21st Annual Cauliflower Festival Draws Crowds and Community Spirit to Margaretville

By Robert Brune

MARGARETVILLE — The 21st Annual Cauliflower Festival filled Margaretville’s Village Park on Saturday with food, music, history, and family fun, carrying forward a tradition that celebrates the region’s farming heritage while embracing new energy.

This year marked a transition in leadership as Garth Kravitz, along with his wife Julia Rugg of the Delaware County School of Performing Arts and Cindy Taylor, took over festival organizing duties from longtime coordinator Carol O’Beirne of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce.

“For our first year, I’d say it was a smashing success, judging by the smiles on people’s faces and the amount of cauliflower that was served and purchased,” Kravitz said at the end of the day. “We had over fifteen food vendors serving some form of cauliflower dish, an incredible kids’ area with games, crafts, and a bouncy house, and music all day long. I was beaming with pride for our team, our vendors, and our community.”

The festival grounds were bustling with food trucks and farm stands. Embers Wood Fire Pizza returned with their popular pies, while the new Root and Link food truck from Fleischmanns made its debut. Finch Farm impressed visitors with a giant cheddar cauliflower display, while other farm families offered vibrant fall vegetables and flowers.

Local history had its place as well. Town Historian and author Diane Galusha of Middletown recalled, “The second year of the Cauliflower Festival, it snowed. We were wearing mittens out here.” This year, however, was blessed with sunny skies and a tremendous turnout.

The musical lineup added to the festive spirit. Whisky Lilly kicked off the morning, followed by an extended set from Lali and the Pops that kept the crowd dancing through the afternoon. With Union Grove Distillery serving up delicious cauliflower cocktails, it was a perfect recipe for a great time.

We are happy to report that the Dragon Wagon exceeded their goal by giving away thier 1,033rd book for this year in Delaware County at this celebration of community.

For Kravitz, the day was about more than food and music. “We learned what worked, what we might do differently next year, and what we didn’t have time to add this year,” he said. “We are extremely pleased and incredibly proud of our farmers and our community for supporting this cause. We look forward to many, many more Cauliflower Festivals to come.”

From giant vegetables to kids’ laughter, farm-to-table flavors, and lively music, this year’s festival embodied the abundance and creativity of the Catskills in autumn.