The Farm, started a dozen years ago by Steve and Candice MacLean, sponsors all kinds of events…read moreinvolving farm-to-table cuisine, but I came for a wedding. I confess that I was uptight about driving around up here at night but finally figured out that if I stayed on Rt. 23 North to where it crosses with Glendale Rd. (listed as County Rd. 565), I'd be ok. Straight up, make a right, and follow that twisting road to the Farm. Going back later, take 565 West to Rt. 23 and then down to Rt. 287. Pretty straightforward. I came early, thinking parking might be a problem, but it wasn't. At that point, the wedding party and family members were taking pictures in the back, so I loitered around the side. I'm more socially adept than I used to be, but being social does require a lot of energy from me, especially when I'm around a large group of people that I don't know or haven't seen in several years, and I was somewhat depleted at that point, suffering the aftereffects of a bad migraine, an adverse reaction to the migraine medication, and lack of sleep. But this was my oldest friend's son getting married, and I was determined to soldier on. The "cocktail bar" was opened, and, in the past, that would have been a problem for me. Temptation beckoned. Socially uncomfortable? Have a few drinks, and if you're not quite transformed into the life of the party, at least you'll loosen up. Thankfully, I resisted that Dionysian siren call. The thought of driving home on those twisting, darkened roads was daunting enough sober. Drunk? Suicidal. Also, the memory of trying to "loosen up" and succeeding was a rare one. Much more common were memories of becoming an insufferable a**hole. So, I stuck with water. And Coke. The wedding was held outside, with the idyllic backdrop of the surrounding hills and mountains, and cows feeding peacefully in the pasture beyond, serving to set the appropriate mood. The minister (I believe from the Universal Life Church?) asked everyone to shut off their cellphones and such so that we could all be fully engaged in the service. A few minutes later, a cow in the field moo-ed the longest, loudest moo I've ever heard from a cow (admittedly, I haven't heard too many, being a child of suburbia), and I quipped to my neighbor sotto voce, "Someone forgot to tell Bessie to quiet down." Ha ha. The service was lovely. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day, moving towards a glorious dusk and sunset, as my friend and his ex-wife (who was and still is a wonderful lady) escorted their son to the altar. Then the bride-to-be was escorted to the altar by her parents. Afterwards, we moved inside the converted, modernistic barn. I was seated at Table 13, and thought, "Is that an omen?" Turns out, it wasn't. I was seated with a friendly group. I only knew 1 person at the table, but most of us had a Wayne background (as in Wayne NJ). People were dancing towards the front, and the music was loud, so conversation was episodic and minimal, but we did agree, old-timers that we were, that the music we grew up on was far superior to what they were listening to nowadays. One gentleman at the table mentioned Billy Joel as being in that superior category, and I diplomatically refrained from commenting; things I've learned never to discuss at large gatherings with people I don't know well-- (a) politics (b) religion, and (c) my antipathy to the music of Billy Joel. The food was very good, served buffet style. Fresh potatoes, vegetables, chicken, a delicious squash soup. And the appetizers that were served during cocktail hour-- a puff pastry I couldn't identify but was tasty; a substantive cheese ball; pork sliders that I could have made a meal of. There were pleasant moments for me. My friend's older sister, whom I've known since I was 7, came to me and re-introduced me to various members of her immediate family, telling me I should take a seat at their table. I would have, but I didn't want my "Table 13" comrades to think I'd spurned their company. But it was a nice, warm moment. And as I got ready to leave, my friend hugged me and said, "This guy is my brother." For someone who always felt like an outsider standing beyond the circle, it was nice to be reminded that this was 1 circle that I was a part of. The drive to Rt. 23 was a bit hairy, with my cataract-afflicted eyes, but thankfully that affliction wasn't compounded by alcohol. I made it home in 1 piece. Any criticisms? The bathrooms leave something to be desired. Often, there was a line outside. The doors seemed flimsy, with outside light filtering in through the cracks. If you're only micturating, as I was, not a big deal. And the price for the wedding is not cheap. Still, this is a wonderful, gloriously rustic venue to have a wedding at, or some other event. Beautiful memories are created in this setting that will last a lifetime. Peace, love and prosperity to the happy couple, and to all couples! May you enjoy a long, healthful and happy life together!

