Caleb Smith's 2nd Annual Park Festival A Huge Success!

Article and photos by Carole Paquette

(click on photos)

Park Festival a Huge Success

Olivia Murphy, 5, of Commack enjoys a rest with her dad Brian after getting her face-painted with stars.Teagan Milroy, 6, and Charlotte Maffetone, 5, show off their dreamcatchers made with the help of Carol Tokosh, center.Payton Collins,2, of Kings Park studies a colonial game while twin sister, Parker, 2, [left] looks for something else.Kevin See, 10, of East Fishkill, NY, was a pro with the colonial game of keeping a hoop going with a stick. Kevin came to the festival with his grandmother Anne Wieland of Selden.

More than 500 visitors of all ages spent the day at the Friends of Caleb Smith State Park Preserve’s Second Annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 27.  

Sydney Wong, 11, of Kings Park finds a more modern use for the colonial hoops.Becca Shapiro, 9, of Nesconset tries to get the stick into the hoop.Anna Shapiro, 8, is determined to get the ball in a cup.Peyton Gribbin, 9, and Corinne Cusati,8, play Shut-the-Box game. Children fished on the peninsula at Willow Pond under the guidance of Friends members; played Colonial and Native American games; had their faces painted; and made dreamcatchers and potpourri sachets at the craft table, where they also decorated free pumpkins. Adults joined in and occasionally could be seen playing Nine Pins at the Colonial games table, then sauntering off to see the antique cars, a fly-fishing demonstration by Fred Thorner of Trout Unlimited, and the Three Bees Aviary exhibit to see the bees and learn about making honey. Long Island Falconers drew a big crowd with their birds, as did naturalists Eric Powers and Jan Polinchak, and groups leading nature walks. At the rear of the Caleb Smith House, tables were set up under a tent for festival attendees to relax and enjoy lunch as musicians played traditional songs on the banjo, mandolin and accordian.