Tulips at Champlain Peony Company - Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

Happy May, Westport! the blooming month is finally here in all of its colorful glory, and along with it, a month of endless activity and rebirth. So let’s get right down to it. We’ve decided to retire the “Community Events Quick List” for now, because there’s nothing ‘quick’ about it! The town calendar is robust and has all the events listed that we usually mention. Please enter your events in our calendar HERE to be a part of the show! If you have any trouble or questions about the process, email gowestportny@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to help.

THE RUNDOWN: May in Westport is mind-bogglingly, and delightfully full of events! Here’s a few: National Walking Month brings various organized walks all over town (in the calendar, prefaced by WALKING MEETUP) the 2nd Annual Westport Chair Trail Opening Night Stroll is on May 9th, the Snowfort Books Grand opening is on May 17th, the Westport Federated Church is hosting its first Dinners of the season on May 9 and May 15, the CATS Grand Hike is May 10, Flowers Plus!, in partnership with the Westport Federated Church, is hosting a fundraising Spaghetti Dinner for the inaugural town bench in honor of Westport resident Artie Dodge on May 9th, and the annual Memorial Day Celebration in honor of our Veterans is taking place on Monday, May 26, 9am, at the Ballard Park Veterans Memorial Garden. May 23d is the deadline to register for the venerable Tanneberger Tournament at Westport Golf, and if you are itching to hear the tunes of Meadowmount magic, Mountain Lake PBS is airing Meadowmount music previews every Monday till may 18th.

Would you like to be a part of the action in Westport? Please join us and volunteer for any of our town activities: Casino Night, July 4th weekend celebrations, the August Town-Wide Yard Sale, December Holiday Festival, Flowers Plus! Gardening Days, or just contact us if you have a skill you would like to share, HERE, or at gowestportny@gmail.com. Don’t want to volunteer but still want to contribute? Donate HERE. Thank you!

Cashier Extraordinaire Emily Rascoe. Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

Casino Night 2025 was a smashing success! HUGE thanks to Winton’s Tavern for enthusiastically hosting the event this year: the venue was perfect and encouraged an intimate, festive atmosphere, as well as providing amazing food and drink to all! A heartfelt thanks to our sponsors: Winton’s 1898 tavern, Overtime Events, K&D Deli and Grocery Westport, the Bessboro Shop, DaCy Meadow Farm, the Westport Marina, and all of our prize sponsors: the Butcher Block Restaurant, Depot Theatre, Creative Kitchen Garden, Farmstead Catering at Echo Farm, Hance Heating and Plumbing LLC, Homestead Spirits, JAMBS on Main, Lake Champlain Ferries, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, McGee’s Towing and Recovery, Play it Again Sports, Pinnacle Yoga and Retreat Center, Portside at the Westport Marina, Snowfort Books, Trigo, War Cannon Spirits, and Westport Golf. We could not have done any of this without your effort and contributions!

WALK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS IN MAY!

May is National Walking Month! Why Walking? National Walking Month encourages people to enjoy the health benefits of being active. The Alliance’s Safe Roads Task Force organizes this local initiative to encourage walking for its social and health benefits while also working toward building a stronger Walkable Westport with increased pedestrian safety and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and resources for the community.

Our calendar is full of casual walks for all ages and abilities! Feel welcome to create your own meet-up too: Just add your walk to gowestportny.com/calendar, post on What’s Happening in Westport and invite a friend or two! For starters, there is a regular 3-mile Thursday night walk with Jess Storey that starts on May 1st in Ballard Park from 5-6pm, and a hike to the summit of Westport with David Johnston on Sunday , May 4 from 10am-12pm. Check out the Calendar for complete listings, prefaced with WALKING MEETUP.

JOIN OUR MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION MONDAY MAY 26TH, 9am IN BALLARD PARK

9am: Join fellow community members and Guest Speaker Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Andrew Beal at the Ballard Park Veteran’s Memorial Garden for Westport’s annual Memorial Day Program. Together, we will gather to honor and remember the brave servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Coffee and pastries will be served. Golf carts will be available for those who would benefit from transport assistance.

ENJOY A SPAGHETTI DINNER TO SUPPORT TOWN BENCH IN HONOR OF ARTIE DODGE!

