Millerton News Street Fair: A community celebration

Millerton News Street Fair: A community celebration

The street fair was a big draw for the younger crowd on Saturday, June 28.

John Coston

‘Does this happen every weekend?” It was a question from an out-of-towner who was visiting the Millerton Street Fair held on Saturday, June 28.

“This is like Norman Rockwell’s world,” said another who stopped at The Millerton News booth on the lawn in front of the Millerton Inn.

The News, in partnership with The Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center, kicked off summer in Millerton with a fact-and-fun filled day of activities, food and entertainment for young and old.

The spotlight was on community and the event was blessed with sunny weather following weeksof rainy Saturdays.One visitor walking down Main Street was overheard exclaiming to her friends that “this is small town America.” What this visitor was seeing is the product of years of hard work by volunteers, nonprofits and elected officials to nurture the spirit of Millerton, showing off what they love about their town.

There was a definite sense of resemblance to the depictions of American culture created by Norman Rockwell. In front of the Methodist Church, where a brass band played, two children — a boy and a girl — were absorbed in sword play with balloon tubes just made for them by Bee Bee the Clown.

At the volunteer Millerton Fire Department on Century Boulevard, an inflated slide inside the fire house drew toddlers and watchful parents. Across the street there was a ‘touch a truck’ event held by the North East Fire District. District Chair Dave McGhee was on hand, along with Kelly Roger, treasurer and a fire police captain of the Millerton Fire Department. Roger had pulled together the fire department’s food court, which served hot dogs, hamburgers and home-made french fries along with drinks and cold treats. Families parked on picnic tables outside the firehouse, watching the stream of fairgoers pushing strollers along the boulevard. Every few minutes, the blast of a fire truck siren punctuated the scene, a sign that ‘touch a truck’ was still happening.

An engineering study recently reported that Century Boulevard could accommodate more than 150 parked cars with perpendicular parking. On Saturday, it was full house of cars with license plates from New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Katie Cariello, food programs coordinator at NECC which manages the farmer’s market, had counted 471 visitors to the market by 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.

There was something for everyone. Nonprofit organizations showcased their work at tables on the lawn along Main Street and Dutchess Avenue.

They included, besides The Millerton News, the NECC and the Millerton Business Alliance:

Townscape

Climate Smart Millerton

North East Historical Society

The Moviehouse

Village of Millerton Eddie Collins Memorial Park

Village of Millerton 175th Celebration Committee

Webutuck Elementary School

Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association

NorthEast-Millerton Library

Millerton Fire Company

Webutuck PTA

Irondale Schoolhouse

TriCorner FEED

Businesses also exuded small town charm, including Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT Bank, The Elephant’s Tusk along with others. Millerton Wine & Spirits held an impromptu wine tasting. Candy-O’s ice cream cones were another sweet sign of summertime fun.

The Millerton Street Fair was a fitting tribute to Millerton’s hometown spirit. It celebrated the community and the many nonprofits that have helped make the community a better place to live. The many dedicated volunteers who give their time and energy were able to meet to talk about their work with townspeople — not via email or press release, but face to face.

“Let’s do it again,” was a comment heard more than once by the volunteers who made the Millerton Street Fair a success.

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less