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Indulge in a Fall Favorite: Bite into Orange County, N.Y.’s Cider Doughnuts For a Taste of Tradition
When autumn sweeps through the picturesque landscapes of Orange County, N.Y., a beloved local tradition comes to life: mouthwatering cider doughnuts. These delectable treats, steeped in history and bursting with flavor, are a must-try for everyone visiting the region – just an hour from New York City.
The cider doughnut’s origins date to colonial days, but was revolutionized more than a century ago when innovative New York baker Adolph Levitt invented the doughnut-making machine. The distinctive pastry has since become a quintessential part of the autumn experience in Orange County.
The cider doughnut experience goes beyond taste. Each bite captures the region’s rich agricultural history and culture. Cake-like and just sweet enough, the doughnuts can be enjoyed anytime. But they are the perfect autumnal treat, often enjoyed after a day of apple picking, pumpkin carving or wandering through farmers’ markets.
To truly appreciate Orange County’s cider doughnuts, one must take a bite and experience them firsthand. Media members are invited to explore local orchards and farms, meet the passionate bakers, and uncover the stories behind this beloved regional favorite. Capture the sights, smells and flavors of fall in Orange County, and share the unique charm of this seasonal delight with your readers and viewers.
Visitors can find this fall favorite at numerous local spots, including:
- Masker Orchards, Warwick: Known for its apple picking, Masker Orchards also offers some of the best cider doughnuts in the region. Made fresh daily, these doughnuts pair perfectly with a cup of hot apple cider.
- Soons Orchards, New Hampton: Delicious cider doughnuts are available plain, with cinnamon sugar or with powdered sugar. Grab a baker’s dozen while perusing the fresh produce and homemade goods for sale.
- Lawrence Farms Orchards, Newburgh: Pair homemade cider doughnuts with local dairy-farm-created ice cream at this farm, worked by three generations of its founding family. The newest additions to the farm are a “Little Village” and hay maze.
Find more farms, orchards and farmers’ markets to explore at www.pickocny.com.
About Orange County Tourism & Film
Orange County Tourism & Film, based in Goshen, N.Y., is the county’s tourism and film production headquarters and a participant in the I LOVE NY program. A comprehensive listing of area attractions, lodging, events and film resources can be found at www.pickocny.com. Additionally, a fun, free, 60-page travel guide is available for digital download at www.pickocny.com/travel-guide
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Orange County, N.Y., Tourism Rebrands, Urging All to ‘Pick OCNY’ With New Slogan, Logo – and the Friendly Mascot ‘Hudson’
New Campaigns Will Spotlight Endless Reasons to Visit: Events, Family Fun, Farm-Fresh Foods, Entertainment and Cultural Touchstones, All Just One Hour from NYC
Orange County Tourism & Film unveiled its fresh new branding today, with an eye-catching apple-themed logo, the upbeat slogan, “Pick Orange County” – and even a new mascot, Hudson.
In keeping with the new slogan, the tourism website’s address is now pickocny.com.
“Tourism is vital to Orange County, N.Y.’s economy, and Orange County is a terrific Tourism destination. The County offers adventure, family fun, farm-fresh goodness, rich history, a thriving craft beverage scene and spectacular views and vistas, all just 50 miles from New York City,” said Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus. “Our new tourism branding brings a lively dynamic that will reflect these qualities on the County’s tourism website, social media, travel guide, ads and many other platforms.”
Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism & Film, added, “Our diverse attractions and destinations are among the many reasons to love Orange County, which is why we welcome visitors from New York City and around the region, nation and world. The new logo, slogan and mascot make a great introduction for people to see why they should Pick Orange County!”
Neuhaus and Dana were joined by travel expert Josiah Brown, known as “The New York Sherpa,” who is a national expert on tourism. They unveiled the new logo in a ceremony at the Orange County Tourism & Film Welcome Center, 99 Main St., Goshen.
The new branding introduces an eye-catching logo that features an illustration of a red apple with “Pick” written on a green leaf and “OCNY” in the body of the iconic fruit. The logo conveys a fun, laid-back atmosphere, while maintaining a mature and confident appearance. It calls to mind the many orchards and farms where visitors pick their own apples and other produce, and also entices visitors to Orange County’s traditional bucolic settings, diverse family-friendly activities, arts and envelope-pushing cultural touchstones.The spirit of the region is also captured in the new Orange County Tourism tagline: “The Fresh State of Mind.”
The star of the unveiling was the mascot, Hudson, a friendly dog with large blue eyes and an orange “Pick OCNY” bandana. Hudson will help educate visitors about the endless rewards of a visit to Orange County, from discovering a hand-crafted gift in a quaint downtown to visiting some of the state’s most iconic destinations – including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Storm King Art Center, LEGOLAND® New York Resort and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
“Hudson will be the loveable, friendly face you’ll find around the county,” Dana said. “Look for him to guide you in how best to enjoy everything Orange County has to offer.”Tourism is a cornerstone of the county’s economy, attracting $1.1 billion in visitor spending in 2022 while supporting more than 11,000 jobs. That revenue saved Orange County property owners more than $1,000, on average, in annual state and local taxes.
“Tourism is a crucial component of Orange County, N.Y.’s charm and lifestyle,” Neuhaus said. “Visits to our attractions, restaurants and accommodations create jobs, significantly drive our county’s economic growth, and have helped us lower County taxes to rates not seen since the 1960s.”
The new campaigns will invite visitors to explore Orange County, which for New York City Metropolitan Area residents, is close enough for a day trip and jampacked with enough fun and fascinating activities for a weekend or mid-week stay. Orange County also is accessible via New Jersey Transit’s (Metro-North) Port Jervis Line and regional bus service.
