Get Excited - Bake Sale and Holiday Shop Updates in Pop-Up Guide

We love to support local businesses and sellers here in Beacon and this year, we have a great list of Pop-Up Shops happening in town! Pop-Ups are a great way to find unique, one-of-a-kind gift items and maybe meet the designer in person to learn more about their products.

Starting this weekend, check out BAKE LOVE, NOT WAR at The Shambala Yoga Center on S. Chestnut Street.  All proceeds from this bake sale will go towards the Solidarity Through Humanity mission which aids in bringing life-saving supplies to Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Another great Pop-Up to mark down on your calendar for December will be the Makers-on-Hudson Holiday Craft Fair on Second Saturday at The Howland Cultural Center, featuring members of the Hudson Valley Etsy Team and local handmade artisans.

So get your Holiday shopping list ready and check out our Pop-Up Shop Guide for a full listing of events in Beacon and nearby!

'Tis (Almost) the Season! Small Business Events Spotlight Both Sides of Shopping | Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency: Business, Personal & Homeowners Insurance (Sponsor)

Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency

340 Main Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 831-4300

www.antalek-moore.com

Insurance is a big, wide industry. There are a lot of faces you could talk to when deciding what agent to use when purchasing your insurance. Antalek & Moore is a local Independent Insurance agency located in Beacon. NY, and licensed in several states. Located right on Main Street, the agents at Antalek & Moore have been serving the people of the Hudson Valley with personal, homeowners and business insurance for over a century. In addition, they are a leading resource in the community for educating business owners and homeowners about what kind of insurance they need and why. Antalek & Moore specializes in

Personal

,

Homeowners

, and many types of

Business Insurance.

SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ANTALEK & MOORE

As a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, Antalek & Moore looks forward to sharing important messages with you as you look toward growing your business.

The season of shopping and giving is starting this month. Antalek & Moore Insurance has partnered with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce to bring businesses two events that help keep them secure and increase sales.

11/12/15

DATA BREACH & THE NEW EMV CHIP CARD (Free Seminar)

For those who accept credit cards, sign up for the November 12 event at Beahive to learn what you are on the hook for with each swipe or online transaction. If you accept credit cards, what are you legally on the hook for? Find out at this seminar.

To RSVP: Call (845) 831-4300 or email arastadt@antalek-moore.com

11/20/15

SHOPPING NIGHT OUT FOR LADIES!

For those of us who love shopping from our favorite local businesses in one place, the Chamber of Commerce has organized a big pop-up night of shopping at Dutchess Manor (263 Route 9D) with food and drink on November 20. Start planning!

To RSVP: Call (845) 831-4300. Tickets will be available for purchase online at the Chamber of Commerce website.

Antalek & Moore

is a local insurance agency right on Main Street, and is happy to review your policy to see how you can save.

Click here to contact them

, or just call (845) 831-4300.

A Little Beacon Blog thanks Antalek & Moore for being a sponsor, which helps make our coverage of the amazing people and things to do in and around Beacon possible!

Editorial and Advertising Policy

EDITORIAL POLICY
This blog is a collection of things to do and buy in and around Beacon. All articles, be them sponsored or pure editorial, have to pass an editorial test of excellence that will serve our readers. If you have something you want to pitch for feature consideration, please email your pitch to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com and it will be considered. If you have a press release, please copy and paste all text and images into the body of the email and do not send it as an attachment. For advance notice on what types of stories we are working on, you can sign up to a special newsletter just for that. Sign up for our Advance Notice Editorial & Advertising email.

ADVERTISING POLICY
Advertising is available on A Little Beacon Blog. Some blog posts are sponsored posts, meaning that a business paid for a special area of their business. The purpose of A Little Beacon Blog is to highlight the little details in and around Beacon (that includes nearby towns like Fishkill, Wappingers Falls, Hopewell Junction, Poughkeepsie and other areas because we all drive places for things we need or want to to!). We help businesses do this through a more controlled message via sponsored blog posts that speak their message to our readers, and these posts are marked [a Partner Post]. Other opportunities are in sponsorships of articles our editorial team is working on, or of entire categories.


If you are interested in sponsorship, please see our Advertising Packages for fun  and integrated ways of getting involved and reaching our readers of Beaconites, Hudson Valley people at large, and even New York City day-trippers.

Fall Foliage | The OMG Edition in The Hudson Valley 2015

Photo Credit: @danilynphoto

The peak season is here for fall foliage in the Hudson Valley! Anywhere you go, you are getting a glorious view of this beautiful area. To really indulge your imagination in the Hudson Valley, read through the first chapters of Native New Yorkers where the author, Evan T. Pritchard, describes New York City as lush and full of fruit trees, before pavement and buildings. We love pulling photos from our Instagram files, and reached out to each of these sight-seers who shared their photo in their stream. Thanks to these Instagrammers for sharing their visions with their streams and now with A Little Beacon Blog. Each photographer is credited below. Enjoy!

