TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Victoria Strumpfler of Lava tries out the pedal tractor at Family Fun Day in Cochecton Center. (Click for larger image)

Family Fun Day is just that

By RICHARD A. ROSS

COCHECTON CENTER, NY —A nice breeze blew and sunshine poured down on Heinle’s Field on July 19, making Family Fun Day picture perfect.

The ball field was filled with vendors and their wares including wooden carvings, stuffed animals and computer laptops.

Representatives from Hudson Health Care were on hand to offer information on state-sponsored health insurance designed to reach children who are uninsured.

There was face painting for kids, a jumping gym, a puppet show and a chance to dunk a pretty girl in a tub of refreshingly cold water.

While kids munched on hot dogs and hamburgers, the day’s main attractions were a kid’s pedal tractor pull, duck race in the creek and sack races.

Up at the Cochecton Center Community Center, an audience was treated to the wonderful voices of Ken Parks of Lake Huntington and Lori Lynch of Manhattan. The two first met in a production of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Parks and Lynch’s delighted the audience with old-time favorites as “Shine On Harvest Moon,” “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis,” “A Bicycle Built for Two” and “Wait ’Til the Sun Shines Nellie.”

On the field, music was provided by Shari and the Boys from Cochecton Center and the Christian music of Friday Nite Live.

At about 1:30 p.m. Sandy Daub and Melissa Rutledge took their places in the creek while Brian Heinle stood on the bridge and dumped a bag full of tagged toy ducks into the stream. Most of the ducks headed on downstream while a couple just plain called it quits and sank. It was loads of fun for the spectators who had purchased their racing ducks.

All the money raised was for the benefit of the community center.

Late in the day when the air was filled with the tantalizing aroma, a chicken barbecue fed the hungry fairgoers.

Family Fun Day lived up to its billing.

Many of the vendors and fairgoers said that their next destination would be RiverFest in Narrowsburg on Sunday, July 27.

Click here for more images from Family Fun Day.