Beautiful Day in Woodstock

Here's a recent photo of Overlook Mountain, above Woodstock. Look at that snow! Come enjoy the skiing (x-country and Alpine), snowboarding and snowshoeing in the Catskills.

Check out the Experience Woodstock Card for special offers at nearby Hunter Mountain and Plattekill Mountain.

2012 EWCs

The 2012 Experience Woodstock Card (EWC) is now available online and at eight locations in the Woodstock area:

• Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, (845) 679-4406
• The Golden Notebook, 29 Tinker Street, (845) 679-8000
• Lily's Boutique, 24 Tinker Street, (845) 679-6470
• Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, 40 Mill Hill Road, (845) 336-4444
• River Rock Health Spa, 62 Ricks Road, (845) 679-7800
• Rondout Savings Bank, 295-4 Route 375, West Hurley, (845) 679-2600
• TD Bank, 68 Mill Hill Road, (845) 679-3862
• Ulster Savings Bank, 60 Mill Hill Road, (845) 679-8434

Buy yours today for access to more than 100 offers at the Woodstock area's premier restaurants, shops, galleries, museums, spas, performance spaces and more. The card, at just $25, can be used on an unlimited basis now through December 31, 2012. It easily pays for itself within a day or two of use. Offers are updated every Thursday. Aim your smartphone/device at the QR code on the bottom left front of your card for an up-to-date listing of EWC offers. Enjoy the best of the Woodstock region for le$$!

Holiday Fun in Woodstock

Mrs. Claus (aka Melody Newcombe) on 12/2/11

It's official: with the 30th annual Open House festivities on Friday evening (December 2 from 5 to 9 p.m.), Woodstock launched a season of holiday fun that will last throughout the winter.

You still have the month of December to use your 2011 Experience Woodstock Card (EWC) at close to 100 locations in the Woodstock area, and the 2012 card will be available at select locations on 1/1/2012. As always, check out the latest offers and EWC news at www.experiencewoodstockcard.com.

To purchase 2012 EWCs now and give them as holiday gifts, come out on Tuesday, December 6, to New World Home Cooking, beginning at 5 p.m. The 2012 EWCs will be available—along with a fabulous array of handcrafted goods—at the Ulster County Women's Network annual Holiday Gift Show. You'll find master craftspeople. fine artists, creators of natural beauty products, musicians and writers. Shop for gallery-quality gift items, holiday cards, pottery, jewelry, knitted clothing, hand-painted children's clothing, books, fused glass and much more . . . all at affordable prices.

New World Home Cooking is located at 1411 Route 212 in Saugerties (845-246-0900). For further details about the Holiday Gift Show, contact Melody Newcombe, mnewcombe@hvc.rr.com.

From all of us in Woodstock, happy holidays!

Music @ Woodstock

If you missed it, here's a link to footage of Traum Day, which took place August 6th on the Woodstock Village Green. Sponsored by the Woodstock Chamber, it was a ceremony to honor the Traum brothers . . . Happy and Artie . . . and it included such musicians as Levon Helm, John Sebastian, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, as well as Happy.

The videographer is Cambiz A. Khosravi.

Woodstock Yarnbombing

On Friday, September 30 to Saturday, October 1, Woodstock was yarnbombed by The Knitters of the Round Table. Check out Russell Richardson's video at http://vimeo.com/29981547.

Fall for Woodstock

Fall has begun and there's plenty to do in Woodstock!

The 12th annual, fiercely independent Woodstock Film Festival took place from Wednesday, September 21 through Sunday, September 25. If you missed this year's fest, you can catch up on highlights and order merchandise at www.woodstockfilmfestival.com.

Tomorrow (October 1) is the launch of the 8th annual Lark in the Park—10 days of outdoor activities in the Woodstock and Catskill Park region. According to Steve Berg, president of the Catskill Mountain Club, “We’re excited to offer the [Lark] this year for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the almost insurmountable odds we faced to do anything at all in the wake of tropical storms Irene and Lee.  The Lark has been running since the 100th anniversary of the Catskill Park in 2004.”

Berg continues, “This year, despite the flood damage, we are pleased to present 40+ events throughout the Park and neighboring counties.  These activities appeal to adults and kids and range from fly-fishing instruction to hiking; backpacking advice and a lecture on walking in old Woodstock.  We’re even planning to offer golf lessons! For a complete listing of the Lark’s events, which run through Columbus Day (Monday, October 10), click on www.catskillslark.org.

Woodstock + Bethel

Picnicking @ Bethel

The second annual "Party Bus to Bethel" departed from Woodstock on Friday, August 12, promptly at 3 p.m. On the way to Bethel we enjoyed a DVD and complimentary sandwiches. Guests also shared wine and other treats. Once at Bethel, a number of us visited The Museum, while others were transported directly to the picnic area. Three tables were reserved there for our group. The concert gates opened at 6:30. Just after 8 p.m. Leon Russell took the stage in fine form. Next up . . . a great performance from the poet of the 60s generation: Bob Dylan, together with his band.

After the concert the party bus picked us up in the VIP circle, and we were whisked away, munching homemade chocolate chip cookies. The party bus is a fun, green way to experience Woodstock + Bethel.

The party bus @ Bethel

If you'd like to recapture the magic of the sixties and the 1969 festival, the party bus is one way to do it. But there are additional options. The Bethel Woods web site offers The Woodstock Daytripper as well as the Total Woodstock Experience Overnighter. Both begin in Bethel at The Museum, and travel on to Woodstock, where visitors can explore the roots of the famous '69 festival . . . at the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony campus, the handcrafted Maverick Concert Hall, the Sound-Out meadow and much more.

Another way to enjoy Woodstock + Bethel is through the Experience Woodstock Card. Check out the top section labeled "Experience Woodstock Corridor." Offers include a special on admission to The Museum at Bethel Woods. That's also where we post "Party Bus to Bethel" news and related offers.

80th Annual Library Fair

It's a great tradition in Woodstock. Locals wouldn't miss it and visitors are always thrilled they've discovered it: The Woodstock Library Fair.

It takes place annually on the last Saturday in July. This year's, the 80th, was especially grand. The weather was perfect and there was something for everyone: gourmet food, great books at amazing prices, wonderful music, a white elephant tent, crafts, plants, and plenty for the young at heart: face painting, hat making, games and much more. Oh yes, and a giant 80th birthday cake.

If you missed this year's, don't despair: the next one is Saturday, July 28, 2012.

Hat Making at the Library Fair

A Favorite Group: "Not the Beatles"

Lodging in Walkable Woodstock

For those of you who have asked about lodging from which you can easily walk to the center of Woodstock—the Village Green—click here for a downloadable list. (It’s in PDF format.) This is just a list of suggestions . . . you may find more.

The Village Green is the place where you'll alight from the Adirondack Trailways buses that pass frequently through town. You don't need a car to enjoy a visit to Woodstock!

Village Green B&B . . . steps from the Green