The historic Vander Ende-Onderdonk
house was the site of the second annual New Amsterdam Festival on Saturday, 5
May. The house, located on the border of
Brooklyn and Queens, is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City
and is also a museum that provides visitors with insight into the history of
the region as well as Dutch Colonial culture.
There are archaeological artifacts from the Onderdonk site on display in
the museum along with a recreation of the house’s dining room and parlour
(complete with historical reenactments in colonial attire) and its original kitchen
downstairs. Visitors to Saturday’s festival were able to peruse the house at
their leisure which added an enjoyable educational dimension to the festival’s
programme.
The gardens on site provided the
perfect setting for the festival. Picnic
benches under the blossoming trees created a scenic spot in which to enjoy one
of the ciders on sale (I really enjoyed my “Kinda Dry” cider from Brooklyn
Cider House but did not get a chance to try any of the cider from Bridge and
Tunnel Brewery unfortunately) while tapping your feet to the the sounds of the
Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective. Besides
the great live entertainment, there were several stalls selling all kinds of
things from soaps to candles, hot sauces to honeys. There were plenty of activities for children
including face painting, Knockerball (a game in which players are strapped into
giant inflatable spheres and attempt to knock each other over) and other children’s
games, which seemed to be a hit with children of all ages. To be honest, it was refreshing to see children
playing games that did not involve electronics of any kind (does that make me
sound old?).
I have to mention, however, that I
was very disappointed with the variety of food available – or rather, the lack
thereof. For a Dutch festival, there was
a noticeable absence of Dutch food. While
I’m sure the Jamaican food, tacos and ceviche on sale were tasty, none of those
options seemed to gel with the Dutch theme of the festival. My heart was crushed when I realized there would
be no stroopwafels or poffertjies – or any Dutch sweet treats for that matter. Did I miss the cheese on sale? That was not
gouda (couldn’t resist the cheesy pun). For me, food is at the heart of any
festival and unfortunately this festival left me wanting (literally) in that
area.
Having said that, I think the
concept is a great one and the festival certainly provided a fun outing on a
fine spring Saturday afternoon. I can
only hope that it will continue to grow and become a highlight on Ridgewood’s social
and cultural calendar. And that I can
get me some stroopwafels next year!
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