Walkway Over the Hudson’s Annual WalktoberFest
Highland, NY–– Over 120 vendors stationed themselves across the end of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail that met the Walkway Over The Hudson’s Ulster Welcome Center Plaza. This year’s annual WalktoberFest featured locally crafted beer and freshly bottled honey to organic jewelry on both Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2 from 12–5pm.
Similar to MayFest, WalktoberFest annually hosts a whole slew of Hudson Valley’s locally farmed products and restaurants designed to combine a nearly mile-and-a-half walk with food to bring the community together. Besides bringing some of locals’ favorite beer and music to one spot, it gives the surrounding businesses the opportunity to promote their products.
“I showcased some of my stuff at MayFest and since then I’ve been trying to do more shows and get my work back out there,” said Cory Castellanos, creative designer at Crow Takes Wing in Clintondale, New York.
Adjacent to five singers up on stage playing contemporary music was an empanadas station with a long line of people waiting to get a taste of something warm on a brisk fall afternoon. A whiff of these stuffed baked goods can be smelled across from Dean Lysenko’s hot sauce booth. This year, Lysenko stepped in to manage the Some Like It Hot Salsa & more, LLC booth for his wife, who is the owner of the business.
“We have done this before in the spring and last fall,” Lysenko said. “This is a newly formed business up in Hyde Park for well over a year, and we are here to promote and show my wife’s business.”
Over the span of the five hours both days, people trickled in after finding or making up a parking spot within the hundreds of cars parked up and down 87 Haviland Road. For those who came earlier in the day, they may have gotten a closer spot to the venue with the ability to make a quick run to the car when a trickle of rain occurred mid-event.
While all ages were welcome to the event, those who were over 21 were able to purchase tasting tickets for $25, which included access to wine, spirits, beer and cider samples. For those of the age or older than 65, veterans and walkway members received discounts for tickets as well.
“I thought [WalktoberFest] was amazing! I brought my parents with me for a family weekend and we sampled wines, beers [and] whiskeys from many different local businesses and even bought a few bottles,” said Lexi Frankenberg, a student at Marist College.
Not the only one who brought her parents to the event during her college family weekend, Frankenberg said her friends enjoyed going with their families too. “They thought it was really cool and nice to bring their parents to a familiar place,” she said.
Closer to the entrance of the Walkway was a small area for parents to kick back, chew on a crispy churro and let their kids play in the designated kids area.
All proceeds of the annual event go to support the Hudson Valley Rail Trail and Walkway Over The Hudson.
Even though the next WalktoberFest will not occur until the fall of next year, its sister event MayFest will spring into action in May.
