Pine Bush relishes in another successful harvest festival

By Jared Castañeda
Posted 9/19/23

Pine Bush Lions Club closed this summer with its annual harvest festival, a bustling community gathering that brought hundreds of residents and visitors together to experience a little bit of …

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Pine Bush relishes in another successful harvest festival

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Pine Bush Lions Club closed this summer with its annual harvest festival, a bustling community gathering that brought hundreds of residents and visitors together to experience a little bit of everything that the hamlet offers.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Street was lined with dozens of booths and vendors stocked with goods and services galore. Attendees gazed at homemade crafts and artwork, browsed toys for their children, and learned about upcoming local events.

“So far it’s going pretty good, it’s starting to get crowded,” said Sue Wiand, service chair and community coordinator for Pine Bush Lions Club, who enjoys “sitting and watching people enjoy themselves.”

“We were just camping and we saw a bunch of cars parked, it was a surprise,” said Henry Hubert, 21, a visitor from Manhattan who was camping with his friend before they stumbled on the festival. “It’s quaint, it’s very nice,” he added.

Famished attendees ventured to the food section where they could indulge in warm apple cider doughnuts, crisp empanadas, chili cheese hot dogs, swigs of lemonade, and other delicacies.

“It’s awesome, it brings in a lot of people. Just a great gathering of people that you normally don’t see,” said John, a local teacher and member of the Pine Bush UFO and Paranormal Museum. For food, John recommended trying the pizza, burgers and funnel cake.

“It’s lovely, lots of cool pop-up shops…I really like the food and supporting the locals and small businesses,” said Kristen, 28, a visitor from New Paltz attending the festival for the first time.

After browsing booths, attendees could wind down at Pine Bush’s gazebo or museum stage and listen to live performances from Prize Fighters, Tom and Tommy Brendal, Smittie and several more. Topped with an apple pie-baking contest, this year’s harvest fest was a blast for the community.

“I think it’s wonderful…in the morning, all the vendors were helping each other, it’s lovely,” said AnnMarie Roselli, a Pine Bush resident who sold cryptid cards and stickers at the festival with her husband Keith.

“My favorite part is all the stuff,” said Lilah, 4, a Pine Bush resident who had a very busy day at the festival. Her aunt, Kate, said she “loved the fried Oreos, she got fried Oreos, she got a tie-dye shirt, and she wants to see the aliens.”