Not a painting, but a real life tractor in the Shawangunk Mountains as spotted by Lauree Ostrofsky. Photo Credit: @simplyleap

Run through that field and under the trees at Hudson Highlands. Photo Credit: @hhnaturemuseum

Woa. View from Shawangunk Ridge. Photo Credit: @kelseykleidman

Slice of yellow. Photo Credit: @beacon_transplant

Folks from People's Bicycle riding at Beacon's reservoir. The Reservoir is quite low, and Beacon is in a Stage 2 Drought Emergency. The reservoir is at 40% capacity and one well is out of service. Beaconites are encouraged to reduce water consumption by 20% Photo Credit: @peoplesbicycle

Curiouser and curiouser. Learn about a hike like this at Madam Brett Park. Photo Credit: @natalijewel

So spookily beautiful at Ward Pound Ridge. Photo Credit: @danilynphoto

Could this be you? Get ideas in A Little Beacon Blog's Hiking Series. Photo Credit: @briannax241

Beacon's Hocus Pocus Halloween Parade for Kids is Biggest Yet in 2015 - With Pictures of Costumes!

Reservoir & Wood was one of many businesses participating in the Hocus Pocus Parade.

Record numbers took part in the Hocus Pocus Halloween Parade of 2015, a signature event of Beacon's Halloween festival, A Very Beacon Halloween (a joint event from the Beacon Chamber of Commerce and the City of Beacon). Ron Iarossi, a board member on the Chamber and owner of Beacon Creamery who led the parade, confirms: "The parade was biggest one we have ever had. We had about 800 kids and just as many adults, for a total of 1,500 to 2,000 people." When the parade paused at Teller Avenue, participants who glanced back could see wall-to-wall people on Main Street, from Beacon Pantry to Hudson Beach Glass. Iarossi says that the number of people concentrated during the parade is normal. What was different this year? More people started at the official line-up of the parade, and still more joined in at different points on Main Street.

The Hocus Pocus parade pauses along Beacon's Main Street for kids to trick-or-treat from businesses. From this stop at Beacon Pantry, paradegoers could be seen all the way back to Hudson Beacon Glass.

Dueling Banjos? Adorbs.

Several duos of Little Red Riding Hood and her Wolf were out, but these two take our first prize!

A very serious wolf.

Cat Woman and Dog.

Little Darth Vader!

Baby R2D2 in the wagon of Tom and Andrea Cerchiara.

Yellow as a primary color in this year's parade!

Ms. Jenny, a teacher at Rose Hill and queen of crafts!

Paul Yeaple, of Poppy's, with kids!

Meet the Abrams/Blair family: The Avengers!

Businesses were ready for the crowd, and eager to give treats to the kids.

Locomotive Crossfit and Oak Vino were ready for the trick-or-treaters!

Beacon Bath & Bubble were happy to fill up pumpkins with treats.

The art gallery Back Room Gallery drew a few characters!

The Beacon Bagel was busy - as usual!

Beacon's 4th Annual Car Show Included Vintage and Muscle Cars - Pictures & Video Here!

A classic car on display at Beacon's 4th Annual Car Show. Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin

It was a chilly Sunday for Beacon's 4th Annual Car Show, a joint production of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce and Dutchess Cruisers Car Club. Several thousand people from Beacon, as well as visiting car enthusiasts, attended the daylong event (held October 18 this year), admiring the goods under the hoods of more than 250 cars lined up on Main Street. Attendees rocked out to music from five different bands, covering genres as diverse as beach and heavy metal, including the Judith Tulloch Band, The Costellos, Chowderhead, Bloated Toad and Talking Machine.

A video with this heavy metal band is below!

According to Pat Moore, president of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce and partner at Antalek & Moore, “Main Street Beacon in the autumn is the perfect setting for this event. It brings visitors from far and wide to our town. It is a terrific event for the City of Beacon and is now considered a must-show for car enthusiasts.” The cars have been carefully restored by their owners; those restorations can reach several thousands of dollars! According to Moore, some cars in the show are valued at well over $100,000.

 

Muscle under the hood of a Mustang.

Many of the cars on display have been beefed up with some serious horsepower. However, most of the cars in the show were older and considered classics. Heidi Bernhart, owner of Beacon Pie Company, the little pie cart next to Ella’s Bellas, closed her cart to walk the show. “I love car shows. I used to go to them every weekend before I moved to Beacon, so I'm glad that Beacon does one. Old cars are the best. My favorites are the Bel Airs.”

The East Mountain Boys represented.

The titling sponsor of Beacon's Car Show was the Healey Brothers Automotive Group. Gold and Silver Sponsors were Sukhothai Restaurant, Max’s on Main, Freedom Ford, Antalek & Moore Insurance and the Rutigliano Group. Many smaller businesses were also sponsors.

