Suspense is thickening in the air as all staff gather on the field to welcome the Starlight campers for the summer of 2017. Counselors have been waiting over a week, some two, passing the time with an extensive orientation program that amps up their excitement even more. Pre-Camp workers have been eagerly waiting a month and have passed the time through camp preparation, ensuring Starlight is the most beautiful it can be for their campers. Not to mention that many staff members have been patiently waiting years for the opportunity to inspire and encourage a community of campers, a thrill that all new counselors experience for the first time and an adrenaline rush that all returning counselors are addicted to. All these seconds, hours, days and years have accumulated into this single moment and the electric anticipation is more than tangible, you can reach your hand out into the air and feel how highly charged the atmosphere of camp is on the very tips of your fingers. The buses roll through the gates, park in the untouched grass and the horns on the buses ring out to affirm that the campers are finally here.
The campers burst out of the bus doors and the counselors explode in cheers and celebrating the arrival at their summer home. They will spend the rest of summer sharing stories, eating s’mores, singing classic traditional camp songs and laughing beside at the end of each evening activity. It is a moment that sparkles in your memory when you will think back to this day 1 year or 10 from now. The way the campers sprint to say hello to their old counselors or friends from camp is of the purest joy–it’s all in their wide genuine smiles and an honor to see the world in their eyes.
Everything has led up to this moment, this experience, this family.
Farm to Camp starts off with a sunset cocktail party, where campers can mingle with new friends and taste local wines before dinner. After cocktails, an eight-course meal is served at a long table under the stars, surrounded by soft lighting and the gorgeous surroundings of Camp Starlight. Prepared by culinary geniuses, an extensive dinner menu featuring local and organic options will leave taste buds in a state of bliss. Fresh produce from farmers in the Pennsylvania and NY area, and guests all come together for a meal to remember. Even the tableware and serving dishes are environmentally friendly, adding another organic element to this incredible meal. Each plate is handcrafted not only for exceptional taste but for beauty as well. This is sure to be a meal to remember. In the morning, enjoy another exceptional, farm-fresh meal for brunch before you head home.
Before the sunset cocktail hour, guests can spend the day feeling like a kid again by participating in many traditional summer camp activities. From tennis and softball to fitness classes and volleyball, guests can experience some of their favorite childhood activities, or branch out and try something new. When was the last time you let your guard down and had some good, clean fun? If it’s been too long, Farm to Camp will be a breath of fresh air. After dinner, guests can explore the grounds, socialize around the campfire, make S’mores, or dance the night away to the beats of a late night DJ.
Aside from the spirit that Olympics brings out, getting to compete in different sports is the best part for many. Olympics is a time for campers to show all that they’ve learned over the summer and bring out their athletic side. From a soccer game on the alumni that goes into a shootout to an intense game of basketball that goes into double overtime, you truly never know what to expect when the Blue and the White face off. 
