HAVERSTRAW, NY – Approximately 8500 people from Westchester, NYC, Orange, Bergen and Rockland descended on a little village near the Hudson River, to attend this year’s Haverstraw Eats and Beats Food Crawl. Music, food, entertainment and craft beer were plentiful.
While sunshine and 80-degree weather certainly helped with attendance, the festival organizers had been prepping this 10th annual event for any contingencies – rain or shine. Damp and somewhat cold weather last year had reduced last year’s 9th annual festival to only a few thousand loyal attendees, despite an action-packed musical lineup.
This year, with artists including the return of The Amish Outlaws, Briana Night, Kool Dre, and local band Spanky and the Radicals – as well as 20 participating restaurants, a beer garden, professional dancers and activities for the kids – most of the attendees that we interviewed reported good times for all in attendance.
“This is amazing! I’ve seen the Amish Outlaws as often as possible,” said attendee Susan Fazio. “Having them along with everything else there is to experience right here, it’s just an amazing day. I’ll be seeing these guys perform again at Levity Live in November. They’re so much fun!”
Jamie Kreitman of Haverstraw said, “Awesome food and treats, spectacular dance performances from Columbia, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, artisanal distilleries and music that had us all moving and shaking! Haverstraw is a gem on the Hudson and the Eats and Beats Food Crawl was its showcase.”
Andrea Caccuro – Haverstraw Riverwide Arts Board President, took some time to decompress for a few moments at Lucas Candies’ afterparty, where the 100-year establishment offered music and chocolate/craft beer pairings all day. As one of the driving forces of the festival for the past several years, Andrea stated “The Haverstraw River Arts Committee dedicates countless hours volunteering to organize the Eats and Beats event. It is incredibly fulfilling to witness so many thousands of people gathering to savor the finest food in the county and enjoy outstanding local talent. This event was our 10th annual and it was the best one yet.”
Several local board members and volunteers also expressed satisfaction (and relief) that the year-long effort paid off so well. Mari Morrison-Rodriguez, Board member for the North Rockland Chamber of Commerce, stated “It was a pleasure to learn that so many people took the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry over to attend. We were excited to assist Riverarts with this event, as we strive to support small Business and Community organizations in any way we can.”
Each of the Riverwide Arts Board members received a plaque from the North Rockland Chamber for their 10 year effort and dedication to attacting quality tourism into Rockland County. On stage, Mari Morrison-Rodriguez made the announcement, joined by Chamber Board President, Stephanie Melowsky and Board member Tom Ossa.
“It was great to see Haverstraw filled with people supporting small businesses and the community!” Melowsky said. “We are already looking forward to next year!”
Magda Truchan, another longtime Riverwide Arts Board member – as well as a visionary for local municipal development – said, “I think it was the biggest turnout we ever had. We worked really hard as a volunteer organization. What gives us the biggest thrill, and the reason to continue on this path, are all the people that showed up, and how much they enjoyed everything that we worked on for the past six months. Plus we talked about it for six months beforehand.” The organization also wrote grant requests, one in particular to the Rockland County Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
Craft beer and food establishments in the village also reported high volumes of foot traffic and commerce. Debbie Bertrand from Lucas Candies reported: “Once again the Haverstraw Food Crawl did not disappoint! We loved having new people come and experience our Tavern and Candy shop as well as seeing so many returning customers who enjoyed our Craft beer/wine and chocolate pairings along with live music at our afterparty! It is a great way to have the community come together and have new people experience all the great things the Village has to offer.”
Lucas Candies recently opened its new Tavern as an entertaining supplement to its 100-year family-owner candy store – which during the week is responsible for countless chocolate shipments in locations across the United States. On weekends, they offer chocolate and craft beer pairings, and live music from local artists.
Dave Ludwig, owner of Stony Point Brewing Company (West Haverstraw), was one of the vendors in the craft beer garden, adjacent to the stage. “This was our fourth year participating in this fantastic event. It’s a great way to showcase our diverse local businesses to the people of Rockland, and now with the ferry, Westchester and New York City.” When asked if Stony Point Brewing company did well on this particular day, he smiled and nodded in agreement.
This year’s festival was not without its share of unique challenges. In the week leading up to the event, one of the longtime Riverwide Arts Board members took ill, and was unsure if it would even be possible to attend in time. However – personal willpower, a healthy share of vitamins and a Doctor’s clearance resulted in the Board member seen by stageside, enjoying the music of the Amish Outlaws, vibing to the music in satisfaction…and relief.
Village Mayor Mike Kohut was seen with several public works employees and nearly a dozen youth volunteers, hosting tents for the vendors, coordinating traffic and checking in on the stage setup at the beginning of the day. He stayed until the end, dropping into Lucas Candies for a while to talk with the many volunteers.
Janet Elliott, another Riverwide Arts Board member – who at many a volunteer meeting offered her hands to roll up thousands of guest wristbands, stated. “It was a glorious day and a perfect way for visitors to discover what’s so special about Haverstraw. Happy faces were everywhere!”
Mari Morrison-Rodriguez also added some additional thanks. ““Many thanks to The Village and Town of Haverstraw, the Village of West Haverstraw, the Haverstraw Police, Security, the Department of Public Works, Tim Sanders from Community Center and all the young volunteers, all of the sponsors, Julia and Freddy’s dancers, InnaVillage Productions and a huge Congratulations to Haverstraw Riverwide Arts for their monumental efforts in bringing this event to our community for a decade!”