Herb fair returns to Caramoor on Sept. 19, celebrating 75 years

It began in a backyard in 1951. Now the Herb Fair & Market brings out upwards of 2,500 people who buy plants, attend education sessions and hands-on workshops.

By AMY SOWDER

The annual Herb Fair & Market had its roots in someone’s backyard.

“When you think about it, it’s actually crazy,” said Nicoletta Salvi, an organizer and also co-chair of the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America, which hosts the event returning Saturday, Sept. 19, to Caramoor in Katonah, for its 75th year.

“It started in someone’s backyard,” Salvi said of the fair, born in 1951. “Last year, about 2,500 people attended. It’s crazy that a lot of the things are the same.”

Expect the same rosemary-lemon cookies from the original New York Unit book. The same herb table. The same raffles.

The education sessions, however, are a more recent addition. The same goes for the often sold-out workshops. And the curated market of 42 artisans is even newer. 

And marketing for the event has definitely stepped up. 

“Back then, it was a Thursday morning and by word of mouth, just women who knew about it came to learn where to get their tarragon mustard and to grab those amazing herbal cookies,” Salvi said. “Then we felt it needed to be more inclusive; therefore, we moved it to Saturday.”

Eventually, the edible, medicinal, and just plain useful plant fair moved from a member’s backyard to the John Jay Homestead in Katonah, which lasted for about 30 years.

Plant sale

The society’s fair has always had a plant sale. Every year, they select four plants that they think should be in everyone’s garden or inside their house.

The worldwide network of herb aficionados pick one each year.

The International Herb Association named turmeric as Herb of the Year for 2026. 

Enter the Southeast Asian Spices: Turmeric & Beyond session led by Patrick McDuffee of Well-Sweep Herb Farm in Port Murray, N.J. McDuffee will be the first expert of the day to lead an education presentation. He’ll dig deep into the varieties of turmeric, plus other herbs from India and Thailand. Attendees will learn how to grow, harvest and store these plants in our northern climate. Equally important, they’ll learn all the culinary and medicinal uses. 

It’s all about expanding the palate to the potency of plants.

“Patrick is a phenomenal speaker, the third generation to run his family farm. The Cloisters use their herbs, and we use them at our plant sale — a very reputable farm,” Salvi said. That farm is in its 57th year, collecting, germinating, cultivating and selling 1,898 varieties in 2025. So, you can bet McDuffee knows a thing or two about turmeric.

The bright, golden-orange knobby rhizome, or curcuma longa, has been revered since ancient times. Earthy, bitter turmeric has been used to color and flavor basmati rice and curries alike with its bold, brick-orange hue for centuries.

The edible part of turmeric is an underground stem that grows horizontally beneath the soil, like ginger root. 

The entire living plant is classified as a perennial herbaceous plant in the ginger family.

“At one point, I had this absolutely gorgeous turmeric plant because they’re absolutely beautiful,” Salvi said.

Turmeric’s flowers are funnel-shaped and can be yellow, orange, red or pink depending on the variety. 

But isn’t turmeric more of a spice or root than an herb?

“An herb is the fresh version,” Salvi said. “The plant is the herb and as you dry it and process it, it can become a spice. These days, the term ‘herb’ is used in a very lateral sense. It’s any plant that is useful; even some trees and bushes are considered herbs.”

“It’s a plant with benefits.”

Educator Christina Winters shows a young attendee a Wych’s Bloom.

Education presentations

— 10:30 a.m., Patrick McDuffee, Well-Sweep Herb Farm

“Southeast Asian Spices: Turmeric & Beyond.” Learn how to grow, harvest, and store these plants in the North, plus culinary and medicinal tips.

— 11:30 a.m., Maggie Pate, Nåde Studio

“Indigo Dye Bath: Bring Your Own Fabric,” learn about indigo’s rich history before Maggie Pate demonstrates the dye bath process firsthand. Bring a freshly-washed natural fiber item to repurpose, refresh or transform.

— 12:30 p.m., Nan and Phil Leonard, Hudson Valley Garlic Growers 

“You and Your Garden Need Garlic!” The Leonards advocate for growing your own garlic year-round. Learn how to grow garlic from planting to harvest, explore garlic varieties  and share cooking ideas.

— 1:30 p.m., Christina Winters, Wych’s Bloom

“Tired. Wired. Overwhelmed: Three Plants for Modern Stress.” Herbalist Christina Winters introduces three plant allies: one to ease daytime tension, one for those “tired but wired” evenings, and one for building long-term resilience. Watch a hands-on herbal preparation demonstration.

— 2:30 p.m., JY Lym, OM Champagne Tea

“Go With Your Gut! Curious about kombucha?” JY Lym walks beginners through the basics. It’s an accessible guide to fermentation and gut health.

 Chynna Dee Andrada explained the ceremonial use of cacao and described plant relationships at a previous fair.

Hands-on workshops

Advance registration and tickets are required. Visit herbsocietyny.org to reserve a spot.

— 10 a.m. to noon, Julia Whitney Barnes, “Creating with Cyanotype.” 

Work with fresh plants, 3D objects, paper cutouts, and photographic negatives, and explore experimental techniques like wet cyanotype, toning, and mixed media.

— 11 a.m. to noon, Chynna Dee Andrada, “Ceremonial Cacao and Plant Relationships (Sage Cacao).” 

More than chocolate, cacao is explored here as a plant teacher with deep roots in physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. 

— 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Christopher Hawver, “Lunch and Learn with Herbs.”

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.

— 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Maggie Pate, “Petals, Plants & Pillows: Dye a Silk Pillowcase with Foraged Blooms.” 

Using flowers, leaves, and plant-based dyes, participants create a silk pillowcase. 

— 2 to 3:30 p.m., Patricia Edington Kravit, Ph.D., “Herbal Skincare.” 

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.

Visit herbsocietyny.org or caramoor.org for more information. Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah.