The Gardiner Cupcake Festival will take place this year on May 19 from noon to 6 p.m. at Wright’s Farm in Gardiner. The festival features a variety of cupcake vendors who combined will bring over 30,000 cupcakes. New to the festival this year is a cupcake-eating contest, in addition to the ever-popular amateur cupcake contest. Amateur cupcake makers from around the Hudson Valley will be judged in such categories as: best decorated, best tasting, best tasting vegan, best gluten free, best cocktail/beer inspired, best Hudson Valley themed and most creative cupcake.
The event, which was first held in 2009, is a day full of cupcakes, food, music, local vendors, wine tastings and activities for children. Previously held on Main Street in Gardiner, this year the festival moves to Wright’s Farm to allow for more cupcakes and fun. With the new location, the ability to expand the event has become possible, this year — in addition to more than 15 cupcake vendors — there will be more activities for kids, including face painting, cupcake decorating, helicopter rides, pony rides, wagon rides and an obstacle course bouncy house.
“We are thrilled to host the Gardiner Cupcake Festival and are looking forward to another great event this year,” said Tammy Wright-Boylan of Wright’s Farm. “This is not only a fun event for local residents and families, but also for those who are visiting our area. We hope to showcase all that Ulster County has to offer when it comes to sweets, wines, shopping and more.”
In addition to cupcakes from Wright’s Farms, the festival will showcase creations from Deising’s Bakery in Kingston, Sweet Maresa’s Upstate Cupcake and Moxie Cupcakes both from New Paltz, Bread Alone from Boiceville and Bettie’s Cakes from Saratoga Springs, who will be returning with its popular double-decker bus. Other food vendors include Full Moon Farms, Meadow View Farms, Pasquale Pizza, Twisted Pretzels and Aba’s Falafels. There will even be cupcake-flavored ice cream from Lazy Crazy Acres.
The event will open with music from the Ben Rounds Band, followed by IS and closing with the Dylan Emmet Band.
The event is free this year with a small donation for parking. Proceeds of this year’s event will benefit the Gardiner Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Wright’s Farm is located at 699 State Road 208 in Gardiner. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/gardinercupcakefestival.
Join the family! 
