DiBari, left, and Hein, in front of one of the tiny houses
NEW PALTZ – The Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz will become Tiny Town this summer, when the Tiny House & Green Living Freedom Festival kicks off for the weekend of June 30th.
This is the first event of its kind on the East Coast, and is expected to draw upwards of 30,000 visitors to the region. Organizers and local officials announced the plans Wednesday at a rainy news conference inside the Libertyville Road site.
July 4th fireworks hosted by the Town of New Paltz will be piggybacked with the festival preview on Friday night, free to all. Saturday and Sunday tickets are $20 for adults ages 13-plus. Featured speakers from the Tiny House movement, exhibitors, workshops, demonstrations, vendors, local crafts, food and beverages will highlight the weekend.
“This event will be unlike anything we’ve seen in the Hudson Valley, or even New York State for that matter,” said Jake DiBari, organizer with Alpine Promotions. He added the festival celebrates science, technology, energy, renewables, art and design, locally sourced foods, and much more.
“It’s really interesting stuff. There are stories about craftsmanship, living a more free and minimal life,” DiBari noted. He said the Ulster County Fairgrounds was selected after reviewing facilities statewide.
“It does fit really well with what we think are important issues in Ulster County, and New Paltz especially,” agreed town supervisor Neil Bettez.
“The environment is a huge issue for us here in Ulster County. Every step of the way, our community has embraced this,” said Ulster County Executive Michael Hein. “This provides opportunities, there’s a huge buzz about this, all across the country,” he said.
Extremely small residences, 300 square feet or less, are becoming popular among folks wishing to save money on building and utility costs. Smaller homes also generate a lower property tax assessment – or skirt them altogether by remaining on trailer wheels.
Several examples of Tiny Houses exist throughout the Hudson Valley, not all of them legal. Many other more modern-style versions of Tiny Homes are now scattered throughout the region. One business already builds them in Kingston.
Goshen’s now-defunct Anthony Dobbins Stagecoach Inn had a retrofitted migrant worker’s shack trucked by a black dirt farmer over 15 years ago, which guests offered money to sleep in. It was located directly across the street from Village Hall and the Orange County Government Center.
Author and historian Marc Fried secretly built a tiny cabin up in the uninhabited Badlands, on public land, near Awosting Preserve. After publishing details of its existence in his 1981 Bushwhacker’s Guide, he obtained a life estate through adverse possession.