With more than 250 cars in the show, many styles were represented!

The $10 Halloween Costume Rack at Dance Bag Is Back!

Just in time for Halloween! The Dance Bag, located next to Yanarella School of Dance and only a block from the Howland Library, has rolled out their cart of costumes. But these aren't just any costumes you'd find in a Halloween pop-up section of a big-box store. These are theater-grade costumes for young performers in the area. This rack has been known to yield elaborate gowns with velvet and tulle, as well as costumes for Snow White, Paris Hilton (pink and black checkered dress seen here), cheerleaders and more.

Costumes are $10 CASH. So go now, because this rack won't last.

Chateau Beacon to Offer Delicious Menu, Double-Wide Booths, and Family Friendly Options

Chateau Beacon to open soon in Mary Kelly's former location.

UPDATE: Chateau Beacon has opened! See A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide for this and other updates on where you can eat in and around Beacon. Subscribe to A Little Beacon Blog's free newsletter for more updates like this one and stay in the loop!

If you were once devoted to driving north from Beacon, crossing the I-84 overpass, taking a quick left off of 9D at the militia man statue, then parking down at Mary Kelly's for a warm, cozy, and relaxing dinner, then you were probably sad to find out that the restaurant had suddenly closed. But there was good reason behind that sudden closure: New owners are closing a deal on the building, which will remain a restaurant, bar and event space, now called Chateau Beacon.

You know that militia man on 9D? He's your man for the left turn to get to Chateau Beacon.

Originally from Garrison, the new owners currently live in Hopewell Junction. They were fond of the location, the building, and the family- and art-friendly nature of Beacon. Having a young family themselves, the owners of Chateau Beacon also aim to offer classes, from art to cooking, in the building's large, inspiring space, surrounded by woods in a primarily residential area.

The space will remain family-friendly, starting with seating that includes deep, horseshoe-shaped booths on almost all sides of the restaurant. The chef hails from Epcot Disney, and knows what kids like: food on a stick. Chicken, steak and more will all be available. Even vanilla or chocolate milk!

For adults, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. A Mediterranean-American flavor will inspire the menu. Think mussels, fish, flatbread, grilled octopus, caramelized everything served with many choices of sides.

Watch their very active Facebook page for the minute they open...

Pumpkin Patches and Parades 2015: Where To Find Pumpkins & Halloween Events Near Beacon in the Hudson Valley

UPDATE: For Pumpkins and Parades for 2016, click here

Pumpkins and Parades 2015

The tree leaves are turning, there's a crisp note in the air, and every now and then, we catch a whiff of wood smoke. All signs point to fall. But our autumn wouldn't be complete without some family-friendly Halloween celebrations!

The Hudson Valley has a wealth of spooky fall fun. (Maybe you've heard of a little place called Sleepy Hollow?) Here are some of our favorite events and pumpkin-picking spots, all a little closer to our Beacon home. 

Need pumpkin decoratin

g ideas after you collect all of these pumpkins? Consider a couple of our favorites -

covering a pumpkin in go

ld leaf

, or

using a power drill to make beaded designs

.

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Saturday, October 10, 2015

10 am

Location:

Pavilion at Beacon Memorial Park

Kids 15 and younger can compete for Top Carver in two age divisions (13 to 15, and 12 and under). Parents should supervise children at all times! Supplies will be provided, but are limited. Sign up ahead of time at City Hall. Organizers insist, no professionals, please. 

Halloween Parade and Festival

Saturday, October 17, 2015

10 am to 6 pm

Location:

Meiser Park, Wappingers Falls

The second annual festival, in the heart of the village just up Route 9D, will feature a parade, festive food, face-painting, music (an Alice Cooper tribute band, in fact) and a pumpkin patch, among other activities for the whole family. 

Information >

Beacon Sloop Club Pumpkin Festival

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Noon to 5 pm

Location:

Pe

te and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park

Volunteers from the Beacon Sloop Club will serve chili, while pumpkin pie and a host of other treats will be available from vendors. Farm-fresh pumpkins will be for sale, too! And, keeping with the spirit of the late, longtime Sloop Club member Pete Seeger, tunes from several local musicians, a

ll set to the backdrop of the mighty Hudson

.

Information >

A Very Beacon Halloween: Premier Of Beacon's Dark Parade

Friday, October 23rd, 2015

Locations:

7pm Parade Lineup at Chase Bank

7:30pm Parade begins at Chase Bank, and then ends at The Falls

Enjoy this spooky dark party! Costumes and lights are encouraged, including flashlights or other creative lights that may come with your costume, like a light saber or glowing staff! Being that it's dark and late, this is for adults only. Parade ends at The Hop. Get dinner ideas here in A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide, and consider making reservations first at any restaurant, as you'll be with several other hungry people.