The Flowers Plus! Committee is sponsoring our inaugural town bench, in honor of Artie Dodge. Come join your neighbors for a hearty Spaghetti and Meatball dinner at the Westport Federated Church on May 9th from 4:30-6:30 pm and support the purchase of the bench to honor this lovely and memorable Westport resident.

THE GRAND HIKE NEEDS YOU!

Photo courtesy of Champlain Area Trails

Volunteers are crucial to the success of the Grand Hike! Come help out, have fun and receive a complementary event t-shirt, and have your registration fee waived if you are hiking. These roles are needed:

 1) Check-in

Location: Essex County Fairgrounds, Westport. Responsibilities: Welcome participants by checking them in, distributing event T-shirts, processing registrations for those not pre-registered, and handling payments. Timing: 8:30am-10:45am

2) Oasis Helpers

Location: Various Oases along the hike route - directions will be provided!

Responsibilities: Greet hikers as they arrive at each oasis, provide donated food and water, answer any questions, and give out bandaids if needed! 

Timing: Oasis 1: 9:45am-12:30pm, Oasis 4: 12:15pm-5:30pm.

Interested? Contact Torey Patenaude at torey@champlainareatrails.com by May 3d. Thank you!

ENJOY THE FIRST CHURCH DINNERS OF THE SEASON!

BUSINESS PROFILE: JUNIPER HILL FARM OF WADHAMS

Photo and graphic courtesy of Juniper Hill Farm

When did you start Juniper Hill Farm, and what are your goals?

“Juniper Hill was started in 2007. Hard to believe this will be our 18th season. Our main goals are to feed as many people ADK -grown vegetables as want to eat them. We currently do 9 farmers markets, on farm CSA Pickup, online ordering, and a vast network of wholesale accounts, restaurants, other farms, all throughout New England. We started with 1 acre and have grown the farm to over 100 acres in organic management.  We focus on about 4 acres of greenhouse production with tomatoes and greens being some of our most popular items during the season. We sell and grow 12 months a year with a large cold storage facility that allows us to hold carrots, cabbage, radish, potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, beets into May. Our greenhouses are planted to spinach and salad mix for winter harvest. Even in the -20 temps we got this year the right varieties of spinach are hanging in there”. ~ Go HERE to read the full article!

HURRAH FOR THE SNOWFORT BOOKS GRAND OPENING ON MAY 17TH!

Photo and text courtesy of Snowfort Books

“It’s finally here! After months of popups, painting, shelf-stocking, and dreaming big, Snowfort is officially opening its doors—and we couldn’t be more excited. Our grand opening marks the start of something special: a cozy community bookstore filled with inviting and important books, a vibrant kids’ space, handpicked crafts, and events for all ages. Come celebrate with us, browse the shelves, enjoy some snacks, and be part of the beginning!” Find the full schedule HERE!

REGISTER FOR THE TANNEBERGER TOURNAMENT BY MAY 23!

$1.5M AWARD TO FACILITATE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

Photo and text courtesy of the SUN Community News

TICONDEROGA | The North Country Rural Development Coalition (NRDC) and the Essex County Land Bank (ECLB) has been awarded $1.5 million from the New York State Plus One ADU Program, administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC).

“This program is a game-changer for small towns and rural communities,” said Nicole Justice Green, Executive Director of NRDC and ECLB. “It allows us to meet urgent housing needs by supporting homeowners directly, using creative, sustainable solutions that fit the scale of our region. We’re proud to be one of the selected administrators and look forward to launching this opportunity in the coming weeks.”

Read the full article HERE.

PIANO BY NATURE PRESENTS 4TH ANNUAL CODA CONCERT MAY 18TH, 3PM!

Photo and text courtesy of PBN

“According to Merriam Webster, a CODA is: “a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure.” Our CODA Concerts occur near the end of our concert season, and are a highlight and conclusion of our year’s work.

Hear the promise of the future in each of our performers at PBN’s fourth annual CODA Concert!

On Sunday, May 18th, at 3PM Piano by Nature would like to give you a special kind of concert—one of budding young musicians who represent the very best in our area; a concert which will allow you to see the bounty of what we musically grow here in the North Country!”

Find out more HERE!

We are YOUR Alliance! Follow our Website, Facebook Page and Instagram. Follow all the happenings on the Calendar, and What’s Happening in Westport Facebook Page. Have a friend or neighbor who would like to know what’s going on in town? Don’t forget to subscribe and forward this email!

-Newsletter Editor: Catherine Seidenberg