The Vision of Wallkill is bringing back the Weekend of Wallkill (WOW) after its cancellation due to the pandemic. This team of enthusiastic volunteers collaborated with the Shawangunk Town government, businesses, and other non-profit organizations with event planning and preparation. WOW was first embarked upon seven years ago, where the autumn festival came to fruition with the vision of the town’s people to create a more vibrant Wallkill.
The Weekend of Wallkill will take place on Friday, September 17 and Saturday, September 18, providing a variety of activities and events for all ages on both days. The weekend’s festivities kick off on Friday at 5 p.m. with Lego Building, Storytime, and a Harvest Egg Hunt. Taking place in the Wallkill Public Library, the Lego Sculpture Building is set to inspire the town’s youth to create what may be examples of structures standing tall in tomorrow’s towns and cities. At Friday’s twilight, children can listen to a story in the library before the keen-eyed hunt Harvest Eggs on the library lawn.
In addition to the children’s activities, the “Beauty of Wallkill” Art Show will take place in the lobby of the Shawangunk Town Hall between 5:30 and 7 p.m. A call to action began in June for artists of any age to produce artwork that interprets this year’s theme of “Makin’ Me Happy: Things That Make Us Smile”. Using any media of choice, the culmination of these artists’ labors of love will be a showcase of their original artwork to the public. The winning entries will also have the distinction of being displayed to the public at the Town Hall, Wallkill Public Library and Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan for two months following WOW weekend.
Another art feature is a silent auction of original paintings created by Plein Air students affiliated with the Wallkill River School of Art. The one-of-a-kind paintings were created by local artists who visited the historic Reformed Church of Shawangunk in July, where they captured with paint on canvas an inspiring backdrop on the property. The silent auction will take place on Friday in the Town Hall Lobby and under the white tent on the library lawn on Saturday, where the winning bids will be announced at 3 p.m.
The Shawangunk Town Hall and Wallkill Library will serve as the backdrop for most of Saturday’s events, where colorful VOW’s COWS will be in pasture dotting the expansive green spaces. Local historian Bob Mooney will walk you through a presentation on the colorful and exciting history of the hamlet. New this year, the Ulster County Water Rescue Team & Dive Tank will offer demonstrations in safety and other life-saving skills to have, especially for many who live in close proximity to the Wallkill River and other nearby ponds and lakes.
Children and adults can participate as sea-faring buccaneers at the Pirate Show presentations at 11 am, 12:15 and 1:30 p.m., and complete VOW’s Pirate Scavenger Hunt by visiting the various festival events. These scavenger activities include the “Touch-A-Truck” where children can take turns visiting the driver’s seat of several large vehicles including the Shawangunk Valley and Wallkill Hook, Ladder and Hose firetrucks or Tetz Cement Contractor trucks. Other scavenger events include Child ID and fingerprinting, and rock painting offered by Wallkill Rocks.
Festival attendees are encouraged to come early to participate in these activities as well as sample, taste, and shop from over forty of the Hudson Valley’s best food and retail vendors including DB Orchards, who are selling locally-grown apples, and Fat Boyz, who will be cooking up gustatory favorites from their food truck. Many local community organizations are also participating in fundraising campaigns such as the sale of mums by Friends of the Library, and grilled burgers and dogs by the Fire Department.
The festival encourages creativity of each community member to participate in crowd-favorite contests such “Best Dressed Dog Costume,” “Floral Centerpiece,” and “Apple Pie Baking,” open to all individuals residing within the Town Shawangunk. Here is a chance for even the most amateur of bakers to show off their favorite family recipe and participate in an old-fashioned, Blue-Ribbon competition. Sign up for all contest events take place at the Vision of Wallkill’s Facebook page or VOW Info table including the Potato Peeling Contest for teens and adults. You may even find some of your local leaders competing and showing off their speedy spud-peeling skills at 11:45 a.m. at the library lawn.
The WOW autumn fest also provides the opportunity for mission outreach by several local organizations including the historical Wallkill Reformed Church through their in-house Quilt Show, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry’s Open House, or Golden Rule Thrift Store at 5 Wallkill Avenue, open from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Wallkill Woman’s Club is hosting a Billy Goat Bingo and offering up three beautiful harvest gift baskets through raffle. Topping off the WOW Fest will be a Prime Rib Dinner prepared by the Lion’s Club in Lion’s Pavilion at Popp Park.
Check Vision of Wallkill’s Facebook page for more information on WOW and contest rules and application. For further inquiries call/text (845) 527-6230.