Information >

A Very Beacon Halloween: Psychic Fair

Saturday, October 24th, 2015

12pm to 5pm

Location:

Chill Wine Bar

Treat yourself to tarot and other types of readings from 8 to 10 readers from Notions & Potions. Readings are $25 for 20 minutes of indulgence in your future - if you dare! This event is for adults only. 

Information >

A Very Beacon Halloween: The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Dance Party!

Saturday, October 24th, 2015

DJ: 7 to 10pm; movie: 10pm to midnight

Location:

St. Rocco's, 26 South Chestnut Street

Boo-gie the night away to a rockin' DJ at St. Rocco's! It's the brick building up the hill on South Chestnut. (You've passed it many times as you drove behind the parking lot for the Yankee Clipper diner or Beacon Flea.) In keeping with The Rocky Horror Picture Show tradition, you should probably dress up! Tickets are $25 at the door and a cash bar is available.

Information >

Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest

S

unday, October 25, 2015

11

:30

a

m

Registration at Beacon Barkery, 192 Main Street

12:

0

0pm:

Contest

begins

Location:

Cross Street and Main Stre

et, Beacon (near River Winds Gallery)

Dress up your fur-friend in the cutest costume ever!

Prizes

are award

ed for:

Look Ali

ke

Cutest

Scariest

Most Original

Information >

A Very Beacon Halloween: Kid's Hocus Pocus Parade

S

unday, October 25, 2015

12:30 pm

Parade Lineup at the Visitor's Center & Peace Park

(South Avenue/9D and Main Street)

1pm: Parade begins

Location:

Main Stre

et, Beacon

Cost

umed kids start lining up at Peace Park (South Avenue/9D and Main Street) near the Visitor's Center at 12:30 for a parade down Main Street at 1pm. Trick-or-treating at businesses follows the stroll. Don't forget to check in at the

Beacon Flea

behind the Post Office, too! They'll have some treats for the little goblins. 

Information >

Pumpkins in the Park - Jack O'Lantern Lighting

Carving: Tuesday, October 27 to Friday, October 30, 2015, 3 pm to 6 pm

Lighting: Friday, October 30, 2015, 6 pm to 8 pm

Location:

 Long Dock Park, Beacon waterfront

On afternoons Tuesday to Friday, visit Long Dock Park to put your carving skills to use on pumpkins provided by Scenic Hudson. Stick around Friday evening, when the jack o'lanterns will be set aglow and displayed throughout the park.

Information >

Rascal's Monster Bash

Sa

turday, October 31, 2015

2 pm to 5 pm

Lo

cati

on:

 Dutchess Stadium, 1500 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls

This free family event, hosted by the

Hudson Valley Renegades

baseball team, will have tons of entertainment and activities, including inflatable amusements, trick-or-treating from vendors' tables, and pumpkin painting. For more information, call (845) 838-0094.

Where to Pick Pumpkins

Select your perfect pumpkin from patches at these farms. It's always a good idea to call before you go, to confirm hours, prices and availability.

Fishkill Farms

has pumpkins in their Pick-Your-Own patch set on the 20-acre farm. Fall Harvest Fest weekends include hayrides, fo

od and music. Open daily, 9 am to 6 pm, rain or shine ($5 per car admission on weekends and holidays).

CROWD ALERT!

There are

many, many people at Fishkill Farms

during this season.

Lawrence Farms

in Newburgh has pumpkins in their Pick-Your-Own patch, as well as at their farm stand. You'll also find apples and other seasonal produce, as well as a hay bale maze and a mini-village for kids to play. Lawerence Farms is on many, many acres of beautiful Hudson Vall

ey land, so you have plenty o

f space to run and pla

y

despite

the number o

f people

who are there.

Open daily, 9 am to 4 pm.

AFTERNOON CLOSING ALERT

!

Lawrence Farms closes at 4pm, so

get th

ere

during the first part of your day.

Overlook Farm Market

, also in New

burgh, promises "no razz a ma tazz" at their fourth-generation farm stand and Pick-Your-Own area. Open daily except Tuesdays, 8 am to 6 pm.

Where to Purchase Pumpkins

In a pinch? These markets usually have an easy grab-and-go selection of pumpkins and other colorful winter squash, often locally grown! 

