The musical stations will be dispersed throughout the 250-acre estate and will feature 15 different artists and musical groups, including acclaimed post-rock, art-focused performance squad Japanther, electronic music pioneer Pauline Oliveros and DJ Spooky himself. Attendees will be given a map of the grounds showing where all of the acts are, and all proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Olana Partnership, a not-for-profit that works to restore and maintain the Olana grounds, and WGXC, the alternative community radio station broadcasting in Greene and Columbia Counties, which is sponsoring the event.
Prior to Groundswell, Olana will be hosting its second Olanafest on Saturday, September 21, which, according to Gilbert is the Olana Partnership’s most lucrative fundraiser, and will be focusing less on Olana’s famous “viewshed” and more on its “chewshed.” This year’s fest will include appearances from – and dishes by – Ric Orlando, Saugerties chef and owner of New World Home Cooking, author and competitor on the Food Network’s popular show Chopped; and Zak Pelaccio, Malaysian-inspired food pioneer and owner of the popular New York City restaurant Fatty Crab. These two, as well as chefs from several other Hudson Valley restaurants, will be preparing and serving amuse-bouche dishes based on individual paintings by Church.
According to Gilbert, Orlando has been given a Church painting of Jamaica to use as inspiration, and as such will be preparing Hudson Valley jerked pork. “We’re really excited to have some acclaimed chefs like Ric at the event,” said Gilbert.
Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine and New York Times restaurant critic, is honorary chair of the event. Additional participating chefs are from Bistro Brie & Bordeaux (Windham), Bonfiglio & Bread (Hudson), Café Le Perche (Hudson), Helsinki Hudson (Hudson), Le Petit Bistro (Rhinebeck), Panzur Restaurant and Wine Bar (Tivoli), Red Devon (Bangall) and The Roundhouse at Beacon Falls (Beacon).
The Village Apothecary, a Hudson Valley potion provider, will also be in attendance at Olanafest, offering a special creation: Olana Juice. “The Village Apothecary is known for making tonics and tinctures from the land, and they’ve created a tonic made out of herbs and things that they’ve located at Olana,” said Gilbert. That’s right: At this year’s Olanafest, you won’t just be chewing on Frederic Church-inspired bites; you’ll be taking a swig of the actual premises.
The celebratory crux of this year’s event will be the restoration of Crown Hill. Crown Hill was originally designed by Church to be the primary viewpoint of the Olana estate. It had become overgrown in recent years and fallen out of use, until a grant from the state made restoration possible. Gilbert said that the view, now fully overhauled, is breathtaking: “When you stand on top of Crown Hill and look back at Olana…you can really take it all in.”
This weekend’s events emphasize using one’s senses to explore the ins, the outs and the intangibles of the vast Olana grounds. And Gilbert thinks that it’s terribly special: “I’m not just saying this. These are some of the most unique events offered around here.”
The Olanafest VIP pre-party kicks off at 4 p.m. on September 21, and the event itself runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission costs $90 for members of the Olana Partnership, $115 for non-members. Groundswell runs from 2 to 6 p.m. on September 22. Admission costs $20 in advance, $30 on the day of the event; a Benefactor Package including a gourmet picnic and bottle of wine is available for $250.
Olanafest, Saturday, September 21, 5-7 p.m., $115/$90; Groundswell, Sunday, September 22, 2-6 p.m., $250/$30/$20; Olana, 5270 Route 9G, Hudson; https://olana.org.
