By Kat Leslie — Warwick Valley Dispatch
Photos by Taylor Sterling/WTBQ
WARWICK, N.Y. — Under blue August skies at the Town Park, hundreds of Warwick seniors gathered for the annual Senior Picnic—an easygoing mix of grilled favorites, live music, and neighborly catch-ups that felt as familiar as it was festive. The Town of Warwick hosted the event with support from the Warwick Valley Rotary Club and the Town’s Department of Public Works (DPW), continuing a tradition that’s become a summertime staple for local residents.
A tradition that keeps growing
The senior picnic (often billed as the “Senior Barbecue”) has been drawing large crowds for years; in recent seasons attendance has run into the hundreds, with volunteers serving at long rows of tables—classic small-town hospitality at scale.This year, participants reported 750+ seniors and dozens of volunteers, and the menu then—chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and desserts—returned this year in spirit and flavor.
The event’s long run owes to steady civic partnerships. Rotary and DPW have been key co-sponsors, while local organizations and businesses have pitched in—from donating tickets to supplying treats—turning municipal planning into a true community enterprise.
Interrupted by a pandemic—then brought back stronger
Like so many beloved gatherings, Warwick’s senior picnic paused during 2020’s COVID-19 shutdowns. The town’s annual barbecue was canceled that year, returning in 2021 to sunny weather and a big turnout—a symbolic marker of the community’s rebound.
Marilyn T., enjoying dessert with friends, put it plainly: “We missed this in 2020. Having it back—and bigger—every year since, means everything.”
How it comes together
Town staff and DPW crews handle the logistics—permits, set-up, traffic, shade tents—while Rotary marshals volunteers for greeting, plating, and table service. Local partners have routinely added support; in past, groups and businesses such as Warwick Lodge 544 F&AM and Warwick Press, Sam’s Meat Warehouse contributed, illustrating how widely owned this event has become.
“It’s more than a picnic; it’s how Warwick says ‘we remember you,” said Ellen R., a 64-year resident who brought two neighbors from her apartment complex. “I met half my current friends at this barbecue before the pandemic—today felt like all of that came back.”
At a nearby table, Victor L. admired the logistics: “Rotary and the Town run this like clockwork. You sit, they serve, you chat. It’s simple—and it’s perfect.”
Warwick’s own Julia Roome—a Warwick Valley High School freshman and alum of NBC’s The Voice—opened the program with a stirring National Anthem and returned later to lead a park-wide sing-along of “God Bless America.” Roome, who drew national attention on The Voice and has performed the anthem on big stages including Yankee Stadium, had families on their feet and veterans saluting.
County leaders in attendance
County officials were out in force, underscoring the county-town partnership behind the picnic: Glenn R. Ehlers (Orange County Legislator, District 10, representing the Town & Village of Chester and the northern portion of the Town of Warwick), Kelly Eskew (Orange County Clerk), Paul Arteta (Orange County Sheriff), and Steven M. Neuhaus (Orange County Executive). They greeted guests, thanked volunteers, and joined the applause for the day’s performers. “Events like this happen because we all pull together—from county departments to Rotary, from local businesses to the neighbors who never miss a chance to help,” Supervisor Jesse Dwyer said. “The event is made possible and supported by many local organizations that serve our town’s senior population,” added Dwyer.
Voices of gratitude—and a promise kept
Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer thanked seniors, volunteers, and sponsors:
“Our seniors built the Warwick we love. Today is about gratitude, dignity, and joy—and about keeping our promise that this community always looks after its own.” He also praised the behind-the-scenes crews: “From DPW to Rotary and every helper in an apron—thank you for turning service into celebration.”
Dwyer has made senior outreach a visible priority, promoting this year’s picnic and appearing at other senior events across the Town, part of a broader emphasis on accessibility, programming, and community connection.
If the past few years are any guide, the senior picnic will keep evolving—refining menus, adding entertainment, and welcoming new partners—while remaining exactly what people want it to be: a free, familiar, and well-run afternoon where Warwick’s seniors are front and center. For details about future senior programming and ticket information, residents can check the Town website and Supervisor’s Corner updates, published weekly in The Dispatch, Warwick’s hometown newspaper.
To summarize a great day of neighborly cheer and seamless logistics, Taylor Sterling, manager of WTBQ, Warwick’s community radio, said: “Hats off to Warwick Supervisor and Town’s DPW for a day without a misstep—a not-easy task Jesse Dwyer handled with a smile, personally welcoming each and every senior. Thank you, for a day of perfection for our great seniors.”
