Who makes it happen?

You.

Each year hundreds of people help create this spectacular community-wide event.

How can you be part of it?

Join us at Celebration Space to help us make puppets and more!

Be a Puppeteer! Volunteer to animate a puppet in the Parade!

Be sure to return to our website to get involved with this year's Sinterklaas and learn about other upcoming events!

If you would like to make a donation for all the free events we produce, please visit our website!

Buy a Raffle Shirt, Illuminated Star, button or coffee table book to help us raise the funds we need!

If you have any questions, ask an ASK ME volunteer!

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The Community.

It truly takes a whole HOST of folks to come together in a beautiful way to make Sinterklaas happen. It includes everyone those who donated time and money for sure and all those who sat in meetings, answered millions of questions, made extraordinary suggestions, cut a branch, served up tea, and everyone who comes to the event. Sinterklaas forms a close and sweet community as it gathers steam throughout the year. We thank all of you who form this creative community!
Here are some who deserve special mention! We thank…

2011 Thank Yous

Village & Town:
Tom Traudt, Supervisor and the Town Board!
Jim Reardon, Mayor and the Village Board
The patient, wise and even-tempered Sgt. Peter Dunn.
Kathy Kinsella, the only person I know who sets up barriers and then things open up!

To Howie Traudt for yeoman’s work at the Arrival!

The graphics Elena Erber who designed ALL our graphics, including this beautiful book! Such patience, creativity and love all in one being!

The hardworking and joyfully playing Madwomen of the Sinterklaas Committee: Lila Pague, Pat Sexton, Elena Erber, Ana San Juan, Tricia Reed, Joanne Engle, Jill Lundquist and Susie Linn who kept the fires burning all year long.

Timely Volunteers And those who came in at the end and kept us going! Lindy Wright, Jennifer Lavenhar, Barbara Henszey, Joanne Hess, and Suzie Morris!

Wisdom Sally Mazzarella and Aida Wilder for their deep guidance.

A super special shout out to Joanne Engle—who knows all that she does???!!!

Celebration Spaces: Lew and Charlotte Ruge, Betsy Jacaruso, Connie Bathrick and Holly Raal who gave us our homes­—Our Celebration Spaces!

To the Workshop “Elves”–Joanne Engle, Aida Wilder, Karri Wilder Christine Livesay, Jose Sanchez, Rebecca Hegstetter, and Jill Lundquist .

Party Space Patricia and Serge Rebraca of Liberty, for adding pizzazz and dazzle to our fabulous After Party!

Phoebe Melley of Foster’s for opening the heart of our Village (the White Corner!) foregoing an ephemeral Town Green for all our performers and folks to gather.

Our Paparazzi Doug Baz for his 23 years of wonderful photographs that made it possible for us to tell the story.

The spirited and joyful Gelbs, David and Joanne who presented the Sinterklaas Craft Fair.

The immensely talented Richard Prouse and Norval Johnson whose staging saved the day!

Joanne Engel and Suzie Morris for the wonderful Sinterklaas costumes!

The new crew in Kingston! Susie Linn, Nancy Donskoj, Michael Lalicki for the BOAT, the Arts Society in Kingston, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Ann Loeding, and Matt Perricone of the Tugboat Cornell! And Hendrick Dijk for being the true Dutch Sinterklaas!

In Red Hook to Norine Nakao-Peyton and The Imagination Station in Red Hook for having the kids create art work for the parade. And the farmers and gardeners! And Red Hook CAN!!! All hail the Honored Vegetable! The Winter Squash!

All those who sold stars: Land of Oz, Rhinebeck Health Food Store, Rhinebeck Department Store, Winter Sun/Summer Moon, Old Mill Wine and Liquor, and Grand Cru.

The Churches The Church of the Messiah, the Reformed Church of Rhinebeck and the Third Evangelical Lutheran Church—folks filled with love and generosity in their hearts: Rev. Richard McKeon Jr., Fr. Luis Perez and Pastor Leroy Ness, and Joanne Engel, Anna Pavord, Liz Irwin and Bonnie Reyero.

Our Vaudeville House To DeDe Leiber and Upstate Films for looking deep into their theatrical past and finding Vaudeville!

Everyone at the Beekman Arms, especially Brenda Catalano and George Banta, Jr. for giving a home to The Illuminated Book.

The Courtyard To Wing & Clover and Bumble and Hive for new ideas! And The Courtyard for a new, hospitable space!

All those who were part of the Tree Trail!

Yasha Koah The Rhinebeck Hebrew School, Rabbi Yael Romer, Kimba Baker and Temple Emanuel for a beautiful and moving Havdalah. And the Dapson/Chestney Funeral Home for hosting this beautiful ceremony.

The Map Kari Feuer for the beautiful map of the Town in this booklet!

Marlena Morallo for Our Honored Animal the Crow; and Karmabee for the Raven.

The Wish Ladies Margaret DeWys, Ann Patty and Jan Cox. May all the wishes come true!

The Pocket Ladies Liza Jane Norman who created the magnificent costume and Carla Carbone and Emily Houpt who gave it life!

