This year’s Holiday in the Village celebrated last Sunday in Saugerties was strikingly different from past years – muted by the coronavirus pandemic. Gone were Bob Siracusano’s auction for worthy village causes, the many merchants offering free snacks or beverages, Ray Mayone’s horse-drawn wagon rides, and the music and poetry reading at Seamon Park. Siracusano’s auction in the Reis parking lot to raise money for good causes, which generally drew a large crowd, was a notable casualty.
The streets of the village were hardly more crowded than on most Sunday nights, though many of the shops were open. Some bright spots remained. The Main Street Cafe dispensed its usual churros, warm even in the 25-degree weather.
The usual parade of fire trucks through the village went on, but the trucks did not park at Seamon Park for the judging of the best decorated truck. The park’s usual lighting was, however, as bright as it has been in previous years.
Hudson Valley Dessert Company, which in prior years hosted cookie decorating for children, had ready-decorated cookies for passersby. Gatherings were forbidden this year.
The Saugerties Public Library, in lieu of the miniature holiday tree-a decorating competition at the library, put some of the decorated trees in its front window, along with paper snowflakes made by library patrons. Entry to the library is limited: to individuals who have made appointments to spend half-hour inside.
It’s expected that next year will feature a return to holiday normalcy.
Join the family! 
