There are literally a dozen or so stables near Montgomery. Willow Hill Farm is one of the most luxurious, with a 10-acre hunt course and indoor and outdoor arenas on over 150 acres of lush pastures and rolling hills. Run by a young couple with three young children, Hollow Hill Farm specializes in teaching the joys of horsemanship to all ages, as well as full, rehab and training boarding. At G&M Riding Club there’s a very full schedule of Western and English shows and gymkhanas. The Orange County Dressage Association holds its events at Thomas Bull Park in Montgomery.
For the two-footed animals who prefer swinging a club and not a crop, Montgomery is well-equipped with golf courses, like Winding Hills and Orange County’s Stony Ford Golf Course.
In summer, if you want to go swimming, you’ll have to talk to a local about where to hop into the Wallkill River! There is a big lake at Winding Hills Park, but it’s for boating and fishing only. Your new favorite spot may be the Orange County Arboretum at Thomas Bull Park, where you have views of the Shawangunks and Al Durland Memorial Pond; it’s perfect for picnicking and strolling among the specimen trees and various ornamental and memorial gardens. Check out the full list of Montgomery town and village parks here, and don’t forget about the local state parks: Highland Lakes State Park and Stewart State Forest.
Once you’ve worked up a good appetite, you’ll want to head down to Clinton Street between Bridge and Union for three Montgomery favorites: Copperfield’s for one of 40 craft draft beers, wines from Washingtonville’s Brotherhood Winery and some good food to go with. For a great cup of coffee, there’s Iron Café. For some fine food, sit down at The Table, in a beautifully restored old hotel.
If you look at the Orange County list on the National Register of Historic Places, you’ll see oodles of Montgomery sites. One of them is Montgomery Worsted Mills, now the rocking City Winery. If you haven’t heard, there are quite a few City Winery locations in the U.S. I wonder if they are all as dramatic as this one, right on the Wallkill River. Wine, food, music, the restoration… in and of itself a great reason to visit Montgomery.
Another excellent reason for being in Montgomery is art, at Makers Flow Creative Space, a “freestyle crafting studio”; and the Wallkill River School, a representational art center presenting classes, gallery exhibits and the annual Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival.
As for music, you can start with the town of Montgomery’s summer concert series at the bandstand; lean back and let the sound wash over you as you gaze up through the trees or down at your picnic. City Winery and Winding Hills Golf Club are both music venues, and the Village of Walden—one of three villages in the Town of Montgomery—has a summer music series, Music in the Grove, and live music on the outdoor stage at Orange County Hops. Finally, there’s a very fun event debuting in 2021, the Taco & Love Music Festival at the Orange County Farmers Museum, with music by the Nerds and, supporting them, Green Planet.
A happening place, Montgomery NY, the best of the old and the new.