I was part of a bridal party that recently had a wedding at this venue. The venue is wonderful and…read morescenic, the food is decent but the service is absolutely terrible. Weddings are stressful, this venue went out of its way to add to that stress. The wedding coordinator Christie was absent for the entire preparation of the ceremony with the exception of stopping in to make sure the bride had alcoholic beverages (the least of anyone's concerns). The bridal party was left to figure it out for them selves. The groomsmen had absolutely no guidance whatsoever. Christie emerged from the abyss at the last second to make it look like she was doing something only to disappear again shortly afterwards. We were told it was the first wedding she coordinated which makes sense as she appeared to be a hostess who was promoted at last second to get Steve out of a jam. Christie fully disappeared shortly after everyone came in from the reception never to be seen again. Part of the package included a room for the groom and groomsmen to get ready in. The venue removed this accommodation (without removing cost). We were forced to find an Air BNB to get ready in prior to arriving to the venue. Guests were not properly directed and were left to wander into the ceremony aimlessly. Vendors were denied water in violation of the Geneva Convention. The venue repeatedly told the DJ to turn down the music which was well within noise ordinance, lying about people who were asking for it to be turned down. The husband and bride were never asked nor informed about this issue. The DJ ended up coordinating a fair amount of the events himself and was the only reason this wedding didn't turn into a riot. Steve was no where to be found the entire time (most likely counting out the $43,000 he was paid for this event.) We did catch his scowling at us as we packed everything up through the window as if we had done something wrong. All of this would have been forgivable had the cows that were promised been present for the photos and ceremony. P.S. if someone in your bridal is pregnant and asks for crackers while getting ready make sure you pay extra for that otherwise they'll give you an attitude about it when they say no.

I stopped here once, yesterday, for about 5 minutes, but the woman inside at the counter was kind…read moreand gracious to a lost traveler, and it looks like a wonderful place to pick apples, buy baked goods, or sit down and relax with something tasty and filling to eat (the menu indicates they serve breakfast and lunch). What was I doing up in this neck of the woods? Well, it's not totally unfamiliar to me. When I was a kid, I was part of a father-son group known in those politically incorrect times as "Indian Guides." Fathers and sons would go "camping" for the weekend at a place in Sussex County called "Camp Silver Lake" (not sure where it exactly was; my best guess would be Hardyston). My oldest friend and his father were also part of it, and that's where we bonded. If nothing else, Indian Guides was the start of what has been a lifelong friendship, and the pastoral surroundings are a beautiful memory. Back in the day when I abused a number of substances, I would sometimes drive up this way, pop a Vicodin or Percocet (in my own defense, I never, ever equated such activity with driving drunk, as it was "prescribed medication," and I felt far more in control of myself than if I had been drinking alcohol) and feel exquisitely happy, as I experienced simultaneously pharmaceutically induced euphoria and the rapture of nature's glories. I had an epiphany finally and realized that this was dangerous, and stopped, but...at the risk of sounding like even more a pitiful a**hole than I do already...these are some of the happiest memories I have. The place and the pills. Years later, I drove up this way with my birth mother and grandmother. We stopped somewhere to eat, and they had "Freedom Fries" listed on the menu. For all I know, they still do. Still, it has been years since I have been in the area. My oldest friend's son is getting married up here in a few days, and I've been worried about having to navigate some of these roads at night with my cataract-afflicted eyes. I figured I would take a trial run by day to familiarize myself as to where I had to go. I used Google Maps, which was probably a mistake. Going up Rt. 23 was nice, brought back old memories of driving up here with my dad (I was reading "Dracula" at the time, and the surrounding woods, mountains and lakes looked to the child that I was like the Transylvania described by Bram Stoker in the book). Soon, though, I was diverted to back roads and had trouble keeping my sense of direction intact. People drive fast on these back roads and several times I had to pull over to let them pass (1 truck drove by me with an enormous American flag fluttering on 1 side, and a "Don't Tread On Me" flag fluttering on the other, and I wanted to call out, "You think you've been tread on in the past? Wait till you see what's coming!" but...of course...didn't). At 1 point, I stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant if he knew where a particular road was. With great force, he shook his head no, looking as if I had asked him to direct me to a barren outpost near Azerbaijan. Turns out, the road in question was about 10 feet beyond the gas station. Thanks, pal. Somehow or other, I got onto what I thought was the right road, but, frustratingly, I reached the end of it with the wedding venue nowhere in sight. In desperation, I pulled into the picturesque Pochuck Valley Farms parking lot (parking wasn't a problem) and went inside. The counter was in front and towards the back, someone in a kitchen was cooking food that gave forth a delicious aroma. I was worried when I asked the woman at the counter about my obviously erroneous (or, knowing myself like I do, misinterpreted) directions, I was going to get the same negative response as I got from the gas station guy. Instead, she was very pleasant, patient and helpful, taking out her phone to map out what I had scribbled on a piece of paper more precisely. Feeling somewhat guilty and wanting to repay the woman in some measure for her kindness, I went towards the dining area to pour myself a cup of coffee. The dining area was crowded with young people seated at tables, and they seemed to be enjoying what they were having. Paying for the coffee at the counter (and treating myself to a Twix candy bar), I thanked the proprietress for her help, drove carefully back up the way I had come, and found the wedding venue that I had somehow overlooked in my nervousness and frustration. This looks like a great place to go if you're into picking apples in a pristine rural setting. The sit-down menu looks tempting, and the pies and baked goods (baked by Diana) look scrumptious. Obviously, my experience with them, so far, has been very limited, but I would like to correct that in the future and avail myself of at least some of the many things they have to offer. Seems like a perfect destination for solitary travelers like me, couples, student groups, families. Don't bring Fido, though. Only "trained service animals" allowed.

