Tracy’s folder 2/3

HIGHLAND

February 2 – I for one am hoping that our local “let’s pretend we are living in the Alaska tundra” weather experiment we have been suffering through soon comes to a much-needed end with its twenty inches of snow and bone cracking minus number temperatures. I predict that groundhog due to make his appearance and weather prediction has to be a frozen solid block of fur by now. And as an avid gardener, I’m no fan of any groundhog-prognosticating or otherwise.

But there is one thing the freezing cold is good for and that is the “return to the ice” for the ancient sport of ice fishing. The Mahogany Ridge Hunting and Fishing Club is ready and will be holding their Annual Ice Fishing Festival and Pig Roast at Sand Beach located at 348 Lakeview Drive in the beautiful hamlet of Highland Lake. The Ice Fishing Festival will start at 7am on Saturday, February 7^th with the fish weigh in between the hours of 1-2pm. I attended the festival last year for the first time and never had been to Sand Beach in the winter before. I go to Sand Beach in the summer and it’s the greatest time ever. In addition to a very pleasant and clean two-hundred-acre lake and pristine sand beach, the Restaurant has a nice deck, good food, a very welcoming bar, and a family friendly atmosphere.  

For many years the Festival focused on their signature Ice fishing contest with the highlight of crowning the best fisherman as the year’s “King of the Ice” but with the last few winters being much warmer than normal leading to unsafe ice conditions on the lake, the Festival now has added a fabulous pig roast (roasted onsite) dinner, raffles and prizes for all ages and family activities taking place throughout the day with plenty of time for the kiddos to run around outside and play in the snow. Last year in addition to the pig roast there was a variety of foods served buffet style to sample including beverages and dessert, all of which were delicious. Since our completely relentless frigid arctic weather this winter, the ice fishing conditions are just perfect for catching largemouth bass, perch, pickerel, black crappie and smallmouth bass that the Lake is famous for. Fish bait will be available onsite for purchase from Hagemann’s Bait and Tackle Shop. There will be a large tent set up outside on the deck for food, drinks, and fires nearby to keep everyone warm. The food service and the pig roast start at 1:00p.m. 

The Sand Beach Restaurant is well known for having terrific pig roasts so make sure you are not tardy to this party! Tickets for the Festival (including fishing contest and the pig roast) are $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for kids twelve years old and younger. There is no pre-sale of Ice Fishing Festival tickets, and tickets will only be sold at the door on the day of the event. No snow machines or ATVs are allowed at the festival. For more information you can contact Sand Beach at 845-557-8757 or visit the Mahogany Ridge Hunting and Fishing Club on Facebook.

Plans have just been announced for the 2026 Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Warm-Up. It will be held on Saturday, March 7^th from 6-9pm to honor our local scholarship winners and the hard-working Chamber volunteers.  Individual tickets are $85.00 and $80.00 a person for a table of ten. The Warm-Up features a live jazz band, dinner, dancing and a silent auction. The Warm-Up will be held at a new venue in Glen Spey called The Local Nest - the former site of the Old Orchard Inn and Tavern. The Local Nest is a private event and community space that hosts kid’s activities wellness fairs, pop-up markets featuring locally crafted goods and family fun events. If interested in tickets, go to barryvilleny.com for further details.