Food, fun and festivities at Millbrook Community Day

MILLBROOK— Dry, cool, and with a hint of autumn in the air, Millbrook’s annual Community Day featured good food, lots of fun, friendly people and dogs galore.

Saturday, Sept. 8, was a great day for young and old as they strolled along Franklin Avenue, Front Street and beyond. There was a lot to see and do, and it seemed as if everybody enjoyed the day.

Hula hooping was fun to do and watch, as all shapes and sizes of hula hoops, and people, spun around on the library lawn. For the more serious minds, children’s books were given away on the lawn.

Other library-sponsored events included a cooking demonstration with Dan Weber, origami with Amy Battaglia, and a violin concert by Akiku Kamgawara. 

 Juniper had a button-making machine in front of the store, as well as a table filled with all sorts of merchandise.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars cooked sausage and peppers, hamburgers and hot dogs, with the delicious aromas wafting across the avenue.

Stewart’s Shops had a face-painter sponsored by Upton Lake Christian School and many children went in with clean faces and came out with butterflies, flowers and other designs painted on their cheeks.

The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts sold popcorn and flower bulbs, and the Blazer’s cheerleaders sold baked goods to raise money.

The farmers market did a brisk business all day, and across the street there was a play area for children at the Village Green with a fantastic race car and a K-9 Unit from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

At the firehouse, firetrucks were polished and ready for inspection by anyone who wanted to climb on  board. Inside, a myriad of vendors sold their wares.

The Central Baptist Church sold fried chicken, and fed a great many visitors.

Reardon Briggs had a display of antique equipment and wood working, always a crowd favorite.

Some other tables were set up by the Rotary Club, the Historical Society, Grace Church and Angels of Light, which supports gravely ill children and their families. Lucky Orphans, an animal sanctuary with therapeutic riding programs, had a table, as did the Democratic and the Republican parties. Retail made its presence known as many stores had their doors open and their wares on display.

The Millerton News had a table, offering free papers and a chance to win a raffle for a year’s subscription to the paper.

There have been community days when it was too hot, too cold and too wet. This one, however, was close to perfect, and the overall success of Millbrook Community Day 2018 was evident to all who participated.