Overheard at Taste of New Paltz 2017, between two young girls: “I have sprinkles all over my shoe!” “I have hot sauce in my shoe.” That more or less sums up the particular genius of this annual event at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.
“We don’t want to sell you something from a national or international conglomerate that doesn’t care about our community, doesn’t care about the environment or their employees,” says Chef Marcus Guiliano. “We just can’t support a company that does that. We’ve seen it in Ellenville. Even if 12 people lose their job here, that’s an impact.”
Now its 27th year, the event, which began as a food festival, is now much more.
“We wanted to bring really good Asian cuisine to Kingston and Ulster County.”
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10: InStyle magazine named it one of the “18 Best Wine Festivals across America.” Fifty New York wineries, ten New York breweries, seven cideries and 15 distilleries will be represented.
Sunday, Sept. 10: Vanderbilt Garden Association hosts annual tea and Michael Harney of Harney & Sons this Sunday
Longtime aficionados of the Egg’s Nest can breathe a sigh of relief: The place, though less cobwebby, is still very much recognizable.
Lagusta Yearwood remembers her mother with her latest innovation at Commissary, a vegan oasis in New Paltz. Here’s where the mitzvah wall (the word means “good deed”) comes into play: A customer can purchase a treat of any sort for anyone who may be short of cash or merely in need of a pick-me-up. The customer can describe someone as imaginatively as they wish – a lonely vegan, a kilt-wearing Scot yearning for a good cup of tea, a blue-eyed dog-lover – and post their offering in a note to the wall. When someone matching the description comes along, they can claim their iced coffee or pickle plate or macaron.
The thirteenth annual Hudson Valley RibFest will be held at the Ulster County Fairgrounds Friday through Sunday, August 18 through 20.
Friday, August 18-Sunday, August 20: Sixty teams vie for top honors at the Hudson Valley RibFest in New Paltz this weekend.