Meredith Dairy Fest over after 15 years

Local News

Related Photos

CSSD1B2.jpg

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.

comments powered by Disqus

May 31, 2012

Meredith Dairy Fest over after 15 years

By Denise Richardson Staff Writer The Daily Star Thu May 31, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

The Meredith Dairy Festival won't be held this year, prompting questions about the fate of an event that marked the start of fair season.

Bad luck with weather and dwindling firefighter ranks were among reasons Meridale firefighters discussed before deciding against having the two-day festival this year, John Hamilton, event co-founder and firefighter, said Wednesday. The economy wasn't a factor, he said.

"The fire department is sad it's not happening," Hamilton said. "I don't know what we're going to do in the future."

The annual fundraising event of the Meridale Fire Department started about 15 years ago to raise money for a new fire station, Hamilton said. The station was built about five years ago, he said, and the department voted to continue the festival to raise money for an ambulance, to further promote the dairy industry and because visitors enjoyed it.

"It brought a lot of people to the area," said Mary Beth Silano, executive director of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. "I would hope eventually it would start up again."

The June festival offered crafts and food sales, entertainment and activities. Some attractions, such as a firefighter bucket brigade contest and a tractor pull, added to the family friendly lineup that traditionally included cow-plop bingo. Cows and llamas were among animals on display.

Meridale firefighters voted annually on the project, Hamilton said. In 2010, the festival went forward on one vote, he said, but in November last year, the difference was greater, perhaps eight to 12.

During the 14 or 15 years of the festival, the department raised about $120,000, Hamilton said. He estimated about 100 vendors participated yearly, and the annual festival attracted between 10,000 to 12,000 and up to 18,000 people.

Dairy Fest was on a hilltop on Catskill Turnpike Road off of state Route 28 in Meredith. Hamilton said the site was known to be windy, and the possibility of having the festival in a different location had been considered.

For three or more years, winds have damaged tents at the festival site, Hamilton said. One year, winds destroyed an animal tent and a vendor tent, he said, and another year, the festival was canceled because of windy conditions.

The Morris Tent Co. was "wonderful" about providing tents and re-securing them as needed, Hamilton said, but firefighters' worries persisted about the impact of wind on top of the hill.

"We've been really lucky nobody's been injured," Hamilton said. "Really, really lucky."

The Meridale Fire Department probably has about 25 firefighters, Hamilton said.

Before the June 2009 festival, planning changed hands to the younger generation of firefighters, when some older members went south for the winter. Hamilton said departing firefighters take experience with them, which adds to the training and work needed to mount an event such as Dairy Fest.

Hamilton, 73, said he and Robert Pelinsky, also 73 and in Florida, co-founded the Dairy Fest. Sponsors, including Kraft Foods in Walton and Ultra Dairy Fraser in Delhi, were among supporters who "stood by us year after year," Hamilton said.

However, he said the festival didn't develop into a trade show for the dairy industry as he had hoped, which was a missed opportunity for dairy food manufacturers.

Promotional cows made of wood had become a familiar sight announcing the year's festival dates along roadsides and businesses in the area.

Some cows were rented and others decorated more elaborately were sold as artwork, Hamilton said. Placing them was labor intensive, he said, and one year, he drove 3,000 miles putting up the signs.

About 100 cows are stored at the fire station, he said.