With the fringe on top!

Beginning at 1pm, a narrated parade will give you and your children a chance to learn about the different carriages of the era. “The carriages will be everything from 19th-century buggies, surreys, and carts to more modern vehicles that are used in cross-country competitive driving events,” explains Dick Lahey, vice president of the Mid-Hudson Driving Association, a group of about 75 who enjoy collecting, restoring, and driving horse-drawn vehicles.

After the parade, the drivers will compete for prizes in assorted events. These include a driving show to display their skill and that of their horses; and a Currier & Ives Class to determine which turnout (horse, carriage, and driver) most accurately depicts a turn-of-the-century print or photograph.

Throughout the afternoon, you can enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride around the estate. As your family relaxes and gazes out upon Boscobel’s spectacular view of the Hudson River, taking in the fall foliage as well as the manicured grounds of the mansion, you will be transported back to a bygone era when the sound of horses’ hooves was a familiar one along the Hudson River.

“This event should appeal to the entire family. It will be, in many respects, a living history lesson,” promises Lahey.

Older children might even be persuaded to take a guided tour of the neoclassical mansion, which boasts one of the country’s leading collections of furniture and decorative arts from the Federal period, much of it crafted by premier New York cabinetmakers such as Duncan Phyfe and Michael Allison. The house was built in 1804-1808 by States Morris Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of New Amsterdam. If you plan to tour the mansion, be sure to purchase a tour ticket as you enter. Tours, which last approximately 45 minutes, are available from 10am until 4:15pm.