Crystals, Cajun Music, Pied Faces and Much More Amuse Thousands at Fall Foliage Festival
People with all sorts of trinkets and politics, perfumes and costumes, adornments for rooms and humans, food, music and much more attracted thousands of people to Port Jervis last weekend for the 18th Anniversary Fall Foliage Festival. Precise numbers were lacking, as people arrived from many directions, said festival organizer Laura Meyer, although she could say with certainty that 143 vendors signed up.
“It’s one of the busiest festivals I’ve seen,” was how Port Jervis Police Sgt. Andrew Dillinger assessed the crowd. It was also happily uneventful for him.
“Large crowds of people were walking through, but no one’s been lost or missing,” he said. Meanwhile, he let “countless numbers” of children climb through the police utility terrain vehicle.
Vendors came from near and far, many with products they made at home. From very near was Mariola Jedynasty, greeting people under a flowery arch in front of her Pike St. store, Awakening, a new business, about a year old.
“Stand under the arch with me and say, ‘I will be happy for the rest of my life,” she laughed.
Her crystals, incense, jewelry and healing herbs and stones, along with healing sessions and workshops, have already drawn enough people that she needs more space, she said. So Awakening will soon be moving to 37-39 Front St.
From Cuddebackville came Annemarie Merroon and Lynn Swingle with their “100% soy based wax sprinkle.”
“They’re 100% soy based, no paraffin or wax,” said Merroon. “They’re safe for kids and animals.”
The two women began their business in March.
“I was a stay-at-home mom,” said Merroon.
Further down Front St., Alexandra, Chris and Savannah Deveaux, of Milford, showed off the tee-shirts they printed as examples of their Blue Tongue Ink business, a family endeavor.
“We decided together to start it,” said Savannah.
Not far away on Front St., Jean Appelo, of Bergen County, tended Buon Antipasto, a booth of spicy smelling “authentic Italian food”—prosciutto bread, spinach with mozzarella and much more. Across the street, barbecued chicken wings from Poughkeepsie were aromatic too.
Political party booths also abounded. Michael Buffamante, of Greenville, secretary of the Orange County Libertarian Party, had a booth down Front St. from PJ First, tended by Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker. But just yards away, also from Greenville, was a man clad in fur and armor who introduced himself as General Witchhunter.
“I’m 47 and I’ve never voted, and I haven’t watched TV in 15 years,” he said.
He grew up in the area and attended Minisink Valley High School. He plays guitar and works at Gillinder Glass, he said.
With guitars, banjo and hearty voices, also on Front St. was the Glory Bound Band.
Someone nearby suggested Cajun music, and a woman called out, “Take us there!” Off they went.
In the late afternoon, Lester Cuttler, 11, and Gary McElroy, 10, biked down Front St., taking in the festivities. What was their favorite happening?
“The bike tricks!” both said.
They also liked to “pie people in the face,” and they were enthused about maps of the Port Jervis watershed trails they were given, another adventure for another day.