Key Food

, 268 Main St., Beacon

Adams Fairacre Farms

, 160 Old Post Road (Route 9), Wappingers Falls

Hannaford

, 1490 Route 9, Wappingers Falls

Poughkeepsie Nissan: New & Pre-Owned Cars With Great Service

Poughkeepsie Nissan

1445 Route 9 

Wappingers Falls, 12590

www.poughkeepsienissan.com

Today's options of buying a car are abundant. So many choices! Small and fast? Roomy yet sexy? Lease or buy? And who is going to service this car once you buy or lease it? Poughkeepsie Nissan is a full-service dealership who can put you in the car of your dreams or needs at the moment with plenty of financing options. Their friendly staff listens to your priorities about a car, and can match you with a great fit. Not only do they sell Nissans (which has the best-looking and best-packing mini-van out there, starting with the 2012 model - the Nissan Quest), but Poughkeepsie Nissan has an extensive selection of used cars in a range of prices. Chances are, whatever model of a used car you are looking for, Poughkeepsie Nissan has one in their huge lot. Give them a call today to see if they have the car or truck of your dreams, and if they don't, they might be able to find it. Poughkeepsie Nissan offers a guaranteed credit approval and is home of the Lifetime Powertrain Warranty on all new and pre-owned vehicles.

P.S.: Did you know that Executive Manager Fran Pomarico is from Beacon? He has a soft spot in his heart for Beacon, NY, and knows that nowhere else is quite like it. Meet their whole staff.

SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM POUGHKEEPSIE NISSAN

Poughkeepsie Nissan knows you want a great selection in your next car purchase. That is why they have one of the largest inventory collections in the area, with one lot dedicated to pre-owned cars of any make or model, and another lot for new models of Nissan vehicles. If a pre-owned Subaru, VW or even a Ford is the car of your dreams, you will probably find it at Poughkeepsie Nissan. Or drive away with a current-model Nissan!

---

LIFETIME LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRENTY

Poughkeepsie Nissan knows every car that comes into its lot. That's why they offer the Lifetime Limited Powertrain Warranty on used cars with under 100K miles. This covers the Engine, Transmission, Drive Axle and a Towing Allowance. Poughkeepsie Nissan's service station is top-notch and works on imported and domestic cars. Their appointment system will keep all of your records, and even remind you if your car is due for registration renewal. This makes buying a used car a bit more reassuring!

Search for your car now!

 

Wee Play Tot Park At Memorial Park Gets 3 New Umbrella Shade Structures

Photo courtesy Wee Play Community Project Graphic treatment Katie Hellmuth Martin

Umbrellas were installed over the summer of 2015 to complete a project that has been in the works for years, and was a major wish-list item for parents, family members and caregivers who bring babies and toddlers to the Tot Park at Memorial Park.

The Wee Play Community Project, a longstanding volunteer group that works and advocates for the City of Beacon's playgrounds, as well as youth programming (some of which you can experience at Howland Public Library and at the University Settlement Camp), has been saving every dollar donated by the community as well as funds taken in during their main annual fundraiser, the Ree Play Sale. A total of $7,285 was donated via the Ree Play Sale, held in May. The remaining balance of $12,515 was matched and provided by the City of Beacon Recreation Fund. The Wee Play Community Project also provided funding for two new benches and a permanent ride-on toy, totaling $2,700.

In their press release, Wee Play Community Project thanks the many community members and volunteers who have helped make the Ree Play Sale a success year after year, and states: "Community support has been essential to the completion of this major improvement to the park."

Wee Play also thanks the Beacon City Council, Mayor Randy Casale and Recreation Director Mark Price for their endorsement of the project, and for approving the use of the Recreation Fund to complete it.

Trees planted years ago begin to add shade as they grow. Photo credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Shade provided by umbrellas and trees.

As the sun moves, so does the shade from the umbrellas. Shade from trees is already increasing, as shown in the above picture of the shadow cast on the sandbox from a young tree.

View from under the red umbrella as tree shadows are cast, making patterns.

View from under the yellow umbrella.

The Tot Park at Memorial Park began with a bare landscape, with trees and herb gardens added and maintained by Wee Play over the years. The park has evolved to incorporate nature and permanent shaded structures during very hot days, creating different experiences within one space.

Decorate That Pumpkin With A Power Drill! As Discovered In Pinterest

Pumpkin "carved" with a power drill. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Oh Pinterest, you never fail to make really unique designs actually look easy!

Examples of pumpkin carving with a drill from Pinterest.

One day, while looking for pumpkin decorating ideas, these brightly lit beaded pumpkins caught my eye. They look so different from any glowing pumpkin I'd ever seen, and they actually looked like I could tackle the design! My patience level for carving is very slim. Slim to none. Hence this pumpkin decorating idea on gilding a pumpkin from local artist Deborah Bigelow. I have never carved a pumpkin and have little desire to draw a design, only to struggle with carving it, which most likely results in carving outside of the lines. Unlike these prize-winning pumpkins in the City Of Beacon's Pumpkin Carving Event!

Where can I get more precision? A power drill! And I'm not even that great with a power drill. But hey, by using various drill bits, I got different sizes of perfectly formed circles. Pop a glowing candle inside for glowy Halloween effect, and your friends will surely be impressed.

What follows below is what you need to decorate your pumpkin with a beaded effect using a power drill. My kids and I also made a demo video on Periscope and then published to YouTube, which you can watch at the bottom of this post! The picture at the top is the finished result of our drill bit–carved pumpkin.

