First meeting to be held for ‘Lights Up On Sugar Loaf'

Sugar Loaf —In December the Village of Sugar Loaf will celebrate the Holiday season with a month-long festival, Lights Up On Sugar Loaf. The event will begin on Dec. 1 when the village, all the buildings, trees and poles will be outlined in incandescent light and turned on. Each night the town will turn on the lights and on weekends the village will host various special events such as carolers, bands and other performances. The month will end with Sugar Loaf hosting a community-based New Year’s Eve Celebration of the Arts. Offering an alternative to the traditional New Year’s Eve, Sugar Loaf will present an evening of arts and entertainment, with something for everyone. By bringing the community together for an enlightening celebration in a bucolic country environment, the event will change the way we celebrate the New Year. Sugar Loaf will attract participants from the entire region to enjoy performances in a variety of venues. The village will keep shops open for late-night shopping and act as sites for artists and performers of many different disciplines. Celebrants will be able to enjoy performances ranging from jazz to classical music, ballet to modern dance, theater, storytelling, a dance band, magic and more. Even though New Year’s Eve seems far away, the committee is forming to plan and execute this festival. Volunteers are needed to make the event a success and the planning group is seeking additional members from the surrounding towns of Goshen, Warwick, Florida, Monroe and Chester. Students are welcome to join and everyone’s input is required. The first step is to build a community-based committee and work together to design just how to celebrate the new year and the cultural amenities of Orange County. The first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Orange County Citizens Foundation in Sugar Loaf. For more information and directions call 845-469-7563.