A Fall Gathering at The Saugerties Lighthouse
As the air gets chilly and the mountains fill in with oranges and reds, there is nothing finer than reconnecting with friends in a beautiful setting. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we gathered with West Elm and some of our favorite upstate business owners for a dinner at The Saugerties Lighthouse. Together we loaded into a pontoon boat, which was filled to the brim with Hops Petunia flowers, dinner ingredients to be prepared by Gaskins, and West Elm servingware. We floated down the Hudson to the historic 1869 lighthouse, a stunning stone structure that is now a bed and breakfast, preserved by the Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy.
On the wooden deck overlooking the Hudson River, we set a small table for eight that Kelli Galloway of Hops Petunia filled with autumnal arrangements and scattered fruit and vine. Sarah and Nick Suarez, owners of the newly opened Gaskins, got to work in the lighthouse’s kitchen where they prepared a feast of Israeli cous-cous, heirloom tomato salad, braised Kinderhook Farm lamb shank, and apple and pear crostata.
Our last guests, Jamie and Tracy Kennard, owners of Brunette Wine Bar, arrived by foot on a trail, accessible to the public when the tide is low. Dinner was served, wine was poured, and together we toasted to fall and to all of our guests’ newly opened upstate businesses. To make the evening even sweeter, we ended the night by hopping on a Tivoli Sailing Company boat for a leisurely ride down the Hudson. Laughing and drinking down the river, we all felt so lucky to be celebrating the change in season with friends.
Photos and Words by Emma Tuccillo
Kelli Galloway of Hops Petunia created autumnal arrangements for our table. Learn how to to create the perfect fall arrangement with Kelli here.
To celebrate West Elm’s #kindredspirits, we styled our table with their tableware, including: gold flatware, organic shaped plates, and a woven table runner.
Sarah and Nick Suarez of Gaskins prepared a fall feast with braised lamb shank sourced at Kinderhook Farms. Learn how to make their Israeli couscous here.
Our dinner guests included six new business owners in upstate, NY. Sarah and Nick of Gaskins, Kelli and Brad of Hops Petunia, and Jamie and Tracy of Brunette Wine Bar. We were so excited to celebrate all of their successes!
The outdoor areas of the Saugerties Lighthouse are open to the public from sunrise to sunset throughout the year. You cannot match the views of the Hudson from the deck. Make sure to consult the tide table before walking the trail.
Our Design Director, Tim LaSalle, designed our dinner’s menu.
The apple and pear crostata paired with homemade sweet cream was the perfect ending to our fall meal.
Our friends at Tivoli Sailing Company treated us to a sail down the Hudson River after dinner. As the sun went down, we laid on the deck of the boat and watched the stars appear in the sky.
Tracy and Jamie Kennard of Brunette Wine Bar gaze at the lighthouse as we set sail down the river.
Special thanks to everyone who made this dinner possible:
Location: Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy
Dinner: Gaskins
Flowers: Hops Petunia
Sail: Tivoli Sailing Company
Tableware: West Elm
Event Production: Katie Lobel
Invitation Design: Tim LaSalle