Great deli and store. Breakfast omelettes and sandwiches are very good. Large deli meat…read moresandwiches with quality ingredients. All staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about their orchards. We always look forward to either getting a bite to eat or picking apples in the fall

Excellent party rental company with an amazing staff. They were thankfully available at the last…read moreminute when another "reputable" company cancelled my order. Easy communication with Dave as I kept on adding/subtracting things. They were prompt and efficient setting up and dismantling. Tim was a genius reconfiguring the tents to create the perfect fit for what I needed. Great service from start to finish--highly recommend. Next Level will be my go-to from now on.

A great experience with the whole team from next level tents. The set up team was not just on time…read more They were actually early got to work right away and didn't waste any time if you're looking for a great value with a good experience next level tense is your go to Place for your rental tent needs

Kevin was a gem to work with for our wedding. From our first conversations, he was so kind and…read moreaccommodating, and we really appreciated his ability to read the crowd and represent all different kinds of music and culture genres. He spent time looking and listening through our song lists, familiarizing himself with music he may not have been familiar with yet, and on the flip side, also introduced music that the guests may not have been familiar with themselves, and we really love that about him. He got us dancing all night, and even helped us as the emcee of the night. Kevin's packages are so reasonably priced and they come with a lot, we felt completely confident in what we hired him to do, and would absolutely love to have him again in future events.

From the owner: Music chose us, not the other way around. Our Mission is to…read morecreate an atmosphere full of amazing energy and memories with your customized soundtrack. Most importantly, we can guarantee that your dance floor will be packed the entire event. Located in Hudson Valley, NY.

Dominic and Anthony were great!!! We booked there DJ…read moreservices and Photo Booth last night for our staff holiday party. Dominic and his team were professional, fun and very attentive. Great pricing and awesome service!

We used Dommino Entertainment for our backyard party. Dominic was responsive and flexible…read morethroughout the booking process. They matched the flow of our party by adjusting the music; lower music while our guests arrived, followed by louder dance music once the party was in full swing. They were quick to play requests and kept our guests on the dance floor the entire night. Dominic and his team helped us pull off a really memorable party - highly recommend!

Faith Ferguson Productions over promises and under delivers. If you're "hoping" for a great event,…read morethey have a good story. Unfortunately, hope is not a strategy. Countless mistakes, lack of communication, and failure to deliver were consistent throughout the planning stage. Not surprisingly, those same traits were there on the day of the event as well. This is one event planner you will not regret avoiding.

Faith Ferguson is a wedding planner extraordinaire. At our first meeting, she walked us through her…read moreprocess, discussed our budget with us in a comfortable yet productive way and made sure to understand what was most important to us on our big day. From there, Faith procured a contract that was specifically designed to our needs and budget, which took away the need for multiple rounds of negotiations and revisions. When it comes to Faith, she makes everything easy. Once we officially started working with Faith, it was off to the races. She was diligent, giving us multiple checklists and timelines of what tasks we needed to complete and associated due dates. This helped us stay organized and gave us the direction we needed. Nevertheless, she still walked us through each item to make sure we were comfortable with every decision we made. She helped us negotiate numerous vendor agreements, saving us thousands of dollars in the process. One thing I loved about working with Faith - she introduced us to several wonderful vendors, but also had no problem working with vendors we found on our own. Faith is the ultra-professional. You know those horror stories you hear from friends of thousands of dollars of unexpected costs coming up in the last couple of weeks leading to their wedding? We were done planning everything and had the last month to spare, allowing us to truly enjoy the final weeks leading up to our big day. Faith had every single detail covered; there are no surprises with Faith. Faith's problem solving ability is what I'd say most distinguishes her from other professionals in the space. When we second guessed some of the choices we had made - Faith was there to speak to the vendors and make sure they would adjust their plans around what we needed. More than anything - Faith was an emotional rock for us. She understands how weddings can exacerbate difficult family dynamics and she helped us ensure everyone remained excited and positive about the big day. At the wedding - Faith jumped into action. We did not worry about a single thing on our wedding day. Every vendor arrival, setup detail, timeline concern - Faith was on it. She organized the whole day like a pro and by the time we arrived to our venue, it was sparkling. The entire day went off without a hitch - again, no surprises with Faith. She kept our bridal party and family informed of the timeline and made sure we didn't fall behind, which is no easy feat. We had the night of our lives and were worry free- we just knew Faith had it all handled. Not a single thing went wrong on our big day and that's completely a testament to Faith. If you're looking for the wedding planner that has it all - look no further, Faith is it!