MATERIALS
1 big pumpkin
1 big knife to carve top
1 big spoon to scoop out seeds and slimy stuff
1 paper bag to contain pumpkin guts
1 power drill
2 sizes drill bits: use bits that are at least two sizes larger or smaller than each other
1 candle
broom & dustbin

STEP 1: Cut out the top of the pumpkin and scoop out your pumpkin with a spoon.

STEP 2: Get your power drill ready! For the beaded look, you can do 4 or 5 large holes in a line, and then switch drill bits to the smaller size. When you use drill bits that are more than one size different from each other, you will get a more dramatic beading that is more noticeable from the street.
Note: You could draw tiny dots where you want your circles to go. But don't get too precise, because your drill may spin out the first few tries until you get in the flow.

STEP 3: Mess alert! As your drill bit spins, the pumpkin shell spins onto the floor. You can see what I mean in the video below.

STEP 4: Once you have drilled all of your holes, place your candle inside of your pumpkin and enjoy!

---

Back in season for Fall, the famous cheese fondue pumpkin! A great party food idea, or order by the slice. Delicious.

---

Watch our video that we broadcast live on Periscope! To catch more of A Little Beacon Blog's live broadcasts, follow us at Periscope: www.periscope.tv/alittlebeacon.

Beacon Dental | Comprehensive Care, Education, Preventive Care, Restoration of Function, & Aesthetics (Sponsor)

Beacon Dental

1020 Wolcott Avenue 

Beacon, NY 12508
(845) 838-3666

www.beacondental.net

Beacon Dental, founded by Dr. Hongli Wang, is committed to providing comprehensive care utilizing the most recent advances in the science and the art of dentistry, with an emphasis on education, preventive care, restoration of function, and aesthetics.

Beacon Dental places tremendous importance on education both for their patients and staff. If your children are in school in the Beacon area or beyond, chances are your children have been treated to an oral health demonstration from a few of the friendly dental hygienists from Beacon Dental, who are committed to educating the public about the care of teeth and gums. Your oral health is Beacon Dental's top priority and they are devoted to providing all of their patients with comprehensive preventive care. Please click here to meet the team at Beacon Dental, from dental hygienists to office managers processing insurance claims and consulting with patients.

SPECIAL MESSAGES FROM BEACON DENTAL

As a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, Beacon Dental looks forward to sharing an important message with you as you make choices about your dental care.

An Early Friendship With The Dentist

Beacon Dental regularly visits every school in Beacon's school district, talking to children of all ages about oral health and the importance of brushing. Reading to your children about going to the dentist is also important, and helps them look forward to doing the right thing for their bodies! Little kids love having their teeth counted, and teenagers like a healthy smile! Call Beacon Dental today to make an appointment: (845) 838-3666 and visit their new website to get to know the team: www.beacondental.net

---

 "A Healthy Smile Is A Beautiful Smile"

The team at Beacon Dental wants to remind you that as you strive for pearly white teeth, the first step to oral beauty is healthy teeth. One of the easiest ways to help your teeth and gums stay healthy is to floss daily!

A periodontal chart! The dentist pokes your teeth to see how far down the measurement goes, with 1s and 2s being great! 5s and 6s being... eh, not so great. (Pro tip: Floss daily!)

---

In 2015, Beacon Dental celebrates 10 years in business! Located in the plaza on Wolcott Avenue at the intersection with South Avenue, Dr. Wang built the office from the ground up, designing it to give her patients the best care possible. That construction also helped improve the area. In the Spring of 2015, Beacon Dental held a party with a live band for their patients, and were paid a special visit by Mayor Randy Casale, who represented the city's appreciation for Dr. Wang's involvement with the Beacon community.

Dr. Hongli Wang was presented with a certificate from the City of Beacon by Mayor Randy Casale in recognition of contributing to the education of dental health to all elementary school children in this district, and for her donations and support for Beacon Barks, Halloween parades and other events that have helped to define Beacon today.

Meet Dr. Wang!

Dr. Hongli Wang (center) with her son, Kyle Wang (left), and her husband, L. David Rooney PhD (right).

Dr. Wang's story is a unique one. Born and raised in Beijing, China, she earned her first dental degree from Beijing University in 1988 and worked as a dentist for five years. She came to America in 1993, but did not speak English. She learned the language and enrolled in dental school in New York. She graduated from New York University’s Dental School and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2001.

After working as an associate dentist for 3 years, Dr. Wang made the decision to take control of her future and opened her own practice. She was recently married and was a new mother of a toddler (pictured above, who is now 15!) when she opened her office. Dr. Wang is a caring, gentle dentist who takes the time to educate her patients about their oral health. Her goal is to help patients achieve successful treatment and have a beautiful, healthy smile, and goes out of her way to make sure each patient’s needs are met.

