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Downtown Warwick celebrates third annual Winter Blues weekend

| 07 Mar 2012 | 01:19
    Photo by Roger Gavan John Christison, owner of Yesterdays, was on hand for a new and successful event, a Chili ìCook Off for Charityî to benefit the Warwick Ecumenical Council Food Pantry. Participating restaurants competed to see who made the best Chili while raising funds for the Food Pantry. Visitors, who donated five dollars, had an opportunity to sample Chili prepared by eight local eateries.
    Photo by Roger Gavan John Christison, owner of Yesterdays, was on hand for a new and successful event, a Chili ìCook Off for Charityî to benefit the Warwick Ecumenical Council Food Pantry. Participating restaurants competed to see who made the best Chili while raising funds for the Food Pantry. Visitors, who donated five dollars, had an opportunity to sample Chili prepared by eight local eateries.
    Visitors had an opportunity to sample Chili prepared by eight local eateries for a donation of $5.
    Visitors had an opportunity to sample Chili prepared by eight local eateries for a donation of $5.
    On Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Merchant Guild celebrated the third annual ìWinter Blues Weekend.î From left, Merchant Guild co-Chair Mary Beth Schlichting, Chili Cook-Off Chair Jennifer Haesche, Winter Blues Weekend Chair Tim Mullally and Merchant Guild Treasurer Debbie Iurato.
    On Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Merchant Guild celebrated the third annual ìWinter Blues Weekend.î From left, Merchant Guild co-Chair Mary Beth Schlichting, Chili Cook-Off Chair Jennifer Haesche, Winter Blues Weekend Chair Tim Mullally and Merchant Guild Treasurer Debbie Iurato.

WARWICK — The Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Merchant Guild celebrated the third annual “Winter Blues Weekend” on March 3 and 4.

On the first day of the event, a morning fog lifted and visitors enjoyed mild temperatures, bright sunlight and clear blue skies from then on.

That was perfect timing for the beginning of a new and successful event, a chili “Cook Off for Charity” to benefit the Warwick Ecumenical Council Food Pantry.

More than 200 people participated as restaurants competed to see who made the best chili while raising $1,135 for the Food Pantry.

Visitors, who purchased a $5 ticket, had an opportunity to sample chili prepared by seven local eateries and Warwick ShopRite. Individuals then turned in their tickets to the restaurant or market they judged to have the best chili and were rewarded with a full serving.

The participant that collected the most tickets was Fetch Bar & Grill, followed by Eddie’s RoadHouse and in third place, Blarney Station.

Other participating restaurants were Dautaj, La Petite Cuisine, Taco Hombre, and Yesterdays.

Winter Blues Weekend Chair Tim Mullally and Jennifer Haesche, owner of La Petite Cuisine came up with this new idea since they knew the Food Pantry was in greater need this year because of the poor economy.

The “Blues” in the “Winter Blues” title refers not only to getting rid of any seasonal depression at this time of year but also to the music visitors enjoyed.

Downtown Warwick merchants enjoyed brisk activity as visitors came to enjoy the “Blues” music of Larrama along with the Black Dirt Band and Lee Delray and the Show Stopper Band performing under a tent on the Railroad Avenue Village Green.

“I was pretty busy running between both our Main Street shops, Style Counsel and Blue,” said Tim Mullally, who chaired this year’s event, “but I did observe lots of people participating in the Chili “Cook Off for Charity” and that was a huge success. The tent we set up for the restaurants was directly across from Railroad Green and the people who participated in that event could also enjoy the music.”

The annual “Winter Blues Weekend,” spearheaded two years ago by Mullally, was designed to fill the gap between Home for the Holidays and Springfest.

During this year’s weekend celebration participating merchants and restaurants also offered their own special events, entertainment and “blue” sales.

The Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and Merchant Guild volunteers are responsible for conceiving and successfully launching several yearly events like “Winter Blues Weekend,” including Applefest, Springfest, Sidewalk Sale, Ladies Night Out and Home for the Holidays, that bring thousands of customers and thousands of dollars into Warwick every year.

- Roger Gavan