All the artists: The On the Lam Band, Deirdre Lowry of Solas An Lae; Andy Weintraub, the Bond Street Theatre, the Raya Brass Band, Big Sky Ensemble, Thomas Workman, the Vanaver Caravan, Arm of the Sea Theater, The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, The Mid-Hudson Mexican Folkloric Group, the Pamelech Klezmer Orkester, Mamalama, Woodstock Renaissance, the Camerata Chorale, the Kartuli Ensemble, David Arner, URU, Ben Senterfit and the Community Music Space in Red Hook, The Hudson Valley Gamelan, The Pokingbrook Morris Team, The Korinya Folk Ensemble, Gustavo, The Wild Women Thomas Hanford, Grian MacGregor, Roger the Jester, Selezrosa, Kimberly Kahn, Natasha Brooks-Sperduti, Sam Holland and Jonathan Kruk.

Samuel’s and Ira Gutner for the Bear Beauty Contest and showing off the chocolate letters!

Sarah Chaneles and Kathy Varadi for the Bear Beauty Contest and many, many other things!

The totally organized Mary Yankajtis and the crew at Crowns and Branches!

YUM! Thank you to Johanna Bard for keeping this army running with good food all year long!
Arielle
Aroi Thai Restaurant
Bread Alone
CJ’s Pizza
Edo Japanese Restaurant
Eveready Diner
Foster’s Coach House
Francesca’s Pizzeria
Gaby’s Café
Gigi Trattoria
At the Top Hair Salon
Le Grand Cru
Le Petit Bistro
Liberty
Migliorelli Farm Market
Momiji Japanese Restaurant
Osaka Japanese Restaurant
Panda
Pete’s Famous
Puccini Ristorante
Rhinebeck Bagel Shoppe
Rhinebeck Health Foods
Rhinebeck Village Pizza
Samuel’s
Stop ‘n Shop
Terrapin Restaurant
Warren Kitchen & Cutlery
Wonderland Florist

The stellar team who made the Illuminated Book: Nadine Robbins, Molly Ahearn, Grace Gunning, Richard Prouse, Andy Neal and James Gurney!

All those wild Grumpuses! Richard Kopyscianski, Tate Neilson, Harlan Matthews, David Gelb, Wally Carbone, Steven Pague, Bruce Lubman, Mitchell Levine, Jamyang Lodoe, Michael Lalicki, Bob Wills, Heinz Sauer, Robby Long, Richard Prouse, and Andy Weintraub.

And their illustrious choreographer, Martha Tobias, who tamed and trained the wild beasts!

The Wild Women! And Abby Saxon, the Wildest!

The Ask Me Ladies: Dorna Schroeter, Queen!

Costumes… To Lara Ckhetiani for her great spirit and guidance on the Grumpus’ costumes and the makers of those costumes Linda Weintraub, Lila Pague, Karen Graham, Jenny Fox, Avrigal Landsman, Susun Ray, Margaret DeWys, Susan Moran, Susan Quasha, Grace Gunning, Susie Linn, Martha Tobias, Joanne Engel and Ann Patty.

Peter Muste and the Royal Crew of the St. George and the Dragon Nancy Graham, Mark Grunblatt, Reed Whitmont, Finn Shanahan, JJ Muste, Kate Muste, and Matilda Tucker.

The Art Teachers at Rhinebeck High School, Cynthia Baer and Kathy Giles and the Art Students for their gorgeous and original paintings.

the Whale Watch!

Elder Artists! The Senior Citizen Artists’ Program at the Reformed Church for their beautiful paintings over the last four years.

The Starr Library for its warm welcome to creatures great and small, human and puppet! --Steven Cook and the Board of Trustees.

The Branch Gatherers Ann Patty and George Vengrin. The branches were transformed!

The Omega Institute’s Ken Kuter and Skip Backus for letting us hear! And Linda Woznicki for her gracious work!

All those who animated puppets! Especially Elena Erber, Linda Weintraub, Jeff and Alex Bratcher, Bob Wills and Family, The Kliphons, Richard Prouse, Julie Turpin, The Shornsteins, the Camp Ramapo Folks, and so many others!

Our Program Printer Quality Printing in Pittsfield, MA who graciously endures our tight deadlines and last minute changes!

Those we missed: Jessica Bard, Mother of Grace, Tina Stephenson, Grace Gunning, Linda Woznicki, Mickey Haggerty, Dodd Crane and Paul Butler.

Our own special Sinterklaas, Stephanie Fitzpatrick and Hidden Hollow Farm.

The Puppeteers Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles whose vision and dedication to the work is unmatched anywhere, who hosted the workshop and taught so many in the skills of pageant puppetry and who made that magnificent Crow and baby crows along with a whole lot of folks in the workshop!

As always to Ania Aldrich and Gigi Alvare for the original work and setting us on the path. And special thanks to Gigi for channeling the Crow’s Blessing.

To my son Jordan who lived to see it!

And especially to our patient, long-standing and supportive husbands: Peter Muste, Steven Michael Pague, Bernard Greenwald, Michael Lalicki, Doug Baz, Foster Reed, Ben Senterfit and Harlan Matthews who play greater roles than anyone could ever imagine.

If there is anyone I’ve forgotten, please forgive me and my addled brain. Sinterklaas shows what a community can do working and dreaming together. Thank you to the greater Rhinebeck community for the privilege of being allowed to do the work.

—Jeanne Fleming,
Designer and Coordinator
SPEAKING FOR PAT SEXTON, LILA PAGUE, ELENA ERBER, SUSIE LINN, ANA SANJUAN, JILL LUNDQUIST, and TRICIA REED, CO-EVERYTHINGS