REGIONAL – It's that time of year for school bonfires, pep rallies, and cheerleaders. It's Homecoming time... with Pine Bush ramping up some old traditions this coming weekend, followed by big bashes in Ellenville the following weekend of October 12 and 13, and Rondout Valley setting aside for school spirit, along with what promises to be a tense football game pitting the Ganders against the neighboring Blue Devils.

After a long absence, Pine Bush High School and the Town of Crawford are teaming up to revive the fall Homecoming events that the town held for generations, and discontinued over a decade ago. This year, there will be a bonfire Friday night, October 5, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the field next to the Town Government Center on Route 302, across from the high school. This will follow the pattern set last year when a bonfire event proved very successful and drew a large crowd.

Then, on Saturday, October 6 — beginning at 11 a.m. — there will be a parade through the hamlet of Pine Bush featuring floats from each class at the high school. The parade will start on Center Street, then move up Main Street to the corner with Route 302, and turn there to proceed to the high school parking lot. The actual homecoming football game will start at 1 p.m. "It's going to be awesome! This is an opportunity to bring back a tradition that was very important to our school," noted PBHS Principal Aaron Hopmayer. "We're bringing back pride in our district. This is a collaboration with the Town of Crawford, and building on the bonfire we had last year that went so well, we're going to increase that partnership."

In Ellenville the following weekend, there will be a bonfire on Leipold Field on Friday night, October 12, followed by a 3 p.m. homecoming game against New Paltz on Saturday, October 13.

That same Friday, October 12, Rondout Valley High School will hold a pep rally for its team, the Ganders, at 1 p.m., followed by a Homecoming Dance at the school from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The actual homecoming game against Ellenville is set to take place the following Friday, October 19. Under the high school football field's new outdoor lights.

Back in Pine Bush, where the Bushmen have been championing a strong season to date, as much emphasis was being put on the planned parade as the bonfire and game this year.

"I was just down in the basement here, and the kids are working on the floats and there's a lot of energy and excitement," noted Hopmayer. "The kids are eating it up."

As are our communities...