Palenville Christmas Gathering &
Tree Lighting

Sunday, Dec 1, 2024
4:30 pm

Veterans' Park near the Palenville Fire Station, Woodstock Ave & Rt. 32A

(following the Palenville Ecumenical Community Advent Walk which begins at Gloria Dei Episcopal Church at 2 pm)

Join your Palenville neighbors  for cookies, hot cider and holiday carols around the outdoor Christmas Tree.

Tree lighting will take place right at dark following the Palenville Ecumenical Community Advent Walk.  The Advent Walk begins at Gloria Dei Episcopal Church at 2pm and makes a stop at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church before concluding at the Simpson Memorial Methodist Church.

Hope to see you at this joyful start of the holiday season!

Christmas Luminaria Lights Return to Palenville

Last year the holiday spirit inspired volunteers to assemble more than 400 luminaria lights and line the streets of Palenville. More than a thousand feet of lights brightened the night!

Each luminaria was made from a plastic container filled with several inches of gravel. The lights were two flickering LED lights that have tiny OFF/ON switches. Their glow was seen on Christmas Eve through Christmas Night.

This beautiful display of Christmas magic could be seen on Mill Road, the neighborhoods of Hickory Hollow, Dakota Lane, Woodland Lane, Bogart Road, Hobbs Lane, Woodstock Ave, Pennsylvania Ave, Malden Ave, Pine Ave, Rabbit Lane and Whites Road.
Once again, Palenville comes together to fill the streets with the spirit of Christmas. Here's how to join your neighbors in the community-wide holiday celebration. Place an order to rent lights for your house or as a surprise for others. Each one contains 2 flickering LED lights and they arrive ready to use. It's suggested that you place one light every 5 steps. Lights can be seen from Dec. 20-25 throughout the hamlet. Deadline for ordering lights is Dec. 4.

Luminaria Light

$2.00
Add to Cart

Rental for one ready-to-go luminaria for use during the Palenville Christmas Eve Luminaria Neighborhood Lights. Each one is made from a plastic container filled with some gravel and 2 flickering LED lights. No construction is necessary except for switching each light to an "ON" position. A volunteer will deliver your lights to you. It's suggested to have 1 light every 5 steps. These will be picked up and stored by volunteers after the 2024 Holiday event.

The Maetreum of Cybele is inviting the community to join them in the celebration of Yule on Dec 21.  Light snacks and coffee will be served.

Let them know if you are planning to drop in for a visit by emailing [email protected].

​This group is located in Palenville's Central House, a historic boarding house built in 1849. 

​You can always reach us by email.
[email protected]
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NEWCOMERS ARE WELCOME!

Last year we spent three days sitting, eating great Griffin House food, and talking with wonderful friends in Palenville. Many brought ideas and helped decide what our community wants to do in the future. THANK YOU to those of you who joined us! Stay tuned for more community meetings, Plant Palenville projects, lively informational speakers, history preservation and more.

We'd love to have you as a volunteer. Send an email and we will work with your schedule and interests. It will be fun!

Volunteers joined Dr. John Rayburn, Chrissy Saturno and May Mangona from SUNY New Paltz Geologic Science Dept. who conducted a study of Palenville's historic cemetery. On July 20 & 21, data was collected using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and the results were presented on Sunday, July 28 at the Palenville Fire Hall.

Areas of the cemetery revealed strong bedrock layers which may have determined where burials could not occur. The group located some areas where a number of graves had become unmarked through the years. Volunteers also uncovered a few old headstones covered by plants. These noninvasive techniques provided info that can help with Palenville's historic preservation.

Many thanks to Eva and Rosi Behr for organizing the study and to the volunteers who cleaned headstones, provided food and lodging for the crew and came to learn more about this fascinating process.

Thank you for your help with Palenville Cemetery Restoration.​ Let's preserve Palenville's fascinating history.

Before and After Preservation
​This headstone was repaired by Christopher White in 2020

Hannah Bogart. Her parents were one of the original founders of Palenville and whose name is on Bogart Road. Hannah's husband died young. She never remarried and raised her seven children and seven grandchildren. Her house was at the entrance to Kaaterskill Clove.
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PALENVILLE is an enchanting hamlet at the base of the glorious Kaaterskill Clove, a scenic parting of the mountains lined with countless waterfalls and swimming holes, lush green trees and mossy boulders. ​Another name for Palenville is "the village of falling waters" as described in the legend of Rip Van Winkle, a fictional citizen of the hamlet. ​

​This neighborhood was portrayed by the landscape painters of the Hudson River School, who stayed here while capturing the ethereal scenery of America's Catskill Mountains.



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Palenville The Hamlet, Inc
 A 501(c)3 nonprofit charity that promotes local community spirit and sense of place among the people of the Hamlet of Palenville.