The 16th Annual Cauliflower Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10 to 4 in Margaretville’s Village Park, sponsored by the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce.
This family-friendly festival features a tractor parade (11:30 a.m.), a tent full of farmers and local producers, a petting zoo, pony rides, kids activities, history exhibits and music all afternoon. Funders include Pure Catskills and the Delaware County Tourism Grant program.
New this year will be a Quilting Tent where visitors can learn about traditional and contemporary quilting techniques, watch demonstrations by skilled practitioners and try their hand at collage quilting and rope bag making. The quilting tent is coordinated by Lori and Katie Rosa of Bloom Quilts and Retreat shop in Margaretville.
The winner of a quilting retreat for six at Bloom will be drawn at 3 p.m. Winners of five Catskills Getaway Giveaway stay and play packages will also be announced. To register for these prizes, visit the News/Updates page at sceniccatskills.com
Another fresh addition to the festival is the music of John Holt and Jon Light. Their acoustic-based Americana sound features the distinctive voice of vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist John Holt accompanied by pedal steel guitarist Jon Light. The Ulster County performers’ repertoire runs the gamut from lonely mountain ballads to stone cold funk. They will perform from noon until 3pm.
The 3rd Annual Catskills Conquest Endurance Run for vintage automobiles will make the Cauliflower Festival one of the stops on the route from Mt. Tremper to Unadilla. Festival-goers will have an opportunity to view these fine vehicles and talk with their owners. The run commemorates a 1903 test of endurance among early car makers and drivers who traversed the Catskills along what is now NYS Route 28 – the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway. Cars are due to arrive mid-day.
Agricultural and community history exhibits can be found in the History Tent. This year’s featured display is about the Grange and its impacts on farms, families and national agricultural policies. The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will also share photos and artifacts from the cauliflower growing industry which flourished in the Catskills from the 1890s through the 1950s.
The Pure Catskills Tent will be filled with members of this valuable organization. Purchase maple syrup, spirits, farm made cheeses, honey and honey products, naturally made dog treats and more.
Businesses, artists, craftspeople and non-profit organizations will be on hand. From green energy purveyors to craft distillers, alpaca products to home décor, there will be lots to learn and to explore.
Food of all sorts will be offered for sale, and of course cauliflower will be sold (get there early, because it sells out quickly!)
For more information, call the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce, 845-586-3300.
CAULIFLOWER FESTIVAL PHOTO GALLERY
Click for a larger view of each image…
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The 1903 Endurance Run was celebrated once again with a rally of vintage cars that made a stop at the festival
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Checking out vintage crate stencils in the History Tent
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The Queen of Cauliflower and a Princess
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The Cronk family, on wheels
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It was a lemonade kind of day
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Rocket, one of a team of Percherons brought to the festival by Nat and Joy Curto
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Carol O’Beirne, director of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce, with assistance from Vincent Prior, organized the festival