See you in the Funny Papers: $1 Portraits by Will Lytle of Thorneater Comics

Ever wonder what you’d look like with antlers? Get a $1 portrait by illustrator Will Lytle of Thorneater Comics at Hullabaloo and you may just find out!

Will is a local illustrator whose work is full of secrets and surprises, mythical magical woodland creatures, and the people who stumble upon them (usually when they’re most in need of guidance). His work is whimsical but hip, delightful and intriguing, insightful and endearing… jeez, we’re sure you’re just going to love it, so check it out already!: www.thorneatercomics.com.

Will is no creepy boardwalk caricaturist, so you won’t even feel awkward sitting there where he draws you…he’s an awesome guy who’s super-friendly and cool, and he can put anyone at ease (plus he works quickly)! For just $1 Will draws you as one of his fantastic characters, adding some enchanted extra accoutrements and special dodads along the way. We’d say you should give yours as a gift to someone special (talk about great gifts on a budget!), but you might not want to part with it.

He also does a weekly comic in The Woodstock Times and The Saugerties Times, and when each series is done, he binds them into books or collects them in limited edition boxed sets.  He’ll also be selling these editions, as well as artwork and merchandise, so keep the portrait for yourself!  

We’re so pumped that Will is participating in Hullabaloo this year, and can’t wait to see how you’ll all look in Will’s world!

Sponsor Shout-Out: Hoppy to Have North River Hops and Brewing!

The next time you’re in the mood for a great local brew (so, like, now), raise your glasses to Hullabaloo sponsor North River Hops and Brewing!

Located at 1571 Route 9 in the Village of Wappingers Falls (behind Bad Ass Coffee), North River opened the doors to their small brewery in August of this year, with overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews! North River brews and sells their own beers in a three-barrel brew house, offering tastings and selling 32 and 64 oz. growlers, and kegs too. They’ll even fill other containers you bring, or growlers from other establishments! How cool and accommodating are they?

The brewery during the renovation, it is now open!

Their flagship Paddle Steamer Pale Ale (an East Coast IPA) is available year-round, along with Tarwe (a Hefeweizen and witte blend), and BLM (a session amber)…Plus, they’ve just announced on their Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/NorthRiverBrews) that they’re adding a delicious-sounding stout to their permanent offering in the next couple of weeks. Each month they feature a limited release imperial beer (Imperial Amber with Apple for October, and “Brom Bones” an Imperial Pumpkin Brown in November) and a selection of rotating, seasonal, or one-off brews round out the lineup, for a total of six to ten varieties at all times. 

North River is a family affair—founded by home brewer and craft beer enthusiast Brandin, who teamed up with his father-in-law Kevin, and their wives Nicki and Felicia, to offer fresh, local beer directly to the beer-loving public. (Brandin and Nicki’s adorable daughter is no stranger to the family business either…Learning from and being inspired by hard-working, entrepreneurial parents? We think that’s a pretty cool way to grow up.) In addition to their fantastic beers, they offer a variety of locally crafted products and merchandise (like their beer soaps!), all curated and displayed in a space reminiscent of an old-timey general store. But maybe their coolest product (which makes an AWESOME holiday gift) is their selection of growler carriers—give one with a gift certificate so that special someone can fill up at their convenience!

Thanks for your support, North River! We’re so “hoppy” to Hullabaloo with you!

Sponsor Shout-Out: Boitson’s Brings “Old Brooklyn” to “New Brooklyn”

Before Williamsburg was hip (when it was actually still kinda sketchy), Maria Philippis rented an apartment from Alexander Boitson…

…Before Kingston was hip (to other people, that is…the locals have always known!), she opened her fantastic restaurant, named in his honor, at 47 North Front Street.

You can read about all the stuff that happened in between, here: http://www.boitsons.com/

The restaurant opened in 2010, to raving reviews and acclaims that Maria’s restaurant had put “a little Brooklyn in Kingston.” Since this was before the whole “Kingston is the next Williamsburg” thing, we think it’s fair to say that Maria saw something in Kingston, and felt, like many of us, that we were on the verge of becoming “cool” to the rest of the world. And with Boitson’s mouth-watering menu, we’re sure she helped the movement along!

Boitson’s menu features sophisticated, modern interpretations of classic comfort food—deviled eggs, fried oysters, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, burgers, and mustard and molasses glazed salmon are just a few of the tempting options—and they use “as much local, organic, farm-raised, wild-caught, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, hand-crafted, artisanal, sustainable, and free-range food products [they] possibly can.” The restaurant’s cocktail menu also represents the connection between where-it-all-started and where-it-all-is with names and ingredients inspired by both Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. They also have spectacular specials like Monday’s Blue Plate Special, where a TBD entrée is served at the reduced price of $10, a $20 prime rib dinner on Wednesdays, and $12 Fried Chicken Night on Thursdays.

Maria also runs The Inn at Boitson’s—two newly-renovated two bedroom apartments above the restaurant with modern design pieces and decorated with works by local artists—so if you’re looking to make a weekend of Hullabaloo and explore Kingston a bit more, check it out: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/618434.

We’d like to thank Boitson’s for sponsoring Hullabaloo, and we recommend that you head uptown after the event for a drink and a “decent plate of oysters” as Alexander Boitson would say! Enjoy!