The Harvest Festival, an annual Sullivan County event
runs for eight consecutive Sundays from mid-August until
Columbus Day weekend. Spread over a large tract of
land located just across the road from the famous site
of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, there are several
large open-air tents that lend themselves to vendors who
sell farm produce, crafts, paintings, jewelry...the
list goes on and on.
Another tent houses the Festival theme for that
particular day, including environmental concerns, wine testing,
hand-made furnishings, and more. An open stage
supports local bands and other attractions that run the
length of each Sunday event. There are horse-drawn
wagons for the children, a maze made from grown corn stalks,
face-painting,
and other treats.
There is also a food emporium featuring hamburgers,
char-broiled chicken and many other culinary delights.
Best of all, aside from a very nominal parking fee,
entrance to the event is free of charge.
As the event progresses through its full run, the warmth
of the early days of the Festival ultimately part ways for the
chill of a deepening autumn, a reminder of the frigid
winter to come. Still, it's a merry time where county
residents
meet, then say good-bye to the visitors who flock to the
Catskill Mountains during the summer, only to
vacate when the more pleasant days depart.
Marshall
