GREENE – Wondering what sets Greene apart from other municipalities in Upstate New York? You need look no further than the village’s thriving downtown area to find the answer.

Genesee Street, the village’s main thoroughfare, is dotted with an eclectic mix of eateries, small shops and hometown businesses. Add in a long list of community centered events, attracting both locals and tourists, and you have the epitome of small town life.

The annual Home Town Holidays celebration, featuring caroling and the village’s tree lighting, is a prime example.

“It was so Norman Rockwell,” cooed Deb Eggleston, co-executive director of the event’s sponsor, the Greater Greene Chamber of Commerce.

Eggleston, who also organizes an annual craft fair with her husband Joe who the other half of the GGCC executive team, said events such as these help inspire and renew a sense of community among participants.

Other large events, which draw a crowd from near and far each year, include the Greene Apple Fest and a Labor Day event steeped in tradition.

“The Labor Day Picnic is in its 90th year on the Ball Flats,” said Marcia Miller. The Greene native and long-time village trustee is finishing up her first term as village mayor. Her family has run a booth at the event for more than fifty years and her husband, Byron, chairs the event committee.