A Little Beacon Blog thanks Beacon Dental for being a sponsor, which helps make our coverage of the amazing people and things to do in and around Beacon possible!

Small Business Events Spotlight Both Sides of Shopping | Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency: Business, Personal & Homeowners Insurance (Sponsor)

Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency

340 Main Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 831-4300

www.antalek-moore.com

Insurance is a big, wide industry. There are a lot of faces you could talk to when deciding what agent to use when purchasing your insurance. Antalek & Moore is a local Independent Insurance agency located in Beacon. NY, and licensed in several states. Located right on Main Street, the agents at Antalek & Moore have been serving the people of the Hudson Valley with personal, homeowners and business insurance for over a century. In addition, they are a leading resource in the community for educating business owners and homeowners about what kind of insurance they need and why. Antalek & Moore specializes in

Personal

,

Homeowners

, and many types of

Business Insurance.

SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ANTALEK & MOORE

As a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, Antalek & Moore looks forward to sharing important messages with you as you look toward growing your business.

The season of shopping and giving is starting this month. Antalek & Moore Insurance has partnered with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce to bring businesses two events that help keep them secure and increase sales.

11/12/15

DATA BREACH & THE NEW EMV CHIP CARD (Free Seminar)

For those who accept credit cards, sign up for the November 12 event at Beahive to learn what you are on the hook for with each swipe or online transaction. If you accept credit cards, what are you legally on the hook for? Find out at this seminar.

To RSVP: Call (845) 831-4300 or email arastadt@antalek-moore.com

11/20/15

SHOPPING NIGHT OUT FOR LADIES!

For those of us who love shopping from our favorite local businesses in one place, the Chamber of Commerce has organized a big pop-up night of shopping at Dutchess Manor (263 Route 9D) with food and drink on November 20. Start planning!

To RSVP: Call (845) 831-4300. Tickets will be available for purchase online at the Chamber of Commerce website.

Antalek & Moore

is a local insurance agency right on Main Street, and is happy to review your policy to see how you can save.

Click here to contact them

, or just call (845) 831-4300.

A Little Beacon Blog thanks Antalek & Moore for being a sponsor, which helps make our coverage of the amazing people and things to do in and around Beacon possible!

Historical Hike | Meet Madam Brett, See The Factory Ruins While Hiking The Park

Find this view when you turn right on the trail and go past the mill. Shown in video below.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Linking Beacon’s industrial past with its nature-loving, creative present, Madam Brett Park provides a unique ecological map of our city, including waterfalls, marshes, hunting grounds and habitats. Take in the various sights along boardwalks and dirt trails to see the remains of places that helped to form Beacon as we know it today, and to become an industrial powerhouse known, at one time, as the “hat-making capital of the US.”

The Nuts and Bolts of the Madam Brett Park Hike

A parking lot is off to the left once you go under the old train trestle just off Tioronda Avenue.

The entry point from Tioronda Avenue. Go under the old train trestle.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

According to Google Maps, it is two miles from the Newburgh-Beacon bridge via 9D. Start your visit at the park's east end, taking in the scenic Tioronda waterfall from the observation deck. The deck itself was part of the old

sluiceway

(a gate that controlled water flow), and you can still make out some of the foundation which was built across the falls.

A cement wall is part of the sluiceway that you will walk across as part of your hike east, headed toward the small waterfalls.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

This foundation is part of the sluiceway that controlled the creek's flow for the mill, and also was part of a structure that pulled trains across the creek. You will be climbing up it! The entry into the creek is worth it.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The trails within

Madam Brett

are a gentle, fairly even mile, scraping the Fishkill Creek and the old

Tioronda Hat Works factory

, adjacent to the park in the large brick building via woodland or gravel trails and a boardwalk. 

The boardwalk along the old mill when you turn west to hike along the Fishkill Creek.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Old ruins of a hat factory, seen as you walk along the boardwalk.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

At the entry to the boardwalk, take a look at what remains of the iron-truss Tioronda bridge, built between 1869 and 1873 (a

nd, for safety reasons, mostly torn down in 2006

) with its rare bowstring design. 

Old remains of the Tioronda Bridge.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The twelve acres of parkland is full of all kinds of wildlife. Much of the woodlands surrounding Madam Brett is devoured by flora and fauna - just as it was in the Colonial era, when Madam Brett first laid eyes on the place. The banks, creek, hillside and marshland are home to a diverse set of animals, including predatory birds such as osprey and bald eagle who hunt and nest here, muskrats, and a large selection of fish and amphibious animals. In the spring, striped bass and shad journey up the Hudson to spawn here. Make sure to stop and take in several vistas along the marsh and creek, where the views are serene and plentiful. Listen for the variety of bird calls, and the train that passes now and again along the lazy tidal wetland.