In addition to its year-round and seasonal attractions, Orange County hosts widely renowned annual events such as the Pine Bush UFO Festival, the Great American Weekend in Goshen, the New York Renaissance Faire and the Warwick Applefest. Orange County Airport is one of six locations across the country where the New York Airshow wows audiences.
Attendees at Orange County’s rebranding ceremony sampled some of the county’s most iconic offerings. They sipped apple cider and munched on tasty cider doughnuts, a regional specialty from Soons Orchards. They also enjoyed maple syrup from Finding Home Farms and gelato from the Ice Capps food truck.
“Even though I’m nearing 1,000,000 miles driven on the road across New York State and America, Orange County is still where my heart is,” said Brown, the tourism expert. “The vibrant communities that make up Orange County are not by mistake, but the product of leaders fostering and preserving the quality of life here. The visitor economy here has been built and stewarded with intentionality which has created a quality-of-place that so many residents enjoy year-round. The measure of success for the future of every county will be their ability to create, herald and steward a positive brand impression in the minds of future and current residents, businesses, and investors. I’m so excited to see this rebranding process take place here and confident it will keep Orange County, N.Y., leading into the future.”
Making the most of a visit continues to become easier with Orange County Tourism’s easy-to-use website, now at pickocny.com, which drew more than 1 million annual visits for the first time last year. That was a 23% increase over 2022. The site helps visitors to find the places and activities that entice them the most and to tailor their adventure for a richer, more rewarding and fresh-feeling visit.
“We love seeing visitors from all over enjoying everything that Orange County has to offer,” Dana said. “Our new branding perfectly introduces the sights, the tastes and the spirit of fun discovered by guests from around the world. We hope to continue seeing the many repeat visitors who have come to love Orange County, and to welcome newcomers discovering our county’s pleasures for the first time.”
About Orange County Tourism & Film
Orange County Tourism & Film, based in Goshen, N.Y., is the county’s tourism and film production headquarters and a participant in the I LOVE NY program. A comprehensive listing of area attractions, lodging, events and film resources can be found at www.OrangeTourism.org. Additionally, a fun, free, 60-page travel guide is available for digital download at orangetourism.org/travel-
guide/. CUTLINE FOR ATTACHED PHOTO: Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus (left) and Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism & Film, pose with Hudson, the newly introduced Orange County tourism mascot.
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Orange County Tourism Website’s 2023 Visits Surpass Record-Breaking 1 Million for First Time
23% increase crushes previous annual records and inspires dynamic experiences for more visitors
The Orange County Tourism website, orangetourism.org, drew record-breaking traffic over the past year, surpassing 1 million annual visits for the first time.
The surge of website visits represented a 23% increase over 2022’s visits, which set the previous record. The increase was powered by a combination of Orange County’s many assets, County Executive Steven Neuhaus’ Four Seasons Campaign to promote year-round tourism and marketing strategies from the Tourism Department.
“A county with as many popular destinations as Orange County, N.Y., needs a dynamic, easy-to-use website to serve as the virtual gateway and roadmap for our visitors,” said Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism and Film. “Not only have we improved our website with eye-catching photos, easy-to-navigate webpages, and personal itinerary creation, but we have implemented creative marketing strategies successfully driving traffic to our site. Planning your trip has never been easier!”
“In Orange County, we have a unique blend of charming downtowns, natural beauty, fun activities for all and opportunities for escape, exploration and relaxation,” Neuhaus said. “Making investments in Orange County Tourism’s website and a variety of other marketing initiatives have led to success on many different levels. Reaching one million visits to this tourism gateway in one year is a testament to our incredible county, which is rich with fun-filled tourism assets.”
Orange County recently enhanced the website in collaboration with Focus Media, the tourism office’s Goshen, N.Y.-based public relations agency of record, and ITI Digital, a software solutions and digital service pioneer serving the travel industry. The site gives visitors access to everything they need within a single website – making trip planning a breeze. The upgrades created a dynamic look and through integration with Google Places, added features such as interactive GPS-enabled itineraries, and automated real-time dynamic content. The Tourism website has gone beyond a portal of static content and engages visitors to easily customize an itinerary for visiting Orange County, N.Y.!
Strategies utilized to increase traffic to the website include targeted digital advertising, social media advertising and organic growth, and calendar listings with more eye-catching photographs. The function for creating personal itineraries guides users through a simple process that suggests points of interest, places to eat and anything else the prospective visitor seeks. A highlight is the craft beverage section, which was expanded into a distinct microsite within the larger site, with profiles and videos of the breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries.
Among the site’s additions are:
- The Taste the Craft Trail Pass
- The Family Fun Trail Pass
- A new travel guide
- A wealth of new videos that include top destinations, craft beverage locations, family fun opportunities and more.
A steady stream of press releases posted to the website, with images, adds another dimension to promoting the county’s assets while maximizing search engine optimization (SEO). Images and landing pages are updated quarterly to showcase the seasons and offer a fresh look. Email sign-ups and travel guide request forms create strong calls to action and user interaction.
“Our strategic and innovative improvements continue to drive visitors to the website,” Dana said. “We invite you to check out orangetourism.org’s many offerings, and of course, to visit Orange County, N.Y., for good times and great memories.”
About Orange County Tourism & Film
Orange County Tourism & Film, based in Goshen, N.Y., is the county’s tourism and film production headquarters and a participant in the I LOVE NY program. A comprehensive listing of area attractions, lodging, events and film resources can be found at www.OrangeTourism.org. Additionally, a fun, free, 56-page travel guide is available for digital download at orangetourism.org/travel-
guide/.
