Animal-lovers, you are in luck this weekend! Check out these two interesting, educational and fun animal events. Time it right, and you could do both!
“Barn Dancin’ on the Rondout” in Kingston
How about a chance to shake your own tail feathers? Dance for a cause and head over to Kingston on Sunday, April 14 for “Barn Dancin’ on the Rondout.” The 5:30 p.m. start time means that even young dancers can get a few reels in before bedtime. Peter Blue will call the contra dances with music by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, followed by Salsa Latin Fusion with Victor Pierre (Papa Salsa).
Admission costs $20 for advance reservations, $25 at the door, free for children under 12 years, and proceeds benefit the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Barn Dancin’ on the Rondout takes place at the Kingston Home Port and Education Center, located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 265-8080, extension 7105, or visit www.clearwater.org.
Kids’ workshops at Read Local Red Hook Literary Festival
On Sunday, April 14, you can bring your family to the children’s and youth events at the Read Local Red Hook Literary Festival. All of the Festival events are free and open to the public. From 11 a.m. to 12 noon, “I Want to Be in a Band” will take place at the Red Hook Public Library, located at 7444 South Broadway. This music-and-movement program is led by author and musician Suzzy Roche of the Roches and illustrator Giselle Potter.
From 2 to 4 p.m., there will be two panels that might interest your resident writer or reader. The Hudson Valley YA Society presents Jennifer Donnelly (Revolution), Maya Gold (Spellbinding) and Kimberly Sabatini (Touching the Surface) at the Red Hook Public Library. “Telling Stories: Conversations with Fiction Writers” takes place at the Red Hook Village Hall, located at 7340 South Broadway, whose panelists include Kelly Braffet (Save Yourself) and Owen King (Double Feature). From 4:30 to 6 p.m., you can check out “Teen Talk” at Taste Budds Café, located at 40 West Market Street, featuring Red Hook High School students sharing original works or performing works by other authors.
For more information, call (845) 758-6575 or visit www.rhcanadmin.com.
“Wild for Wildlife” at Minnewaska
Does your family speak animal-detective lingo? If not, here are some handy phrases to know: “Shh! Did you hear that?” and “Hey, take a look at this!” Detecting wildlife means following clues such as scat and tracks.
If your family goes wild for wildlife, head over to the “Wild for Wildlife” event on Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to noon at Minnewaska State Park Preserve Nature Center. Participants will make a plaster cast of an animal track to take home, and explore through the park looking for signs of wildlife. Wild for Wildlife is geared for children from 7 to 10 years, accompanied by a guardian over age 18. There is no charge for this program, but preregistration is required and the parking fee is $8 per car.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located at 5281 Route 44/55 in Gardiner. To register or for more information, call (845) 255-0752 or visit https://nysparks.com.
Join the family! 
