(Photo by Dan Barton)
“You can discover more about
a person from an hour of play
than in a year of conversation.”
– Plato
From animals to horsepower
If the closest that your family has ever come to a wolf is the Minecraft video game or Duran Duran lyrics, then clear your calendar this weekend for “Mohonk Preserve Cries Wolf.’ On Friday, May 31 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., meet ten-year-old Arctic wolf Atka from the Wolf Conservation Center and learn all about this amazing and important animal. Sometimes Preserve programs fill up pretty quickly, but you have great odds at attending this one, since it’s being held at the Ulster BOCES Conference Center, which has more than 100 seats.
Admission is $5 for anyone who preregisters, or $8 at the door. This program is recommended for ages 5 and up. The Ulster BOCES Conference Center is located at 175 Route 32 North in New Paltz. For reservations or more information, call (845) 255-0919 or visit https://mohonkpreserve.org. To learn more about Atka and the presenters, visit https://nywolf.org.
Speaking of animals, what would it be like to live during the time of the dinosaurs? Does your crew ever sing along with They Might Be Giants’ “I Am a Paleontologist”? Do you remember Ross and Phoebe’s argument about evolution in the show Friends? Gather up your dino fans for a performance of Dinosaur Petting Zoo on Sunday, June 2 at 3 p.m. In this interactive show, kids are invited to meet actual dinosaurs, in the form of large-scale puppets, as well as to learn all about their history and how to care for them. Kids might even be asked to tell some dinosaur jokes, so come prepared just in case!
Dinosaur Petting Zoo is put on by Erth Visual & Physical, Inc. out of Australia, and takes place at the Bardavon Theatre in Poughkeepsie. The show is geared for folks “ages 5 to 500” and lasts for approximately one hour. Admission is $10 per person.
The Bardavon is located at 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie. For tickets or more information, call (845) 473-2072 or visit www.bardavon.org. To learn more about the performers, visit https://erth.com.au.
Do you have kids who love horsepower as much as they love animals? Kids who would like to, say, touch a truck? Then head over to Touch-a-Truck Safety Day on Sunday, June 2 between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Admission is free, as well as the horn-honking and climbing inside the vehicles, but children’s hard hats will be available for sale and donations to the Early Childhood Center are welcomed. This event is open to kids of all ages.
The Jewish Community Center is located at 110 South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 471-0430 or visit www.jccdc.org.
Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Centennial Celebration in Kingston
How about combining present day fun in the form of a 100-year birthday? Congratulations to Cornell Cooperative Extension on celebrating 100 years in Ulster County!
To honor this momentous occasion, join in on the centennial festivities on Saturday, June 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with activities for the entire family: live music, including a performance by family band Ratboy, Jr.; art activities for the kids; hula-hooping; a rocketry demo; a furry friends exhibit; a “centennial”-yard dash; and birthday cake, of course!
The Centennial Celebration takes place in the parking lot of Cornell Coop’s Education Center and main office, located at 232 Plaza Road at the Kingston Plaza in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 340-3990 or visit www.cceulster.org.