April ramps and May asparagus may be well in the rearview, but the harvest season is just hitting its stride in the Hudson Valley. Corn, peppers, tomatoes, gourds, every aromatic and leafy green you could ever want are currently available—and that’s not even getting into the profusion of fruit. This cornucopia of upcoming events, both thematic and microseasonal, celebrates the many fertile facets of the local food and beverage economy.
Scenic Sips Fest
August 3
Columbia County celebrates its diverse craft beverage industry with this mini-festival of over 15 local producers offering samples of beer, wine, spirits, and hard cider. There will also be a variety of local food trucks as well as live folk and country music.
Tin Barn Brewing’s Block Party
August 10
This new craft beer festival, put on by the iconic Finger Lakes brewery Tin Barn, takes over the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center with more than 70 brewers from across the US. Kickin’ Nash and DJ Skyhook will keep the beats flowing while the vendors keep your cup and plate full. Tickets range from $25 for designated drivers to $125 for VIP.
35th Annual Blueberry Festival
August 10
The blueberries of the Shawangunk Ridge are a thing of legend. Once upon a time, solo pickers and families alike crossed state lines in droves to harvest from the craggy slopes. For over three decades, this Ellenville street fest has celebrated that history with blueberry goodies, contests, crafts, and fun for kids and adults.
Farm2ChefsTable Events
August 10 through October 19
Chef Nichoas Leiss created his roving project Farm2ChefsTable to celebrate the bounty of local growers and food purveyors through farm-to-table feasts. One of the most highly anticipated traveling farm dinner events organized by Farm2ChefsTable is the Oscine pop-up series, a test run for Leiss’s in-progress, dual-concept tavern/restaurant. Oscine will be at the historic Bull Farm 1856 on August 10, September 14, and October 19 ($215), and at Goshen Green Farm August 3, 24, 31 and a half-dozen other dates through November ($135). Oscine events consist of a menu of locally sourced, progressive Hudson Valley cuisine.
Farm2chefstable.com
Wild & Foraged
August 13, October 9
Farm dinners at Glynwood offer an intimate experience among the acres of historic pastures and bucolic farmland. The August 13 event, Wild & Foraged, features local wild-grown foods and a conversation with the Outside Institute founder Laura Chavez Silverman. On October 9, Toast the Season celebrates the rich flavor of New York’s vast craft beverage industry. Tickets start at $200 for each.
Hot Sauce Hullabaloo
August 25
If you’re big on putting a little spice in your life, this new hot sauce festival at Goshen regenerative farm All One One All (AOOA) is for you. You can submit your own homemade hot sauce for judging or participate as a tester in the people’s choice awards. All revenue goes directly to AOOA’s food bank program, Fresh Food for All.
Taliaferro Farms Farm-to-Table Events
August 31, September 14 & 28, October 26
Set at the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge, this second-generation, family-run, organic farm in New Paltz offers a series of on-site dinners prepared by CIA-trained chef David Cruz. Each three-course at Taliaferro Farms meal incorporates locally grown ingredients and regional craft beverages, plus live music and farm tours. Dinners run $125.
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This article appears in August 2024.
