What A Hoot!
Brought to you by the Village of Coxsackie
Hello fellow Coxsackie Owl lovers! The safety of the community is our primary concern, and after carefully considering the risks of moving ahead with this year's owl auction, the Hoot of the Owl Committee members have decided to go ahead with the auction of 2020's owls on Saturday September 25, 2021 at the Coxsackie Yacht Club. We will follow all state Covid recommendations and mandates, and will strive to make this an exciting and safe event for all. The 2020 owls have been re-installed in their 2020 locations, and a new brochure has been printed with all pertinent information and maps. It is our hope that many people will tour the owls in 2021 either for the first time, or for the second or third, thereby bringing folks back to the area to support businesses and shops that were adversely impacted in 2020 due to the pandemic. We also hope that the owls will bring in higher bids in 2021 so that our efforts to raise money for local charities will be much more impactful. We would like to send a big shout-out to our sponsors for sticking with us, and to the many talented artists for their time and talents. We are happy to share the owls with the public for many more months to come. Here's to a safe, successful owl auction in 2021! Thank you ALL for your support!
Our brochures will be distributed throughout town in weatherproof cases as well as with some of our sponsors. See the Photos tab above for a copy of the 2021 brochure.
We will be at the Coxsackie Farmer's Market on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the summer, selling our new totes, tickets to the auction, and other owl goods! Come see us!
We now have miniature owls for you to order and decorate for yourselves! A part of the proceeds from the sale of these owls goes to the What a Hoot! committee to be used toward expenses and donations to charity at the end of the festival. The miniature owls are approximately 7" tall, by about 4" wide at the base. We've shown a sample here with Ellen De Lucia's owl "Liberty" from 2018. Click below to order your own! They are $39 each plus shipping. Order mini owl here!
Our winner for 2019's raffle owl The Owl and the Chickadee was Joseph B. Ellis. He was awarded the owl at Coxsackie's Christmas by the River on Sunday, December 1, 2019, when his winning ticket was pulled. Sadly we lost our dear friend, committee member, and Village Trustee Joe (J.B.) Ellis in July of 2020. He is dearly missed by all who had the pleasure to know him.
Please keep visiting this website and our Facebook page for updates for 2021, including all pertinent dates and info!
See the downloads tab.
All individuals and businesses interested in being an owl sponsor must return packets and payment by November 1st.
The deadline for artists to submit an owl sketch with all accompanying paperwork.
Sponsors will choose their owl/artists at this reception open to artists and sponsors only.
Artists will be notified that they have been selected by a sponsor, and will pick up their owl to begin work. This date is approximate.
This is the firm deadline for artists to return their finished owls. They will then be sent for clear-coating.
We hope to get all owls back on their perches a couple of weeks before Memorial Day Weekend.
Our auction will take place at the Coxsackie Yacht Club. Details to follow.
Our 2020 artists will hail from right here in Coxsackie, to neighboring towns in the Capital Region. It is time for potential artists to submit their sketches! This year's deadline for sketches is December 31, 2019
Our sponsors will donate $500 each for the honor of sponsoring one of our beautiful owls. With that tax-deductible donation comes credit on the owl's name plaque. The money covers the cost of a primed owl, its mounting brackets, shipping, weather protection, artists supply fee, and promotion of the festival. Our owls wouldn't be possible without our very generous sponsors! After the owls have been displayed all summer around town, they will be auctioned off to the highest bidders at our Gala Auction near the end of September--dates TBA. **DEADLINE NOVEMBER 1, 2019**
The Hoot of the Owl Committee is inviting you to be part of the celebration, too. Won’t you please become a What a Hoot! Supporter? Your donation will help Coxsackie’s festival soar by providing much needed funding for promotion, thereby ensuring success. While promoting What a Hoot!, the committee will also give you and your business recognition through social media and extensive advertising. We do hope that you will join us.
Here's an article from Hudson Valley 360 about this summer's public art displays, including our What a Hoot! Festival for 2020.
Public Art Exhibits to Move Forward
Check out the latest on Catskill's cats and Cairo's bears at Hudson Valley 360:
Cats and Owls and Bears Oh My!