Fall Festival

Coming up to Poughkeepsie for the day on Sat. Sept. 29th for parent weekend visit at Marist but wanted to go into Rhinebeck instead of doing the tours at the college.

Saw a notice that it is the same weekend as the Rhinebeck Festival.

How crowded does it get in Rhinebeck for the festival?

Is the traffic crazy and time-consuming? How%26#39;s the parking?

Thinking of either GiGi%26#39;s or the Double O grill for dinner (2 freshman kids with me and my sister-in-law).

Any and all opinions and thoughts welcome!

Fall Festival

May be too late for you to get this before you head north to PoTown, but...

There is a major crafts festival in at the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck this weekend. It can be a little crowded, but not nearly as bad as during fair week. There is plenty of parking at the fairgrounds. I noticed lots of traffic around Poughkeepsie this evening, so the Family Weekend visitors at Marist and other weekenders are already here. For more information on the craft fair, look in today%26#39;s (Friday%26#39;s) New York Times Weekend section, which is also available online.

Double O Grille is like a higher-end diner. Not bad. GiGi%26#39;s is high-end Italian, even though it is located in what looks like a strip mall in the heart of the village of Rhinebeck. Not knowing how the kids feel about chicken under a brick or salmon dishes, I can%26#39;t say if they%26#39;d enjoy GiGi%26#39;s. They do have excellent french fries. :) There are many excellent places to eat in Rhinebeck, from old time haunts such as Foster%26#39;s Coach House, to a new Thai restaurant on East Market Street (turn right at the Rhinebeck light as you head north), to two French choices (Calico and Le Petit Bistro), to eclectic American (Terrapin). Don%26#39;t bother with the restaurant at the Beekman Arms. What used to be a Hudson Valley favorite has gone down the tubes.

One warning -- reservations from now until early November are a must. It%26#39;s the beginning of leaf peeper season, after all.

Safe travels and enjoy your visit. If you like ';Who%26#39;s Line Is It Anyway,'; with Drew Carey, don%26#39;t miss Saturday night%26#39;s show at the McCann Center at Marist featuring two of the guys from that show.

Fall Festival

Thanks for the info. All good! Wish I could say I did go, but family illness kept us all home. Am saving all your posts for the next time we go up. Thank you again.