Fall Festival in Rye Town Park
Each weekend in October, a small section of Rye Town Park has been turned into a cornucopia of fall offerings, all a part of the Barley Beach House’s Fall Family Festival.
Boasting “2,000 pumpkins,” hay bales and gourds, the cordoned off area looks appropriately autumnal as picture-perfect weekend weather and changing leaves have added to the atmosphere. Live music adds to the festive feel of the event, which is free to the public.
Participants can peruse tables of locally made crafts and taste beers, coffees, and other delicacies. Parking is free.
The festival is sponsored by Barley Beach House, the local eatery at the edge of the park on the water.
The park’s fall feel has been augmented by a row of pumpkins that stretches all along the park’s stone walls on Forest Avenue. Those were placed there by The Friends of Rye Town Park, the organization that raises money to maintain and enhance the park.
Scary Fun at Osborn Fair
Things got very spooky at the Osborn Scare Fair on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The event, made possible by hundreds of adult and student volunteers, featured Halloween delights including inflatable bouncy houses, games, rides, food trucks, and a bake sale.
Highlights included an appearance by Ozzy the bear; a dance performance by NYPAC Dance Studio; a rock-climbing wall, a new feature this year; a Little Monsters play area for children under 6; a train ride; carnival games, and a cake walk.
Food offerings included Walter’s Hot Dogs, Westchester Burger Co., Crazy Taco-Mex; Ramblin’ Coffee Truck; Longford’s Ice Cream, and Valtori Pizza.
Proceeds from the event go toward supporting curriculum enriching programs and activities funded by the PTO.
Get Ready to Be Spooked
If you are in the mood to be scared, a trip to Milton Road might be the place to go.
Friendly competition among the homeowners between the cemetery and Piazza Pizza has created a local attraction, particularly through the efforts of the Walker family at 460 Milton Road.
The display there has a cemetery section, a clown section and a skeletal pirate section. The mood is enhanced with the help of three fog machines, sound effects and lighting.
Members of the Walker family also dress up in costumes and prowl in character as well.
Wainright Benefit Raises $35K
“Waves of Change” was the theme of this year’s Wainwright House benefit, which raised $35,000 for general upkeep of the property and to cover costs related to running the organization.
Benefit honorees were: Ferdinand Coghlan, Logan Jancski, Jay Sears, Lisa Dominici and Rabbi Daniel Gropper.
Tom Kohl’s jazz trio provided the music for the evening, which featured raffle and silent auction items. Over 125 guests enjoyed a buffet provided by Bartleby & Sage, Wainwright’s exclusive caterer. And guests were even treated to a great view of the Northern Lights.
Wainwright House, Inc. was established as a not-for-profit in 1951 by Fonrose Wainwright Condict, whose father had built the mansion and its Carriage House in 1928. Her wish was that her home and its five acres would be maintained long after her death and continue to be available to the community as a center for the development of the human potential — a destination for overall wellness and peace, a place to learn and to interact for the betterment of the community.
Bird Conservancy Seeks Applicants
The trustees of Bird Homestead & Meeting House Conservancy are looking for people to help plan and execute a series of capital projects, including interior and exterior renovations to the Bird House, the woodworking shop, barn, and improvements to the Meeting House on Milton Road.
Among the roles the board wants to fill are a fundraising chairperson, a capital projects lead, a grants chairperson and a treasurer.
The conservancy’s historic property on Milton Road includes three adjacent parcels, each with its own historical significance in what was originally called Mill Town, an agricultural area and small business district at Milton Harbor that today is better known as Milton Point. To learn more about the organization, please visit savethebird.org
Anyone who is interested in applying or recommending someone should contact Conservancy President Aaron Griffiths at (917) 371-1221.
Child Care Council Picks New Director
The Board of Directors of the Child Care Council of Westchester has appointed Rye resident Laura Newman as executive director, succeeding Kathy Halas, the council announced.
Newman earned her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She comes to the council after serving as deputy director at Neighbors Link. She previously held positions at Manhattanville College, Westchester Jewish Community Services, and The Guidance Center.
The Child Care Council of Westchester is a nonprofit resource organization that increases access to early education and after school care.
Kirby Golf Outing raises $17,000
The 34th Annual George J. Kirby Memorial Golf Outing, held Sept. 23, raised $17,000 for Rye Seniors Citizens’ cultural, educational, and social programs and the Recreation Department’s Summer Day Camp Scholarship Fund.
The Committee, Rye Senior Citizens and Rye Recreation Department thanks all the sponsors for their generosity and support.
Happy Bird Day! A Successful First Flight
On Saturday, Oct. 12, members of the Bird and Erickson families returned to the “Bird’s Nest” at 600 Milton Road to share a day of reflection, reminiscing, and plans for the future with board members and volunteers of the Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy.
They returned to Rye to carry on the tradition of celebrating the 155th anniversary of the birth of the patriarch of the family and the first Treasurer of the Village of Rye, Henry Bird. Henry was a well-respected entomologist, cabinetmaker, nurseryman, and entrepreneur, yet most importantly the head of the household of one of the area’s last homesteads.
The Bird family grew and preserved vegetables and fruit, maintained chickens — both roosters and hens — fished, clammed, oystered and kept eel pots while serving the community as caretakers of the estuary of the Blind Brook. Henry was widowed when the youngest of his four children turned five years old. That daughter, Doris, grew up to become our cherished children’s librarian of the Rye Free Reading Room.
“I have spent the past two years sorting through the belongings that the Bird family has left on the property,” said Bird Homestead Archivist Michelle Lobi New. “Each document or artifact I come across needs to be carefully identified and preserved. This meticulous process enables me to slowly piece together a narrative of the past inhabitants of the property. Very rarely does an archivist get to come face to face with the history they are archiving, but this happened to me at the First Annual Bird Day where I got to meet 14 members of the Bird (and Erikson) family. I had learned a lot about the family through my archiving, but hearing directly from them helped to answer my many questions and to bring their history to life. What a special day it was!”
Did Col. Mustard Do It?
Rye High School Parsons Street Players introduced a new generation to the delights of the farcical murder mystery, “Clue.” The group performed the play at Rye High School on Oct. 18 and 19.
Many parents enjoyed the 1985 movie, and the Hasbro board game has been a family favorite for years.
Congratulations to the more than 40 high school students in the cast and crew and the pros, John O’Donnell (director) and Jeff Loddo (set design).
