Red Hook Rotary Brings the Community Together for Apple Blossom Day

The Red Hook Rotary Club is gearing up for one of the Hudson Valley's most beloved springtime traditions: Apple Blossom Day, a free community festival held in the heart of Red Hook, New York. Organized and sponsored by the Red Hook Rotary Club since at least 2009, the event draws residents together each May for a full day of music, food, crafts, and community spirit.

Dave Wright, a veteran Rotarian and chair of Apple Blossom Day, plays a central role in bringing the event to life each year. As chair, he coordinates vendors, community organizations, new programming, and logistics to ensure the day runs smoothly for everyone who attends.

Apple Blossom Day takes place on Saturday, May 9, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the corner of Broadway and Market Street (Routes 199 and 9) in the Village of Red Hook. Admission and parking are free. "It's the first community day," Wright explains. "Everybody's been cooped up all winter, and everyone really is anxious to get out and see their community and talk to people. That's the big takeaway, I think, for the day."

The festival features live entertainment throughout the day, with three local bands taking the stage. The McCann Band opens at 10:00 AM, followed by the Local Jam Band around noon, and the String Masters, a country band, closing out the event from approximately 2:30 to 4:00 PM. A DJ will keep the music going between sets. Susan Simon, a Red Hook Rotarian and dance instructor who arranged the entertainment, is encouraging festivalgoers to hit the dance floor: "I'll be out there dancing, and I'll encourage people to dance with me. It could be partner dancing, solo dancing, just out there having fun and letting loose. For goodness sakes, don't we need that?"

Craft vendors will be well represented, with returning favorites including Sarah's Crochet Stuffies, North Country Fishing Lures, Voices of the Stone (crystals and gems), Catskill Crafts, and Arch Top. With Mother's Day falling the very next day, the timing makes for a convenient last-minute gift stop.

Food is a highlight of the festival, with church food booths serving as the main drivers. St. Christopher's Church and St. Paul's Church will both offer hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage and peppers, fries, and drinks. Red Hook Responds will also be on-site at Christ Church, packaging and selling a variety of food items.

New this year is a free shuttle service from Linden Avenue Middle School on West Market Street (Route 199) directly to the village and municipal lot. The shuttle will run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, eliminating the need to search for street parking.

Also making its debut at Apple Blossom Day is an amateur pie baking contest, open to two age categories: youth (ages 5 to 17) and adults (18 and up). Bakers are invited to enter and compete for bragging rights in Red Hook, with special judges already in place.

Community organizations are invited to set up informational booths at no charge, reflecting the Rotary Club's commitment to giving back. A Red Cross blood mobile will be on-site, and donations of blood are encouraged.

Jennifer Van Voorhis, secretary of the Red Hook Rotary Club, is one of the most active members in the organization. In addition to her role in coordinating the pie contest, she leads RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), a leadership development program for high school sophomores, and spearheads the CLINK program, a sustainability-focused initiative that has raised approximately $4,000 since its launch in 2019. Through CLINK, the club collects returnable beverage containers throughout the community and uses the proceeds to purchase hygiene products, such as toothpaste, shampoo, and soap, for people in need. "Simple things, toothbrush, shampoo, soap -- those are all things that we're able to provide, and we're collecting containers throughout our community," Van Voorhis says.

Van Voorhis also volunteers with the local food pantry on Sunday mornings, collecting donations from Tops and Hannaford supermarkets and distributing additional supplies such as winter coats and school materials. On why she stays involved with Rotary, she says: "Not only do I stay connected to the community and active in the community, the group of people that I work with here in our club are like family."



Carl Dowden, a 46-year Rotarian and chair of the Red Hook Rotary Club Foundation, oversees two of the club's signature programs: the annual Citizen of the Year dinner and its scholarship program. The Citizen of the Year dinner is held each fall and recognizes a community member who has made Red Hook a better place. Nominations are currently open and can be submitted through the club's website. This year, the Foundation is awarding five $1,000 scholarships and one $500 trade or vocational certificate scholarship to students from Red Hook, Pine Plains, and Germantown.

Those interested in joining the Red Hook Rotary Club are welcome to attend Tuesday morning meetings at 8:00 AM at the Flatiron Restaurant in Red Hook.

Key Event Details:

• Apple Blossom Day: Saturday, May 9, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Location: Corner of Broadway and Market Street (Routes 199 and 9), Red Hook, NY
• Parking and shuttle service: Linden Avenue Middle School, West Market Street (Route 199)
• Citizen of the Year nominations: Open now

Listen to the full interview: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iVS15j1UJXwcw4NOnybi9?si=KXLPJUMuRnyoLJL0iMxLxg