The History of Madam Brett Park

As the trail itself now connects to Denning's Point, so does the history of Madam Brett’s land. Catharyna Rombout Brett (1687-1764) became the first European settler in Beacon, in large part due to the Rombout Patent. After her father, Frans Rombouts (sometimes spelled Francis Rombouts), died in 1691, Catharyna became an heir to her family’s third of a stake in the Rombout Patent. Twelve years later, 16-year-old Catharyna married Roger Brett, a lieutenant in the British Royal Navy who had arrived in the colonies with Lord Cornbury. The newlyweds took up residence in the stately Rombout family home in lower Manhattan. Roger Brett became a vestryman

for Trinity Church for several years as they enjoyed great wealth. However, after her mother passed away in 1707, Catharyna and Roger were left with very little money, an enormous house they couldn’t afford, and thousands of acres in the remote Hudson Valley wilderness. After the Rombout Patent was partitioned among the owning Van Cortlandt, Verplanck and Rombout (now Brett) families, Catharyna received more than 20,000 acres on the lower Fishkill Creek. They mortgaged the Rombout home in lower Manhattan, and - portending such migrations 300 years later - relocated with their sons and slaves to the remote and wild lands of what would become lower Dutchess County. 

The Madam Brett homestead.

After building their Homestead (the original Rombout Patent document is displayed at her historic home), the family got to work. While still relatively wild, Madam Brett saw the plot of land where Fishkill Creek let out into the marshy waters and into the Hudson River as opportunity. It was a popular spot for local farmers and Native Americans to congregate, sell and trade. The family soon built a gristmill on the land that married the creek and the river, and started to lease other partitions of land to farmers.

View Of The Fishkill Creek From The Boardwalk

While this was a very successful venture, tragedy would soon strike again for young Catharyna Brett. During these Colonial times, farmers in the region would ship their produce down the river to Manhattan on sloops run by Roger, a former Navy officer. One day, his sloop was struck by a freak storm upon returning from his delivery in the city, and he drowned in the Hudson. A widow at the age of 31, Catharyna partnered with George Clarke, secretary of the province and former partners with Roger, to make several key land deals in order for Madam Brett to become the sole proprietor of her land and the gristmill.

Running and maintaining the mill became the center of her life. Catharyna also looked out for the locals, to whom she provided food, clothing and servants. Aside from her fellow colonists, she became friendly with the local Wiccopee tribe, allowing them to camp on her front yard and spending time in their village. Her children Thomas and Francis could often be seen playing with the local Sachem (tribe leader) Nimham’s children. This relationship also proved beneficial when, during a financial dispute with Poughkeepsie settlers, Native Americans were sent to attack the Brett family, but the Sachem’s son warned them and the Bretts were able to escape.

In 1748, along with eighteen men, Madam Brett helped create the first river freight building to help ship produce from the local farmers, as well as the meal and flour her factories were grinding out. The building, called the Frankfort Store House, was erected on “Lower Landing,” what is now the Denning's Point area. It helped the village of Fishkill Landing (which would become part of present-day Beacon) become one of the first river ports, drawing the strategic eyes of American revolutionary military minds. (Alexander Hamilton landed just off the Store House as he finished his first entry in the Federalist Papers.) Madam Brett was also the first widow to arrange for a cooperative produce business for colonists.

As the Colonial era wound down and high fashion became all the rage, hat factories took the place of flour mills on Madam Brett’s land. At one point in the 1800s, as many as fifty factories were present around Beacon! The area’s reputation as an industrial powerhouse was strong, and would remain so for another century. 

Extend Your Stay on the Trail

The Dave Miller Connector Trail opened in 2013. It allows travel beyond Madam Brett Park, linking up with Denning's Point as well as the Klara Sauer Trail north to Long Dock Park. If you are up for a long, though not strenuous, walk through the history of Beacon, my wife and I will often walk from the Roundhouse, down Tioronda Avenue, through Madam Brett Park, on to Denning's Point and beyond to Long Dock. This loops back to the beginning of Main Street on the west side, which we follow all the way back. It’s a wonderful, leisurely hike that will take a couple of hours.

Madam Brett was a revolutionary businesswoman and the founding mother of Beacon. She built up a small empire, was a trailblazer in settling farms in Dutchess County and paved a free road through her lands to the river - today’s Route 52. She was one of the few to sell to settlers, allowing them to own their own land for farming (although, owning a keen business mind, she always made sure she had rights to build a mill on the property she sold). The parkland that we know today as Madam Brett Park played a key role in forming the local community, and helped stamp Beacon as an industrial hub, once of grain and later of hats. The park still plays an important role in Beacon, and is now helping to conserve the beauty and history of this region.

Please welcome back contributor

Dylan Price, a writer/filmmaker and avid outdoorsman who moved to Beacon with his wife from Washington, D.C., yet have since moved to Florida. They were attracted to Beacon for the unique mix of nature, art and food.