Council approves May 2 downtown wine festival and 5K organized by Historic Newberg

The Town of Newburgh council unanimously approved a request from Historic Newberg to hold a downtown wine festival and a separate 5K on May 2, council business records show. Troy Wells, representing Historic Newberg, asked to use the area behind town hall and close a segment of Water Street and Monroe Avenue for the wine festival, and to stage a morning 5K along the trail that would start and end in front of Rita's.

Wells told the council the wine festival would likely run midday into the afternoon and that organizers expect to direct vehicle traffic with police assistance and give advance notices to residents affected by street closures. For the 5K, Wells said the route would be on the trail and would not require road closures; organizers expect about 200 participants.

Council members asked organizers to provide a full itinerary and coordinate logistics with the police chief and other groups holding events that day. Christopher Cook, the town’s administrative manager, said staff will work with organizers on placement and traffic control. The council moved, seconded and voted to approve the use of town-hall parking and the street closure requests for both events.

Why it matters: The vote clears space for two community events that town staff expect will draw visitors and require traffic management and public-safety coordination. Staff and organizers will need to finalize route, safety, and parking plans before May 2.

What’s next: Organizers must supply a detailed itinerary and final logistics to the town as requested by police; staff will coordinate event placement to avoid conflicts with other May 2 activities.