By STEVE WINSTON
For Bob Malkin and Barbara Pokras
Owners, “The Waterfall House” vacation rental
Woodstock, NY
The month of October is special in New York’s Catskill Mountains. Every leaf and tree seems to explode with kaleidoscopic colors you can’t even define. Every leafy lane seems to lead to a special antique shop or historic restaurant. The days are sunny and crisp, and the nights are cool and clear, with a million stars shining overhead.
And places like the colorful village of Woodstock are filled with festive activities and musical events of all kinds. Just a quick look reveals a Woodstock October full of treats. And these are just a few of them…
Ongoing – Tour the historic Byrdcliff Arts Colony. Founded in 1902. self-guided tours at any time, year-around. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Colony hosts an Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program, concert and theatre series, and classes. 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock; ; www.woodstockguild.org; (845) 679 2079.
Ongoing Through October – Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Saturdays and Sundays; Over 100 rescued farm animals, tours, events; 35 Van Wagner Road, Willow, NY; (845) 679-5955; www.woodstocksanctuary.org;
Through October 12 – “The First Decade of the WAA.” – The Woodstock Artists Association & Museum celebrates 90 years of creativity with this exhibition of painting and sculptures from the 1920’s. 28 Tinker Street, Woodstock; (845) 679-2940; www.woodstockart.org;
Through October 12 – “Ahoy! Where Lies Henry Hudson?” – Byrdcliff outdoor sculpture show, Ulster County 400; organized by the Woodstock Guild of Craftsmen. Byrdcliff Arts Colony, 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock; ; www.woodstockguild.org; (845) 679 2079.
October 2-24 – “Breaking Legs.” Presented by Woodstock Musical Theatre Company, the worlds of the Mafia and the theatre clash, hilariously, when a professorial playwright seeks funding for his new play from the family of a former student. The “family” turns out to be minor Mafia godfathers. 815-338-5300; www.woodstockoperahouse.com
October 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31 – The Woodstock Farmers Market is held every Tuesday and Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm from May through October. Woodstock is a producer market and has a wide variety of vegetables, and also meats, cheese, flowers, plants, honey, eggs, baked goods, and fruit. On Historic Woodstock Square; (815) 338-5164; www.woodstockfarmersmarket.org
October 8 – The Wood Brothers, Jerry Joseph and Danny Louis, will present comedy that’ll keep you laughing long after you leave the show. Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY; (845) 679-4406. www.bearsvilletheater.com;
October 16 – Steve Earle, master singer, songwriter, musician, at the Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY; (845) 679-4406. www.bearsvilletheater.com;
October 23 – La Bella Strings Presents: Ara Dinkjian Trio and Sharon Klein At The Colony Café, 22 Rock City Road, Woodstock, NY 12498; (845) 679-5342 (www.colonycafe.com)
October 24-25 – The Woodstock Invitational is an alternative guitar show, featuring contemporary, handmade acoustic guitars and stringed instruments, exhibited by their makers. At the Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY; (845) 679-4406. www.bearsvilletheater.com;
October 30 – The Mighty Diamonds – This Jamaican trio has been making masterful reggae music for decades. True toots rock reggae at its most classic. Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY; (845) 679-4406. www.bearsvilletheater.com;
Then, of course, there are wonderful extras, such as antiquing in the quaint town of Hudson
(www.hudsonantiques.net); or visiting the mansions of the Vanderbilts
(www.hudsonriverheritage.org), or President Franklin D. Roosevelt (www.historichydepark.org).
And, of course, it’s only a matter of days until we’re schussing at renowned ski areas such as Belleayre Ski Mountain, (845) 254-5600 or (845)254-5601, ; and Hunter Mountain, 800-486-8376 ext. 2200. (www.huntermtn.com)
More to come next month!
The perfect base from which to explore Woodstock’s music and art offerings – as well as the Kaaterskill clove and the surrounding countryside – is a vacation-rental called The Waterfall House (www.waterfallrental.com). The Waterfall House is owned by local historian Bob Malkin and his wife, Barbara Pokras. It’s a Victorian country home, at the end of a picturesque road that becomes a canopy of brilliantly-colored leaves during fall-foliage time. It’s charming on the inside, and blessed with strikingly-beautiful views on the outside. The house has been furnished with authentic country antiques and crafts, along with eclectic items from the collection of Bob Malkin, founder of New York’s prestigious ThinkBig! gallery. And there’s a wraparound outdoor deck right over the river, where you can sit for hours while watching Niobe Falls, an arm of the highest waterfall in the state, Kaaterskill Falls. (845) 246-6666; .