Stayed in the Gala suite at the Cider Mill Inn on a recent getaway to Pine Island, NY. Very…read morebeautiful victorian B&B decorated with period antiques but has all the modern amenities a traveller would desire including wi-fi, cable, A/C, fireplace, plush terry robes and also a hot tub and pool. A front porch is available to relax and enjoy the country fresh air. And it wouldn't be a B&B w/o the breakfast so for you foodies out there the food is absolutely delicious which included fluffy pancakes, bacon, fruit, oatmeal and the fresh made scones by your host are to die for! If you want to stay in a quiet, quaint B&B with friendly hosts surrounded by nature this is the place.

Just back from our stay here and happy to report the place is as good as others say. Great…read morelocation, VERY friendly inn keeper and lovely, seasoned rooms. The building was erected in 1865. If you like history, this place is your thing. Historical, BUT with all the modern appointments that made our stay comfortable and pleasant. Proprietor Bob is a friendly man with all the right stuff to be a host. The property and rooms are immaculate, everything works and there are some nice amenities including a huge swimming pool, 24/7 coffee and tea, microwave and fridge upstairs and AC in every room, plus ceiling fans and Wifi. Lovely decor too and the little things like scented towels and delightful shower cosmetics. plus hot, hot water, good water pressure in the shower, and thick terry robes in each room make this a cozy sport to hang your hat after a busy day out exploring the environs. Breakfast was fresh, hot and delicious and Bob was flexible with creating offerings based on our preferences. We did not leave for 90 minutes after check out because we spent the time chatting with Bob, he is that personable. We have spent much time at B&Bs here and in Europe. this place gets five stars! Spacious rooms · Thoughtful amenities · Quiet rooms

Kichka Pascaru - Extremely Knowledgeable, Personable, represents you with Honesty and Integrity!…read moreKichka Pascaru partnered with the Christies International brand is all you will need when trying to sell your home!! When I decided to sell my home, I knew that I wanted an Agent that would be extremely knowledgeable with selling homes in Orange County area. It was also important to me that such an Agent be very friendly and personable when communicating with potential buyers. Kichka was all of this and more. She took the time to learn about the various selling points related to my home so that she could point them out in a positive way to each perspective client. This lead to immediate interest in the home with over ten perspective clients all submitting bids directly after viewing the home with Kichka. Kichka's strong sales skills not only led to over ten immediate offers after their perspective viewings but she helped to create such excitement for the home which led to a 25K increase in sale price over the listing price. I would also like to give credit to Christides International for doing a excellent job with all of the pictures, video's and home listing. I couldn't of asked for anything better than what they produced. Thank you again to Kichka and Christides International for creating such a positive and memorable experience related to selling my home!

From the owner: I would like to take you to your lucky house. We don't just sell real estate, we guide you how to…read moreget to the finish line. A real estate professional can save you money and help you net more money. There is no perfect time to buy or sell. It is your goals that matter most! Hudson Valley has a lot to offer and a lot of great places to live. Call me now if you’re interested in buying or selling a home: 347-306-8670.

I can not possibly say enough about RJC. We had DJ Will & Emcee Dave at our wedding last week and…read morepeople had *the best* time. They say the things people remember most about a wedding are the food and the DJ. No one will forget the party they had at our event. The Emcee was awesome- he had the guests play a game right before dinner started to see who got to take home the centerpiece. While this may seem small, it was fun and a great ice-breaker that really primed everyone to have a good time. He provided fun random commentary, and just kept the party going in general. The DJ totally knew how to read the crowd. He played a great combo of dance music (my main request) along w the occasional power ballad. We requested a cumbia (half of my family is Mexican)- this song got a bunch of people on the floor, so he followed up with some similar Latin songs. The coup de grace was the Grease medley that had everyone singing at the top of their lungs. I have never heard that mix at an event and people were *super* into it hahaha. Pricing, setup, etc- were all fantastic. When talking to Robert on the phone when we set up our contract, he genuinely seemed to care about making sure our wedding was a hit without charging us an arm and a leg. We could not possibly have been happier with the whole thing, I would STRONGLY recommend this group, and would use them again in a heartbeat. Thanks, RJC, DJ Will, and Emcee Dave!!!!!!!!!!!

From the owner: RJC Studios LLC is a recording studio that blends cutting edge digital recording techniques with…read moreclassic analogue equipment to produce a warm rich full sound. We are pulling back the curtain surrounding the mystery of professional recording. We are open to record everyone regardless of their experience in a safe, comfortable and creative environment. We will help guide our clients to be the best musicians they can be so they will reach their goals.