Woodstock / New Paltz Arts and Crafts Fair

Well, here comes Labor Day weekend, so it must be time for the Woodstock/New Paltz Arts and Crafts Fair, courtesy of Quail Hollow Events, over at the Ulster County Fairgrounds (take Rt. 299 south of New Paltz one mile, left on Libertyville Rd., two miles... can’t miss it.) Now in its 26th year of operation, a wide range of quality vendors and artisans offer everything from furniture and architectural crafts to handmade specialty foods and health care products. A demonstration tent features experts in canoe-building, weaving, batik, acrylic painting, and stained glass. The children’s center allows for supervised art activities, while a craft supply tent provides a variety of tools for the serious craftsman. The entertainment tent includes local favorites such as The Phantoms, The Kurt Henry Band, and not so local, Vince Sauter, Aged in the Hills, Karen Whitman & Rick Pantell, and Barbara Dempsey and Company. As always, the hotly contested slots for the juried exhibitions contain the best the country has to offer, with some extras—this year the Fair's special feature will be Musical Arts—featuring the Hudson Valley’s top guitar artisans (Joe Veillette, Harvey Citron, Paul Hartman, and Bill Frazier), who will be displaying their work, as well as conducting workshops in wood joinery and tool techniques.