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Crazy racers storm mountaintop festival

TANNERSVILLE — Competition and creativity were in no short supply Saturday as the second annual Village of Tannersville Crazy Race and Festival barreled down the main roadway of the colorful mountaintop village.

Racers this year included: The Adams Family, a rolling white coffin go-cart built for speed that ran true to its design; Bob the Builder’s Total Renovation, complete with all the ladders one could need and driven by the mismatched boot wearing Bob himself, this was the largest entry; Chasing the Cheese, a massive mouse riding low to the ground with a wedge of Swiss in its mouth, entered by Last Chance Cheese and Antiques; The Pirates of Platte Clove, a canoe-shaped racer entered perhaps to challenge the returning Running Horse, a sleek black water craft that proved in 2007 and 2008 that it’s fast on the land too; Railroad Avenue Racer, a sporty plastic entry and colorful blur in several heats; Runaway Housing, no doubt a commentary on the prevailing mortgage crisis, this racer moved as fast as a drop in the stock market; Smith Racer, an ominous black entry warning spectators to “Look Out” and stay out of the way; Smokin’ Last Place, carrying a smoked shoulder of pork, this racer lived up to its name and served barbecue sauce-smothered sandwiches near the finish line; and Zinger, a rolling pop up tent ready for a weekend at the lake — complete with fishing rods.

Each won awards ranging from the wackiest racer to the strangest racer, and the new “People’s Choice Award.”

With no entry fee, the only requirement for racers was that their non-motorized vehicles be able to steer and stop — and steer and stop they did (for the most part).

Main Street was closed, following a rain delay, from noon to 4 p.m. for the event, which even received an unexpected visit from a certain giant purple dinosaur.

Slick streets from the intense morning storm did not dampen spirits among the rain slicker-clad spectators. Adults and children alike shed their waterproof coverings by high noon and could be seen dancing both in the rain and beyond to an eclectic mix of music pouring from six massive speakers running along Route 23A, powered by Jonathan the DJ.

Throughout the afternoon, before, during and after the race, neighbors and visitors of the village of Tannersville browsed and bought merchandise from local merchants, and a number of visiting vendors displaying a range of goods from hand painted glass, pottery, purses and scrapbooking supplies to children’s books, candles, sterling silver and Native American jewelry, easy-to-prepare foods, safe and earth-friendly cleaning products, nostalgic tin signs, one-of-a-kind decorative gourds and more.

Additional showers that hit the region Saturday did not reach Tannersville until well after the race and festival concluded as the last of the visiting peddlers finished loading their vehicles.

For additional photos from Saturday’s race and information about upcoming events that are free to attend, visit www.mentgroup.com/events.htm.

The second annual Village of Tannersville Crazy Race and Festival received promotional support from village businesses and was also made possible in part through support from the Greene County Tourism and Promotion Department. For more fun events in Greene County, visit www.greenetourism.com.

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