On Thursday, October 3, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park will celebrate its 10-year anniversary.  To commemorate the occasion and usher in the Walkway’s second decade, a weekend of events is scheduled to take place in the park.

Starry Starry Night

On Friday, October 4 from 6-10 p.m., celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Walkway under a magnificent clear-top tent at the Ulster Welcome Center Plaza (87 Haviland Road, Highland, NY 12528). Starry Starry Night promises to be an enchanting evening among great friends. This upscale cocktail party will feature delicious food prepared by Chef Edward Kowalski, wine from Millbrook Vineyards, craft beer from Half Time, a silent auction, and a stunning fireworks display. Robert R. Dyson and Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky serve as honorary chairs, with Michael Dupree and Evelyn Panichi hosting.

The event honorees are Carol Ash, chair of the Carey Institute for Global Good and a past commissioner of New York State Parks, and Joan K. Davidson, president of Furthermore Grants in Publishing, former commissioner of New York State Parks, and the past chair of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain New York State Quadricentennial Commission.  Walkway volunteer ambassador Michele Dalbo will also be recognized for her decade of service to the Friends of the Walkway Over the Hudson.

Tickets cost $175.  For more information, visit walkway.org/starrystarrynight.

Walktoberfest

A curated selection of Hudson Valley food, drink, artisans, and producers will exhibit their wares for tasting and purchase at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park during Walktoberfest on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6. 

Held inside a beautiful clear-top tent at the Walkway’s Ulster Welcome Center Plaza (87 Haviland Road, Highland, NY, 12528), Walktoberfest commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the Walkway.

This celebration of the Hudson Valley harvest takes places from 12-5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Alcohol and non-alcoholic tasting tickets are available now at walkway.org/walktoberfest. Full tasting tickets cost $20, Walkway members, veterans, active duty military, and senior citizens (65+) receive discounted admission. Non-tasting tickets cost $10.

In addition to the food and beverage samples, attendees will enjoy cooking and cocktail demonstrations, children’s activities sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets and The Home Depot, and more.

Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park is fully open and accessible at no cost as usual throughout Walktoberfest. Tickets are solely for access to the Walktoberfest tasting and showcase tent.

To see the current list of vendors participating and purchase advance tickets, visit walkway.org/walktoberfest.

Bread & Water: Film Screening on the Walkway

On Saturday, October 5 at 6:30 p.m., Hudson Valley Farm Hub is hosting a film screening and panel discussion on two of Oceans 8 Films – Growing with the Grain and A Living River.  Entitled Bread & Water, this event takes place at the Walkway Over the Hudson’s Ulster Welcome Center Plaza in Highland.

The film screening is complimentary to attend and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

Along with the screenings, attendees will enjoy a panel discussion featuring Jon Bowermaster of Oceans 8 Films, Jen Benson of Riverkeeper, and Jay Goldmark of Hudson Valley Farm Hub.

About Growing with the Grain: Upstate New York used to be a breadbasket of grain growing. As grain production shifted westward in search of a more ideal climate for growing, the Hudson Valley lost these vital crops. Scientists, farmers, bakers, and brewers collaborate in a grain trial that hopes to produce a new generation of grain suited for the northeast, bringing sustainable and more localized grain production back to the region.

About A Living River: Despite its polluted reputation, the Hudson River is teeming with life. From the tiny Glass Eels to the massive 14-foot-long Atlantic Sturgeon, a vital web of life defies decades of oppression. Organizations like Riverkeeper use lessons learned from its past as a bustling commercial fishery to its present as an ecosystem in recovery in order to protect its future.