The Armonk Lions Club’s Fol-de-Rol is back after a two-year hiatus.This fun-filled family event, to be held in Wampus Brook Park and on Hunter Field on June 2nd to June 5th, will feature rides, entertainment and music as well as food and merchandise vendors. Something for everyone is promised!
This past year the Club faced a major decision. As President Doug Martino remarked, planning for this upcoming Fol-de-Rol almost didn’t happen. “Because of dwindling membership, the Armonk Lions were literally days away from shutting down,” said Martino. “Had that happened, the Fol-de-Rol, a 45-year tradition, would have died forever. We simply had too few members to do the planning and running of such a large event.”
Armonk is a small town with a strong community spirit and word quickly spread about the fate of the Fol-de-Rol. A few days after a meeting in early November in which members discussed closing down the Armonk Lions Club, Matt Milim, who lives in Armonk and was recently elected to the Town Board, asked to meet with Club members. He brought a number of people to the meeting who were passionate about wanting the Fol-de-Rol to continue and who were willing to join the Armonk Lions Club to help make that happen. By the end of December the club was revitalized with enough new members to plan and run the 46th annual Fol-de-Rol.
In early January, Club members, both new and old, swung into acton. The key to the success of the Fol-de-Rol is finding vendors, who provide rides, entertainment, food and merchandise. As a result of this effort, the Lions Club has been able to line up new vendors and and create new entertainment ideas.
Attendees will find lots to do and see. A preliminary list already includes: rides, banjo players, pig races, music, and all sorts of things to buy–lawn ornaments, handmade bags and accessories, home-decor items, clothing, jewelry, jams, baked goods and more. Hungry? Expect pizza, crepes, donuts and coffee, wraps, Italian ices, and even vegan fare.
The Fol-de-Rol is more than a community event; it is the Armonk Lions’ annual fund-raiser in which 100% of the proceeds are donated to local organizations and for people in need. Over the years, the Armonk Lions have funded many projects in North Castle: the Gazebo and Lions Way Bridge in Wampus Park, town camp scholarships for local children, dugouts for the ABL, defibrillators for North Castle Police and Fire Departments, and the NC4 disaster relief trailer.
In Westchester County, it has donated to the Open Door Medical Clinic in Mount Kisco, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and Puppies Behind Bars. It has also contributed relief monies through the International Lions Clubs.
The Armonk Lions Club is still seeking additional vendors. For information, go to armonklions.org.
Save the Dates!!!
The 46th Annual Fol-de-Rol Schedule Rides:
Thursday & Friday, June 2 & 3, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday, June 4, 12 p.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday, June 5, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Crafts:
Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.