Rosendale Ramblings By Sari Botton

While it’s not my intention for this blog to be any kind of arts/events calendar, there is too much happening here this weekend not to mention it all. This is The Big Weekend in Rosendale – the one that brings people from far and wide for the Rosendale Street Festival.

Yeah, there are some cheesy booths (think sand art), and the occasional bar brawl. But by and large, the Street Festival is great fun and worth having to walk a few blocks from where you park your car. Some 74 bands will play on five different stages up and down the block, over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

But before all that, Friday night brings us an official, sanctioned brawl – the Hudson Valley B.R.A.W.L. (9 pm at the Rosendale Cafe), an over-the-top tongue-in-cheek women’s arm wrestling event that benefits Planned Parenthood. And even before that, there’s a 6 pm art opening featuring the brief history of the B.R.A.W.L at the Roos Arts gallery.

There are parties and after-parties and after-after parties. Be there, or be square.

(Rosendale Poster by Pirtle Design)