By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — By 2 p.m., a line of cars was waiting patiently to get into Vanderbilt Park on Saturday for the 18th annual Greenville Day celebration.
Held over the course of two days — Friday and Saturday — the celebration saw everything from games and bounce houses to reptile exhibitions, a birds of prey display, sheriff’s K9 demonstrations, pony rides, vendors, food and more.
“This is about giving back — it’s a great way to end the summer,” Deputy Town Supervisor and Town Councilman Paul Macko said. “We’ve had really good weather this year and people have come out.”
The festivities began Friday evening, with plenty of games and vendors, and as he does every year, Macko handed out free hot dogs, bottled water and Halloween candy.
“We grilled about 350 hot dogs,” Macko said. “Everyone had a good time and the kids had a blast with the ‘foam party.’ Last year it was in the parking lot and this year we did it on the ballfield, and the kids had a fantastic time.”
There were no carnival rides this year due to the high cost of the rides and the insurance, but there were plenty of bounce houses, games and other activities for the children.
Town Councilman and Community Partners member Richard Bear said there were about 45 vendors at this year’s Greenville Day.
“The event is great for the community — it’s great for the kids and a great way to bring families out,” Bear said. “You can even see some senior citizens running around. They all enjoy it.”
Greenville Day has always been held at Vanderbilt Park but got its start as a chili cook-off and parade.
“Then we changed it up to do an event like this to bring in more people,” Bear recalled.
Under the expo tent at the park’s entrance there were dozens of community groups showing off what they do and encouraging others to get involved.
“It showcases different events and organizations in our community,” Macko said.
Maverick Dunckle, 6, painted pumpkins under the expo tent.
“My favorite thing was throwing the axes,” Maverick said, referring to inflatable toy axes that visitors could throw at an inflatable bullseye. “I also liked petting the snake – it’s a really long one.”
There were a couple of animal exhibits, including a birds of prey tent and a reptile display. Benjamin Holdridge, 4, of Ravena, showed no fear when he handled a giant yellow snake. Ember Lang, 6, loved seeing the birds of prey and the snake, too.
“My favorite thing was seeing the owls,” Ember said. “I loved the big yellow snake, too. I held it last year — and I wasn’t scared.”
Greenville Day is an annual tradition that draws visitors from the local area but also from beyond.
“This is a great thing for the community,” Greene County Legislator Greg Davis, R-Greenville, said. “It brings people together and they get to celebrate the community that they live in and a lot of people come from other towns, too, to enjoy the day with us. It’s a beautiful day and people are having fun.”
The day was also an opportunity for not-for-profit groups to raise money and build awareness of what they do. Jess Coons, a teaching assistant at Greenville High School and the Class of 2025 advisor, staffed a bake sale table and let people know about the class’s upcoming fundraiser barbecue.
“We are raising money for their senior year. We will go before the board [of education] on Oct. 7 to present our proposal for the senior trip, which is a three-day Boston trip. If it’s approved, we get to go to Boston in June,” Coons said. “We are also holding a barbecue on Election Day at the Greenville gazebo.
The Class of 2025 Brooks BBQ will be held at the gazebo at the intersection of Routes 81 and 32, from 3 p.m. until sold out, on Nov. 5. Meals are $16 and include a half chicken, potato, coleslaw, roll and a cookie.
Greenville Day concluded Saturday with a fireworks show at nightfall.
Here are more images from Greenville Day.
