Holiday happenings in Rensselaerville

RENSSELAERVILLE — Conkling Hall gets the holiday season going with a full day of festivities on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The hall opens its doors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for its Holiday Market. Local makers will be selling jams, greeting cards, ceramics, home goods, and other unique products.

In the evening, Conkling Hall welcomes the community with warm drinks and refreshments, offering up music and readings by local performers. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the Open House. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Mingling before and after the concert is encouraged! Admission is a free-will donation; there will be a cash bar with beer, cider, and wine.

The hamlet of Rensselaerville has many events on Dec. 2, and Conkling Hall integrates its events with those of other organizations:

Rensselaerville Library’s Annual Greenery Sale, with trees, wreaths, garlands, and baked goods, runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.;

The Huyck Preserve hosts a Holiday Card Sale and Visitors’ Center Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring treats, hot chocolate, and Huyck Preserve cards; and

— The Rensselaerville Volunteer Fire Department has arranged a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus, who in literature is sometimes referred to as Gertrude or Jessica, will meet with the children, with the official town tree-lighting in the pocket park following.

Those in town for the day’s festivities may pick up a hearty meal at the Kuhar Family Farm Café & Market. There will be a special menu featuring some $5 items as well as the usual favorites. The Kuhars also stock frozen meals, their own farm-raised meats, seasonal veggies, pastries, breads, and a variety of locally made soaps, jewelry, cards, and Kuhar merch.

More Hilltowns News

  • The vagaries of New York State’s ability and willingness to involve itself in local affairs cropped up in many Enterprise stories this year, and revealed the gaps in the patchwork system of agencies that are supposed to keep the machine running. 

  • According to the state’s General Municipal Law, every local government must annually file a financial report with the state’s comptroller, which is known as the Annual Update Document or AUD. A town like Knox, with a population under 5,000 has up to 60 days after the close of its fiscal year to file its AUD. Knox, however, is several years behind in filing its AUDs. 

  • Normally, a town’s reorganizational meeting is when it affirms salary schedules and other important town business for the year, but without a quorum on its town board, it’s unclear how the town of Berne has proceeded.

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