2024 Woodstock Cheez-In

When you think “Woodstock” do you immediately see Cheez-Its, those orange, rectangular (1” by .94”) crackers first introduced in 1921? Well, this week you can and should. From Monday, May 20, to Sunday, May 26, the makers of the iconic snack food are hosting a pop-up diner here called Cheez-In. It’s drawing people from all over the eastern U.S., and it’s just plain fun. You can order Cheez-It-infused burgers, milkshakes, and sides, visit the Cheez-It Taste-It Station, and buy retro Cheez-It merch. And because it’s Woodstock, you can play tunes on the world’s first Cheez-It Jukebox . . . fed not by coins, but by you guessed it, Cheez-It crackers!

Woodstock Bookfest!

Don’t miss Woodstock’s fun and thought-provoking writer/reader festival, now in its 15^th  year. From Story Slam (this time: “That’s Not What I Meant”) on Thursday evening, 3/21, to Memoir A-Go-Go on Sunday, 3/24, this fest delivers the goods. All events will take place at the historic Bearsville Theater. If you don’t yet have your tickets, link here. Remember, as festival leader Martha Frankel always says, “Reading changes everything.” See you there!

Experiencing Overlook

View from the Overlook summit

The Town of Woodstock, NY, stands at the foot of Overlook Mountain, the southernmost peak of the Catskill Escarpment—the Catskill Mountains visible from the Hudson River.

Native Americans called the escarpment the Wall of Manitou, named for the Algonquian “Great Spirit.” According to Anita M. Smith in her Woodstock History and Hearsay, “There is a legend that when the Indians were on long marches, they avoided passing through the Wide Clove [the path between Overlook and Mt. Guardian to the west] because Overlook exerted a drag upon their footsteps. It would be necessary for them to camp for a while before they would muster enough strength to continue their journey.”

 

Many generations of Woodstock residents and visitors have felt the spiritual pull of Overlook. In July 1980, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) became the first Karma Kagu monastery to be established in the United States. This Tibetan spiritual center is on the site of the former Mead’s Mountain House, opposite the trailhead to the Overlook summit. Countless other places of worship have also made their homes in Woodstock.

 

Inside the Overlook Mountain House today

The approximately 2.5-mile hike up that trail to the Overlook Fire Tower (close to five miles roundtrip) can be a form of meditation, an excellent workout, a way to enjoy nature—or all three. The view from the fire tower and from the Overlook “lookout” atop the escarpment is spectacular, even on a partially cloudy day. And there is plenty to see along the way: the occasional bear or timber rattler, wildflowers with pollinators, and the skeletal remains of the thrice-built Overlook Mountain House. The latter first opened in 1871 and hosted President Grant two years later but burned to the ground on April Fool’s Day of 1875. It was rebuilt in 1878 and flourished initially but ran into hard times in the 1890s. The most recent iteration was begun in the early 1900s but was never finished, falling victim to the Great Depression. What remains today is a concrete structure, once white but now gray and, in places, embellished with colorful artwork.

Having climbed Overlook Mountain for the first time at age five many years ago, I’ve recently joined a group that hikes it every week. I’m finding that there’s always something new to see and enjoy on the path to Overlook.

 

A bear on the trail

When in Woodstock, be sure to hike the moderately difficult trail to the 3,140-foot Overlook summit. From the Village Green, take  Rock City Road and then Mead’s Mountain Road north for 2.7 miles to the Overlook Mountain trailhead. In winter, use microspikes or crampons, as the trail tends to be icy. During the warmer months, please be respectful of the timber rattlesnakes  (it’s their home, not yours) and keep dogs leashed. Thank you!

~ Julia Blelock

A French Affair in Phoenicia

The eighth annual Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice kicked off last night at 8 pm with a treat for ears and eyes: “Voices of Distinction—A French Affair,” featuring Piaf, Offenbach, Brel . . . and can-can! The evening was filled with glorious music and dance in a gorgeous setting (Phoenicia’s Parish Field), with soaring tents and trees lit up in purples, blues and reds. At the concessions tent there was even a miniature Tour Eiffel picked out in tiny white lights.

Fortunately, yesterday afternoon's monsoon was over and the two-hour outdoor performance was completely free of rain (unlike the water-soaked passion of this year's FotV program cover; see image at right).

From the start this festival has boasted world-class performers, and 2017 is no exception. Last night MC (and co-founder) Maria Todaro, Lauren Flanigan (soprano), Lucas Meachem (baritone), Mirelle Asselin, (soprano) and Irina Meachem (pianist)—all of whom are acclaimed internationally—were joined on the stage by Parisian superstar Olivier Laurent, the so-called “man of 110 voices.”

But FotV isn’t just about veteran artists. Last evening’s audience was on its feet for 14-year-old Maia Weis (alto) and 16-year-old Layla Michalopoulos (soprano), both of whom are residents of Woodstock. These young teens gave astonishingly polished performances that would have done credit to women two or three times their age.

EW Verdict: The weekend is still young and the weather in Phoenicia looks good. Link here to get tickets for today’s and tomorrow’s FotV performances. Or if you’re unlucky enough to be reading this after 8/6/17, don’t hesitate to attend next August’s celebration. It’s another incredible Woodstock-area experience that just has to be on your bucket list.

2015 Women's Woodstock Cycling Grand Prix

Martin Ernst Bruhn and his team are bringing the third annual Women's Woodstock Cycling Grand Prix to Woodstock on Saturday, May 2.

The WWCGP is a one-day competitive cycling event consisting of two women's-only bicycle races on a national caliber course. The Pro 1/2/3 is set to begin on Saturday morning at 9:10. Cyclists will depart from Woodstock and wind 60.3 miles through the Woodstock, Saugerties and Phoenicia areas, with an elevation gain/loss of 3,096 feet. A second race, the Category 3/4, will be launched at 9:20 a.m. Saturday and go 32.5 miles.

Bruhn's mission is to "highlight the equal sportsmanship and athleticism of females in the male dominated sport of cycling." Proceeds from this event will benefit Raising HOPE, The Bowery Mission of New York City, and Play to Live.org.

There is also a Family Fun Ride on Saturday morning of 6.2 miles, where the focus will be on bicycling safety and community involvement.

Course maps, further information and regular updates can be found at http://wwcgp.weebly.com and https://www.facebook.com/WWCGP2015.

Best Trips 2013

According to National Geographic Traveler, a jaunt to the Hudson Valley is one of the 20 best trips in the world for 2013. (Other destinations on their top-travel list this year include Bagan, Quito, Malawi, Raja Ampat, Ravenna, Thessaloniki, Valparaiso, Jarash, Bodo and Kyoto.)

In its profile of the Hudson Valley, National Geographic Traveler observes that 

"Artists of all media find their muses here. Take a drive to the newly expanded Hudson River School Art Trail to see 17 sites in New York that inspired America’s great mid-19th-century landscape paintings. 'The views that compose the art trail are a national treasure,' says Elizabeth B. Jacks, director of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. Or visit museums such as the outdoor Storm King Art Center sculpture park to see the work of contemporary visionaries.

Some villages marry art and music famously. In the wonderfully weird and artsy Woodstock, indie performers and music icons rub elbows and grab crusty loaves at Bread Alone Bakery. Budding musicians bring their bongos to the weekly hippie drum circle on the Village Green.

Much like Rip, Hudson Valley wanderers often wake up to find this is where they long to rest their vagabond souls."