Armonk Lions, Back From the Brink, Celebrate Annual Fol-de-Rol

Thousands of people descended on Wampus Brook Park last weekend for the Armonk Lions Club’s 47^th annual Fol-de-Rol, an early June fixture on the community’s calendar for decades.

Many of the attendees who enjoyed the food, rides, games, vendors and overall friendly community vibe of the local country fair may not have realized how close the event came to being discontinued not long ago.

Even with residual smoke from the Canadian wildfires lingering in the air on Thursday evening and Friday evening’s festivities being curtailed once rain moved in, sales were healthy and ahead of last year’s pace, said town Councilman and Lions Club President Matt Milim.

A pleasant, warm and dry weekend helped bring out the crowds for Saturday and Sunday.

Before the pandemic struck, the Armonk Lions’ membership had dwindled, and by the fall of 2021, with membership for the service organization having plummeted to below 10 members, the club’s district leadership informed the remaining members that unless it rebuilt its ranks, it would be forced to fold.

“I think a lot of people (in the community) felt a real sentimental value to Fol-de-Rol and didn’t realize that it was at risk of going away,” Milim said. “Just the recognition and understanding that it was really on the brink motivated people and they didn’t want to lose it. People care, they care about this town and they care about an event like Fol-de-Rol, and they want to join the Lions Club and help be a part of it.”

That was a big wakeup call for the community, because if the local Lions Club would have faded away, so too would the popular Fol-de-Rol. Without it, easily the Armonk club’s largest fundraiser each year, and its other efforts, the larger community would lose out on the contributions, monetary and otherwise, the Lions make.

Over the years, it has supported local organizations such as the North Castle Public Library, the town’s police and fire departments and the Byram Hills School District, but other entities, including Guiding Eyes for the Blind and Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

Now, a year-and-a-half after looking at extinction, the Lions stand at 23 members.

Martha Baratta, the club’s second vice president and chair of the Vendor Committee, said they were able to attract about 65 vendors to this year’s event, which included local and regional businesses and organizations in the community.

This year the even saw a wood carver and a food court that was mostly in the shade between the vendor area and the rides.

One of the vendors was Nicole Farbent, who makes and sells resin items by decorating them with pressed flowers. Farbent, who is based in the Catskills, said all of the flowers are Hudson Valley grown.

She learned of the opportunity to bring her merchandise to a different area online.

“I heard it was a really great event,” Farbent said. “It’s beautiful down here.”

For Baratta, the Lions and the Fol-de-Rol is also a family affair. Her husband, Tony, co-chaired the Fol-de-Rol team along with Milim, while her son, Nicholas, was the assistant manager.

“He grew up with the Fol-de-Rol; now he runs it,” Baratta said of her son.

Baratta’s daughter, Maria, also worked the fair and said it’s an event that you want to be part of, she said.

“I love it. I think it’s something that defines Armonk,” Maria Baratta said. “I wouldn’t miss the Fol-de-Rol for anything.”

With the Armonk Lions once again a viable organization, Martha Baratta said she hopes to continue attracting new people and vendors to make Fol-de-Rol the best it can be.

“We’re look for other vendors, food vendors and other people to come join us next year,” she said.