Yup, it's fall, which means that horns of plenty are everywhere. Toss this weekend into a skillet and you'll get a tasty curry, what with its celebrations of cauliflowers and garlic. You can't eat a scarecrow unless you're some sort of bovine, but there'll be plenty to eat at Stamford's scarecrow festival, too. And if you can make it to Columbia county, you'll witness something quite rare these days: the birth of a full-power FM radio station.
Local radio is on fire in the Catskills these days. Last month, Delaware County full-power FM station WIOX launched to much fanfare, and now this weekend, a new full-power station will debut in Greene and Colombia Counties. WGXC has been operating online for most of this year, and their news blog is one of our favorite sources for Greene County info. But now they'll take that enterprising spirit and local flavor onto the airwaves with a three-day celebration and workshop series that will include spoken-word poetry, music, a parade, and an all-out party. [UPDATED 9/24/10: The good folks at WGXC tell us that while the party and workshops are on this weekend's agenda, the actual radio signal isn't going live until November. Don't let that ruin your radio fun.]
Noon on Friday to 7pm on Sunday, various locations in Hudson, Columbia County.
Garlic lovers are every bit the fierce connoisseurs that wine and beer lovers are: There will literally be scores of garlic varieties, each with its own set of passionate fans, at this weekend's Hudson Valley Garlic Festival. (And there are a lot of garlic lovers out there. The festival routinely attracts 30,000 visitors a year.) There will also be lectures, products, entertainment, and kid programming on the beloved stinking rose. As for that breath thing? The organizers of this year's festival are ready for you, not with mints, but rather with some assurance: "You’re in the company of tens of thousands of fellow garlic lovers and are therefore completely 'breath anonymous.'"
All day Saturday and Sunday, Cantine Field, Saugerties, Ulster County.
A hundred years ago, Margaretville was a veritable paradise of cauliflower. From the 1900s to the 1940s, the humble crucifer supported a whole raft of growers, produce-agents, crate-makers, and, of course, the railroad. The tomato may be fickle in the short summers and cold nights of the Catskill uplands, but here, the brain-shaped brassica thrives. This weekend, the town throws its annual party in honor of the cauliflower, with a tractor parade, cooking demonstrations, a petting zoo, the Schoharie Valley Cloggers, and activities that range from hay baling to blacksmithing.
10am to 4pm Saturday, Margaretville Village Pavilion, Margaretville, Delaware County.
Wildlife Festival & Energy Expo
For 25 years, the New York Power Authority has been inviting alpacas, reptiles, raptors, and wolves to its Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center for a wildlife festival. But animals aren't the only entertainment -- there will be Irish dancers, magicians, and a whole bunch of barbecue on the premises. The beasts will also be rubbing shoulders, improbably, with energy conservationists, who will be teaching passers-by about Energy Star appliances. An odd marriage, but it sounds fun, so why not?
10am to 4pm Saturday, Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center, North Blenheim, Schoharie County.
Don't let the gawky, friendly straw-stuffed guys at the farm stand fool you. Real scarecrows are scary. Which you probably know, if you've seen Batman Begins. Or Dark Night of the Scarecrow. Or the third season of Doctor Who. But if you're brave enough, by all means go ahead and hit up Stamford's annual Scarecrow Festival, featuring a “scariest scarecrow” competition. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
10am to 4pm Sunday, Veterans' Memorial Park, Stamford, Delaware County.
