Wurtsboro’s Annual Founders Day Brings Together Business, Art and Community

On July 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sullivan Street was packed with fairgoers celebrating Founders Day in Wurtsboro. The event highlighted local businesses, live music and vendors from surrounding communities selling their products.

The sun beamed down over the fair as people looked around at the different offerings. Founders Day gives the community a chance to come together, support Wurtsboro and celebrate each year. The Wurtsboro Board of Trade hosts the event annually and helps put together the 150 vendors spread across the area. Some fairgoers have been coming to Founders Day for decades, and the event gives them a chance to meet new people and see new faces each time. Near the end of the street, cars lined both sides of the road for a car show.

For one local vendor selling freshly made maple syrup, the event is something Robert Scheuermann looks forward to every year. He said this year also gave him a chance to be on the other side of business, selling instead of typically buying from vendors.

“It’s a really nice street fair, it’s always busy, calm,” Scheuermann said. “Everyone’s always nice, polite. It’s definitely a street fair I would recommend everyone to show up to.”

One of the event’s main draws is the arts scene the town has to offer. Live music played throughout the day in Veterans Park, while different vendors sold original artwork.

At Catskill Creative Art, a local business in town, two visiting artists showcased their skills live at the market. Debs Originals painted watercolor cards, while Steve Duffy created a larger piece in the sun.

Business owner Billie Robson said she enjoys having artwork on display and connecting with people walking past their stand.

“I’m really happy to be part of the community with all the new artwork,” Robson said. “And the village is up and coming, and every year the street fair becomes more and more incredible. It’s very artistic.”

There were also local organizations tabling throughout the event, including the Basha Kill Area Association, Mamakating Environmental Education Center and Mamakating Library, which is located right on Sullivan Street.

At the end of the street, one of the car show contestants, Eileen Brodsky, enjoyed showing off her newly restored car and being part of the community she makes sure to support.

“You meet new people and the same old ones sometimes, so it’s nice,” Brodsky said. “And then a lot of our friends [are] selling stuff, so you gotta help them.”

Throughout the day, the sun continued to shine and the street fair stayed vibrant as people traveled from around the county to attend.

“It was amazing to see dozens and dozens of people just having a wonderful time,” Robson said.