Though summer is winding down, towns all around the Hudson Valley are still planning events to bring the community together for the upcoming autumn season. Organizations from the town of Plattekill and the hamlets of Pine Bush, and Wallkill all have events this weekend that offer fun activities, food, and music for anyone who wants to attend.

Plattekill Day
Plattekill Day, organized by Linda Byrnes of the Plattekill Highway Department, will take place on Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thomas Felton Memorial Park in Modena.

This event includes food vendors, raffles, petting zoo, car show, music, a citizen of the year award, and more.

Local vendors attending this event include the Southern Ulster Rotary Club selling ice cream; Plattekill Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts selling sandwiches; the Wallkill Football club hosting a raffle and T-shirt giveaway; Giveaways from the Recreation Department; as well as local churches and political parties. Activities for the children include face painting and magic tricks with a strolling clown, train rides, hayrides, a bounce house, and touch-a-truck with the Fire Department.

The big event of Plattekill Day is the Plattekill Day Veterans Car Show, hosted by the Lakeside Licks Cruiser. The registration opens at 9 a.m. and dash plaques will be awarded to the first 100 entries. The entry is $15 per car and trophies will be awarded at 3 p.m. and will be chosen by local business sponsors. All proceeds from the car show will go to the veterans committee of Plattekill.

“This event brings the community together and gives families a nice family day to spend together,” says head organizer Linda Byrnes. “They can spend the entire day interacting with their neighbors and catching up with people they haven’t seen in a while. I love watching the kids expending their endless energy and having endless fun on the bounce houses,”

For more information on Plattekill Day, contact Linda Byrnes at 845-833-5910.

Pine Bush Harvest Festival
The Pine Bush Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday, September 21, along Main Street between Routes 302 & Center Street, with rain date September 22. The Harvest Festival has been running for 25 years and will be hosted by the Pine Bush Lions Club.

This event’s festivities will include live music from the high school choir and band Rock City; free food, vendors from local businesses, children’s activities, arts & crafts, face painting, a farmer’s market, karate demonstrations, and touch-a-truck featuring fire trucks, police vehicles, and tractors. This event is a fundraiser for the Pine Bush Lions Club’s Thanksgiving gift basket donations to over 200 needy families of Pine Bush.

“This event helps boost community morale and helps give us names to needy families in the area. I know people would be upset if this event went away because we don’t have a lot of events like this throughout the year. We’re very grateful for the town for giving us the venue and facilities, and of course the police department for directing traffic,” said Pine Bush Lions President Shannon Rose.

For more information on the Pine Bush Harvest Festival, you can contact Shannon Rose at 845-699-1642 or Corin Ricker at 347-392-6185.

Weekend of Wallkill
Weekend of Wallkill, hosted by Vision of Wallkill, will take place on Friday, September 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the area of the Wallkill Public Library and Shawangunk Town Hall.

On Friday, children can drop off their stuffed animal for a stuffed animal pet show, join the team trivia contest, enjoy the Beauty of Wallkill Art Show, and end the night by watching Mamma Mia! On Saturday, the celebration of Wallkill continues with community activities such as Touch A Truck, Vendor Fair, Bounce House, Wallkill Rocks, Billy Goat Bingo, Music, Pony Rides, Contests, Games, Food and more.

There will also be interactive fun with actor David Engel at a Wizard Academy. There are three shows, 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. Tickets for the academy are $5 per person or $15 per family of four. Kids can come wearing Harry Potter-type costumes to the academy.
The main event on Saturday is the Floral Centerpiece contest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is open to anyone of any age and individual contestants may have more than one entry. The Centerpieces are limited to a 1-foot x 1-foot space on the table and may contain fresh, dried, or silk flowers/greenery, or props but there must be more props than flowers. Contestants must bring their entries to the Vision of Wallkill tent on the library lawn between 9:30 and 10 a.m., and will remain there until 3 p.m. when they can be taken home. Each contestant will be responsible for setting up and taking down their centerpiece and making provisions for your entry to withstand weather conditions.

A Vision of Wallkill chosen judge will judge the centerpieces and the public will be able to cast a vote for Viewers’ Choice. Centerpieces not claimed by 3:20 p.m. will be assumed to be donated to Vision of Wallkill. Vision of Wallkill may take photos of any floral centerpiece entry and use it Vision of Wallkill’s promotional materials. For more information or entry applications, contact Julie Craner at 895-2783 or see the Vision of Wallkill Facebook page.

For more information on Weekend of Wallkill, contact Donna Myer at 845-851-8105 or visionofwallkill@gmail.com.