
Winner of the kids’ competition at the 4th Annual Cupcake Celebration was Lyra Cochrane, 9, with Kate Lanphear, a judge.
Janet Mackin
Winner of the kids’ competition at the 4th Annual Cupcake Celebration was Lyra Cochrane, 9, with Kate Lanphear, a judge.
COPAKE — Sugar filled the air at the Fourth Annual Copake Cupcake Celebration on Sunday, June 23 at the Copage Grange Hall.
Starting at 11 a.m. cars began to line Empire Road as the Copake Grange was transformed into the “Cupcake Grange” fundraiser organized by the Friends of the Copake Grange.
One thousand cupcakes!
That’s how many of the hand-sized delights were prepared this year by 46 bakers organized by the Grange’s Paulette Bonano.
“Copake rhymes with cupcake,” said Janet Mackin, “This is my dream come true.”
“It’s always sold out,” Mackin said as she recalled that at last year’s event 716 cupcakes were sold a the going rate: $1 per.
Veronica McTiernan, president of the Friends of the Copake Grange, handled ticket sales and barely had time to answer questions as a steady stream poured into the hall.
Cupcake lovers of all ages crowded up to the tables, exchanging their $1 tickets for the sweets that they placed very carefully into cardboard containers. The confectionary congregants were entertained by Harry Hussey and Lenny Bardham of the House Band.
Children milled, seemingly agog at the display of rows and rows of cupcakes, and parents and grandparents seemed to be mostly in charge of the selection process. Some tried their luck at the Wheel of Fortune supervised by Vicki Sander and Liz Fenamore.
Judges — Caden Cochrane, Kate Lanphear and Seung Suh— stood by in the mix, carefully tasting and examining entries.
Stephanie Rabin was winner of “The Ultimate Copake Cupcake” with a gluten and dairy free “Put the Lime in the Coconut” cupcake, a reference to the Harry Nilsson song. The People’s Choice award went to Madeline Silverman for a “Blueberry Crumb Cupcake.”
Lyra Cochrane, 9, won the Children’s Award. Last year’s winner was Natalia Coleman, 8, of San Diego, California, who was visiting with grandparents Steve and Dana Colman of Copake and making a cameo appearance on the floor, but not competing.
Sylvia McLaughlin of Copake had her arms full with 1 1/2 year old Jackson hoisted on one arm and a fistful of tickets and a cardboard container in the other. It wasn’t clear how she would proceed.
Bearett and Wesson O’Dell complete the corn maze at Falls Village Fall Fest, Oct. 19.
The spacious and inviting Falls Village Recreational Center was site of the Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19.
A truly gorgeous day welcomed visitors to the afternoon gathering surrounded by fall foliage. The Recreation Department and David M. Hunt Library put together the festival and offered games, music, and food for all ages.
Kids could paint pumpkins or, if they chose, could have their faces painted. Music was provided by John Stey and Rachel Gall, who laughingly said, “ I’m also known as the Falls Village Fiddler.”
The premier draw was definitely the “Pie Contests. Open to all, “baked from scratch” pies filled the judging table and there were 14 mouthwatering entries.
Apple and pumpkin were the majority of entries, with a strawberry rhubarb in the mix as well. Four judges eagerly sampled the pies and made detailed notes on taste, originality, and presentation.
Judge Denny Jacobs said he was “amazed at the variety and differences in just the apple pies” and added, “All the pies tasted great but there were a couple of outstanding ones.”
Results were tabulated and Emily Peterson, Falls Village Recreation Director announced the winners: Piper Peterson’s pumpkin pie took third, Tamara Polk’s pumpkin took second, and the grand prize went to Eileen Kinsella and her apple pie.
The eager public was then offered a tasting and loved every entry and gave the “Peoples Choice” award to Katlyn Kinsella.
Can Can Carl, the scarecrow made out of recyclable materials, at Lawrence Field.
The North Canaan Pumpkin Fest occupied the expanse of Lawrence Field with spectacular weather on Saturday, Oct. 19.
While sporting a new name, North Canaan Events Committee Chair Jenn Crane assured that this year’s festival was a continuation of previous autumn celebrations organized by the Committee. It was the first year the event has been located at Lawrence Field, which Crane said was a welcomed change from the more restrictive sites of previous iterations.
“This is really about collaboration,” Crane said, highlighting the many partnerships that enabled the festival to go forward. The Committee joined with many local nonprofits and businesses to bring the action to Lawrence Field, including the Housatonic Valley FFA Chapter, the Scouts, Saint Martin of Tours church, The Music Lab, and the Cranford Club. Local farms also joined in, with Freund’s, Ford and Carlwood farms contributing to the festivities.
Vendor tents lined the field selling various crafts and trinkets, while activities for families included pumpkin painting, regular painting, face painting, kids karaoke and a petting zoo. The festival ran an emergency relief drive for communities in the Southeast impacted by Hurricane Helene, which was continued at town hall on Sunday.
Alpacas bask in the autumn sun at Pumpkin Fest.Alec Linden
The petting zoo was operated by the Housatonic Valley FFA and included two alpacas and several pint-sized goats in a small pen. Chris Crane, president of the chapter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, said they’re “just trying to get outreach to the community” about opportunities with the FFA.
Other features included Heather Matthews’ “mobile classroom and book bus,” where she gives away donated children’s books. Based in Sharon, it was her first time bringing the book bus to North Canaan, and the day had been fruitful. “My goal is to give away as many books as possible,” and she had donated several hundred at the festival, Matthews said.
Another popular booth was run by national art honor society students from Mount Everett Regional School, providing face painting, painting lessons, and even caricatures for participants. Some 25-30 kids had stopped by, the students said, “and some adults too.”
SOAR, a community-funded organization providing enrichment programs to students of Salisbury Central School, will takeover The Moviehouse Oct. 27.
At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, The Moviehouse in Millerton will host the SOAR Student Film Showcase, featuring a spine-chilling lineup of Halloween and horror short films crafted by SOAR students. This free event offers a unique opportunity to experience the creativity and talent of young filmmakers from Salisbury Central School. Following the screenings, viewers are invited to stay for a Q&A session with the filmmakers.
SOAR, a community-funded initiative, provides enrichment programs beyond the standard school curriculum, ensuring equal access for all students.
“This is the second year of collaborating with The Moviehouse,” said SOAR’s executive director, Lauren Brown. “From brainstorming the concept to editing the final cut, this workshop gives children an opportunity to work alongside Hollywood directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors to learn what it takes to make a movie.”
“This originally came about in the Spring of 2023 when SOAR reached out to us looking to collaborate in some capacity,” explained The Moviehouse’s General Manager, Jeremy Boviard. With a background in horror films writer, director, and Moviehouse board member Tod “Kip” Williams pitched the idea of doing a class centered on creating horror shorts. Williams led the program last Fall. “I came in to help about halfway through and had a lot of fun getting involved,” said Boviard. “This session I’ve essentially led the class, with involvement from Kip, his wife Gretchen Mol (also a board member), their son Ptolemy, other Moviehouse staff (Tom Cloutier and Kevin Pakrad), and local filmmaker Keith Boynton.” Many students returned for the second year of the class and have been able to build on their previous experience. “Working with each student to craft their stories and support their vision throughout the filmmaking process has been a lesson for all involved in adaptability and using the resources available to the best of your ability,” Boviard said.
No tickets are required—just come, enjoy, and be ready for a frightful afternoon. Please note the horror theme when considering younger children. Don’t miss this chance to support local youth in their creative pursuits.