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Join Chef Hawver for a cooking demonstration that doubles as a sit-down lunch. The menu showcases herbs in every form—infused oils, syrups, sauces, and herbed breading—across courses from sparkling wine with thyme syrup to grilled summer peaches with basil syrup.
● Dr. Patricia Edington Kravit, PhD – Herbal Skincare | $45 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Guided by a clinical herbalist and psychologist, participants explore the healing properties of nine herbs and five oils to create a fully personalized skincare blend, infused, strained, and bottled to take home.
● Maggie Pate – Petals, Plants & Pillows: Dye a Silk Pillowcase with Foraged Blooms | $125 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Let nature do the designing. Using flowers, leaves, and plant-based dyes, participants create a one-of-a-kind silk pillowcase. No experience required, just curiosity and a love of beautiful things.
● Chynna Dee Andrada – Ceremonial Cacao and Plant Relationships (Sage Cacao) | $50 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | More than chocolate, cacao is explored here as a plant teacher with deep roots in physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. The session includes preparing a ceremonial cup and a closing guided meditation with sound healing.
Open House & Tea Time at the Rosen House
Step inside a piece of living history during the Herb Fair. The Rosen House at Caramoor , a Mediterranean-style estate built between 1929 and 1939 by banker Walter Rosen and his wife Lucie Bigelow Dodge Rosen, will be open for self-guided exploration from 10 AM to 1:30 PM. Filled with fine and decorative Asian and Renaissance art, including complete 18th-century rooms transplanted from private villas in Italy, France, and England, the House is a treasure in its own right.
From 2 PM to 3 PM, guests are invited to linger a little longer with Tea Time in the historic Music Room. Reflecting the English tradition cherished by Lucie Rosen since the early 1910s, the service features freshly made tea sandwiches, warm scones, delicate desserts, and a selection of fragrant herbal teas. Tickets are required and available at Caramoor.org.
Children’s Activity
D.I.G. Farm brings the wild outdoors to the Fair with a hands-on plant show-and-tell and herb scavenger hunt for young visitors. Stop by their booth to learn about the Wild Roots Project and the D.I.G. Farm Youth Academy, an apprenticeship-style program for aspiring young growers.
Lunch
Fuel up with a pre-ordered boxed lunch from LMNOP, featuring a sandwich made with fresh, local ingredients on house-made focaccia ($17.50). The LMNOP booth will also offer pastries, cakes, cookies, fresh local apples, apple cider, iced tea, and lemonade throughout the day. Visit www.herbsocietyny.org for the full menu and to place your boxed lunch pre-order.
The Herb Society Tables
For 75 years, the Herb Society’s tables have been one of the Herb Fair’s most beloved traditions, and this year is no exception. The Herb Table overflows with fragrant fresh and dried herbs, handmade wreaths, sachets, and herbal bouquets, while the Bake Table tempts with herb-infused sweets and savory baked goods including herb cookies, anise cornbread, and tea loaves. And don’t leave without entering the raffle — a chance to win a selection of the best
items from this year’s Fair participants, with proceeds supporting the Herb Society’s educational and community garden initiatives.
Signature Lovage Soup
A mainstay of the Herb Fair, the NYUHSA’s signature lovage soup is a savory favorite made with leeks, potatoes, and lovage, served with focaccia from LMNOP Bakery.
Non-Profit Partners
The Herb Fair is proud to partner with organizations that share its commitment to community, the environment, and the natural world:
● D.I.G. Farm (digfarm.org) — A volunteer-powered teaching farm in North Salem, NY, rooted in regenerative agriculture and hands-on learning in foraging, herbalism, and homesteading for all ages.
● Urban Sketchers (urbansketchers.org) — A global nonprofit celebrating on-location drawing and the art of bearing witness to the world around us.
● Healthy Yards (healthyyards.org) — Helping homeowners swap harmful yard practices for wildlife-friendly, climate-conscious alternatives.
● Bedford 2030 (bedford2030.org) — Working locally to cut greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources. Their Rooted Solutions Coaches will be on-site with a climate-smart yard Q&A and an invasive plant identification challenge.
Event Details:
Saturday, September 19, 2026
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Caramoor, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY
Admission: Free Workshop Tickets: Available at herbsocietyny.org Tea Tickets: Available at Caramoor.org
In case of rain, the event will be held on Sunday, September 20. For the full program and details, visit herbsocietyny.org.