It’s summertime. Nothin’ quite like it in the Upper Delaware River region. I’m not sure if the livin’ is easy, but the weekends are festive, that’s for sure.
Be it …
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It’s summertime. Nothin’ quite like it in the Upper Delaware River region. I’m not sure if the livin’ is easy, but the weekends are festive, that’s for sure.
Be it art, music, honeybees or beer, you’re sure to find a festival built around it here in the Catskills.
It’s not just locals who turn up in droves to celebrate, but weekend visitors flock to the country to take in the fresh air, let their hair down and get a taste of what county livin’ can do for the soul.
Legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim had some thoughts about such an outing in his smash musical “A Little Night Music,” which premiered on Broadway in 1973.
Just a weekend in the country
Smelling jasmine
Watching little things grow
There were scads of little ones in attendance at the fourth annual Pride celebration, re-branded this year by the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre (HPAC) as Rainbow Fest.
“Rainbow Fest celebrates love, self-expression and the magic of summer in the Catskills,” a spokesperson said, “featuring entertainment for all ages, showcasing the talents of diverse performers.” There was plenty of that and more in Hurleyville, NY, and Gidget was so entranced by the sights and sounds of Rainbow Fest that I promised to take her to another festival the very next day.
In addition to unique artisan vendors, the highly anticipated day-long Riverfest in Narrowsburg, NY promised (and delivered) “amazing live music, a hands-on kids’ crafting corner, the beloved River Dogs [on] Parade, and a street theater performance by Farm Arts Collective.”
A weekend in the country
How enchanting
On the manicured lawns
A weekend in the country
With the panting and the yawns
I didn’t see anyone yawning, but there were scores of dogs at Riverfest and most were panting. Not just because of the heat—which was considerable—but also in anticipation of their very own canine cavalcade and the annual poster auction.
The auction benefits the festival’s creator, the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.
A weekend in the country
We’re off on our way
What a beautiful day
With the crickets and the pheasants
And the orchards and the hay
Gidget didn’t see any pheasants, but she got her first glance (she’s only 12 weeks old) at some hay and ate a cricket just to see what it tasted like. I think she said it was “kinda like chicken, but crunchy.”
I took scads of pics in between prying live insects from my puppy’s mouth, and you can see them all by liking the River Reporter on Facebook, following us on Instagram, and checking out the photo gallery on our dot-com online.
Not here last weekend? No worries, there are Bagel Fests, Catbird Fests and Fall Foliage Fests just around the corner.
For a complete guide to all things fest on both sides of the river, check out festivalguidesandreviews.com/pennsylvania-festivals/ and sullivancatskills.com/sc-explore/catskills-attractions-entertainment/fairs-festivals-in-the-sullivan-catskills/.
Ask the Google: Q—What does “A Little Night Music” mean?
A—“A Little Night Music” is a musical inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film “Smiles of a Summer Night”; it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart’s Serenade No. 13, Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The musical includes the popular song “Send In the Clowns,” written for Glynis Johns.
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