Ainsley Kouhout of Rosendale at the Gardiner Cupcake Festival in 2014. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)
The Gardiner Cupcake Festival will be held this Saturday, May 19 from noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine, at Wright’s Farm in Gardiner. The festival features a variety of cupcake vendors who combined bring over 30,000 cupcakes. Kicking off the festival is the Cupcake Classic 5K. Also back is the amateur cupcake contest. Amateur cupcake bakers from around the Hudson Valley can enter two categories this year, the best tasting or a visually judged category inspired by the royal wedding, which will be taking place on the same day. “We are thrilled to host the Gardiner Cupcake Festival and are looking forward to another great event this year,” said Tammy Wright-Boylan of Wright’s Farm. “This is not only a fun event for local residents and families, but also for those who are visiting our area. We hope to showcase all that Ulster County has to offer when it comes to visual landscapes, farming, sweets, wines, shopping and more.”
The festival offers something for everyone in the family, from adults to children. Activities for kids include face painting, cupcake decorating, kids’ zone, pony rides, wagon rides and bouncy houses. Most of the childrens’ activities are free of charge. The spirits tent will feature live music and local craft beverages from the area including Tuthilltown Distillery, Bad Seed Cider, Whitecliff Winery, and Wright’s Farm’s own Gardiner Brewing Company. Throughout the festival, there will be over 40 craft vendors who feature unique and handmade items.
In addition to cupcakes from Wright’s Farms, the festival will showcase creations from Deising’s Bakery in Kingston, The Apple Pie Bakery at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Mid-Hudson Cakes of Wappingers Falls and more. Other food vendors include Handsome Devil BBQ, El Dazante with authentic Mexican food, Reggae Boy with traditional Jamacian food, wood fired pizza and more.
The event will open with music from the Emish, an Irish rock band, followed by New Paltz Rock, Laila Mach & SYDEFX and closing the festival will be Two Dollar Goat.
The festival is free for children six and under and $5 for everyone else. As always, parking is free. Wright’s Farm is located at 699 State Route 208 in Gardiner. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/gardinercupcakefestival.
