By Stefan Spezio The skies hung close to the mountains as the clouds drifted so low that it seemed like if you climbed Ellenville's newly christened village hall, you could grab a fistful of the cottony air.

That was the sky over Saturday's Shawangunk Mountain Wild Blueberry and Huckleberry Festival that took place in Ellenville on Saturday, August 26.

Brendan Burke, artistic director for the Shadowland Theater, upon seeing the rain, quipped, "And no one was interested in my proposal to put a dome over the whole village! I am pretty sure that we would be the only village in the county with a dome."

For a while, all you really could do was try to make a joke out of it as what so many had looked to as a great event, seemed to be dissolving in the downpours that plagued the early morning.

But while the morning offered rain and little prospect of sunshine, vendors, local businesses and groups set up their tents and tables as they prepared for what they hoped would be a profitable and enjoyable day.

The rain relented by late morning and the festival, though slightly waterlogged, chugged to life, thanks in part to Ellenville's drum line that paraded up and down Canal Street. The songs of Hudson Valley talent Amy Laber also drew people to the steps of the Hunt Memorial Building as she began her set.

By noon, the skies had relented and the streets were getting full as visitors and locals started arriving to take advantage of the range of blueberry-infused confections, which included tarts, jams and, of course, pies.

And while musical acts rocked the big stage at the Hunt, more traditional folk music and fare could be found behind Town Hall where the festival's cultural area was set up.

Throughout the festival, booths, vendors and tents offered a wide spectrum of choices for festival-goers. Arts and crafts were on display and several area restaurants had set up booths to offer their food as street fare for the day. Mayor Jeff Kaplan and Trustee Steve Krulick manned a booth for the Village, selling commemorative pins adorned with Ellenville's de facto symbol, "The Boy With The Boot". They also sold shirts that simply read "The Ville" across the front in an effort to display public pride for the Village as well as provide a source of revenue for costs the village incurred while planning the next day's event, Ellenville Day.

And at the end of the day, when you spoke with vendors, each admitted that they would have liked to have seen more activity, but most said that they were pleased with their individual outcomes with the weather being what it was.

One local resident, after considering the day's events, said, "It was touch and go there for awhile. But, you know? The community really pulled it off. We should be really proud."

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