Hi Friends,
Did you know that one of the most beautiful views of the sunset over the Shawangunk Ridge is from the top of a capped landfill behind the Gardiner Transfer Station? It’s true! More accurately (and appealingly) it’s called the Riverbend Trails and it includes lovely views, access to the Wallkill and some excellent foraging spots that I will not elaborate on further.
This weekend, it was also the site of my 43rd birthday party: Champaign at the Dump. Mr. Gunks and I hauled bubbles, caviar, cushions and an 18’x12’ kilim rug up a very steep hill for a cozy little picnic with friends, dogs and babies. (They are also my friends, whether they know it or not.)
Yes, I am a Virgo and yes, I know that makes a lot of sense and no, when people say that it doesn’t usually sound like a compliment? If you’re a high key control freak and you know it, clap your hands.
I’ve heard a lot that the mid-40’s, peri-menopausal era is when women stop giving a shit about other people’s standards and expectations. I’m sure as hell working at it, after giving up a VP title at a major corporation to…this. Thus, Champagne at the Dump. Not just a party but a guiding principle for myself and for Makers & Lovers. Committing to the bit. Building in the space between Lawful Good (Champagne) and Chaotic Good (the Dump). Weirding people in.
Another way of saying: Low status, high satisfaction. Doing what feels right to you, not what looks good to other people.
As I’m working on 2027 events, this is the north star. The Hudson Valley has enough $400 dinners with celeb chefs and hideously tonedeaf brand trips designed to look good for the grid. There’s still a lot of empty space for events that satisfy something more than impressing strangers on the internet. If you’re into that kind of thing, you can be the first to learn about Makers & Lovers 2027 events by adding your name to the waitlist.
Big Towel lights the sauna fires again for the season at Palatine Park in Germantown. Public and private hours are up, with food and more programming still to come.
Twenty-eight artists across five towns are opening their private studios to anyone who shows up this weekend, free and self-guided, for the 19th year running. Ramah Commanday's wood-fired ceramics in Germantown, Grace Gunning's metal arts, Valerie Shaff's photography. Grab the map from Art Studio Views, and leave the dog home.
Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week needs hands for the organic runway: backstage, VIPs, parking, all of it. Sign up here.
The DEC's Saratoga Tree Nursery pays for fruit and cones you collect off native trees, which is either a side hustle or an excuse to be in the woods with a bucket. More fun than donating blood! But check for ticks so that you’re not…yeah.
Spettro in Poughkeepsie is committing to Pizza Hour every Tuesday through Friday with half priced pies and drink specials.
Thursday, September 3