“I discovered to my joy, that it is life, not death, that has no limits.”
– Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
Fro-yogurt roundup
Yum Yogurt: The one thing that my kids like better than frozen dessert is being able to serve it themselves. Walking into Yum Yogurt is a dream come true for them, from pumping each flavor into their own dishes to adding their own toppings. We hold onto Yum Yogurt’s reusable spoons, because they yield a 25-cent discount on your order each time you bring them in. Seeing them in our kitchen drawer every day is a constant reminder to the kids about how much they love this place.
You can catch rotating flavor updates on the Yum Yogurt Facebook page, and dietary considerations are listed on the yogurt pumps, including lactose-free and gluten-free labels. My favorite flavors are the plain tart and blueberry, and my kids usually go for a vanilla-and-chocolate combination. The toppings are tantalizing, with countless fresh fruit, sauce and candy selections; and when it’s finally time to enjoy your creation, patrons can choose between indoor and outdoor seating.
Yum Yogurt is open seven days a week and is located at 215 Main Street in New Paltz, in the Medusa building. For more information, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yumyogurtnewpaltz.
Berry on Top: Ever since Berry on Top frozen yogurt lounge opened, my kids jump at the chance to do Kingston errands with me. I like to mix the dulce de leche with the original tart flavors, while my kids blend red velvet with cheesecake and whatever else they can fit inside of their dishes out of the dozen or so flavors available at any given time. Berry on Top offers a royalty card that grants a free eight-ounce yogurt after ten stamps of eight-ounce purchases. And on Tuesdays, the eight-ounce cup is discounted to $3.
Berry on Top is located at 340 Kings Mall in Kingston, a couple of doors down from Mother Earth’s Storehouse. For more information, call (845) 336-6000 or visit https://berryontop.com.
Hoopla! As soon as Hoopla! opened up the new fro-yogurt shop in Poughkeepsie, the term Monday Funday became part of our family’s lexicon, because you can buy the 12-ounce cup, including any/all toppings, for the discounted, flat-rate price of $3.49, which is about half-price. In addition to Hoopla!’s massive selection of 24 thoroughly labeled flavors, it has “bottoms” such as sugar cookies and brownie crumbles that you put in the dish before your yogurt – not just toppings. There’s homemade, fresh whipped cream; countless toppings; and a Spirit Station consisting of free sprinkles, color-coordinated to match area school colors, such as Marist College, FDR High School and more. Watermelon-infused water is provided free. This place is off the hook!
Hoopla! is located at 2521 South Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 463-3330 or visit https://hooplafroyo.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Junior Group 10 Biathlon at Beacon’s Hudson Valley Raceway
Know any kids with a need for speed? Rally your 5-to-15-year-olds for slot car fun at this weekend’s Junior Group 10 Biathlon at the Hudson Valley Raceway. On Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m., children will race eight heats on the flat track, then eight heats on the king track. The entry fee is $15, the race follows Junior Group 10 rules, and trophies will be awarded to all children who participate in the event. Preregistration is encouraged, but not necessary.
The Hudson Valley Raceway is located at 629 Fishkill Avenue (Route 52) in Beacon, behind the bowling alley. For more information, call (845) 838-5333 or visit www.facebook.com/events/299946250172122.
Sports Night for kids at SUNY-New Paltz
SUNY Sports Night is a fun and free activity that connects students at SUNY-New Paltz with local kids from ages 5 to 11 years. SUNY Sports Night is scheduled for Friday, April 25 at the turf field at the track on campus (the rain date is Friday, May 2). This is a dropoff activity. Registration begins at 5 p.m., and activities run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Activities include kickball, capture the flag, water balloon toss, tug-of-war, relay races and more.
SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 257-6956 or visit www.nphawks.com/recreation.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Stories under the Big Balloons in Catskill
What happens when you reimagine an art installation of 6,000 latex balloons from the Guggenheim Museum to an upstate New York town? You get some wonderful events! On Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m., the Bridge Street Theatre hosts “Stories under the Big Balloons,” a weekly reading of children’s classics. On April 26, hear The Pigeon Man, and on Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m., it’s The Red Balloon.
The Bridge Street Theatre is located at 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill. For more information, call (518) 943-3400 or visit www.greenearts.org. To learn more about the Bridge Street Theatre – which will officially open in 2015 – visit https://bridgest.org.
Family Fun Day at MAC Park in Kingston
Looking for some fun on Saturday afternoon while supporting a worthy cause? Check out Family Fun Day: Carnival Style this Saturday, April 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. The event takes place at MAC Park, and the proceeds benefit the Robert Graves Elementary School’s new playground fund. Activities include carnival-themed games, arts and crafts, vendors and more. Dinner is available for purchase from the Texas Roadhouse at $5 per person for hot dogs or hamburgers and $6 per person for pulled pork; all meals include a drink and one side. Admission to Family Fun Day costs $6 per person, capped at $24 for a family of six or more.
MAC Park is located at 743 East Chester Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 338-2887 or visit www.facebook.com/macfitkids.
Wappingers Creek Water Derby
This Saturday marks the 44th year of the Aquatic Explorers’ Scuba Club’s Wappingers Creek Water Derby, an event that sounds like a blast while supporting the environment. This canoe/kayak race takes place on the Wappingers Creek between Pleasant Valley and Poughkeepsie, with an average of 170 to 200 boats participating from around the Northeast. Club divers volunteer their time to organize the race, remove debris from the creek, act as safety divers to the boaters and are involved with Marist College in zebra mussel studies along the Hudson River, helping to preserve parts of Dutchess County for generations to come.
The race begins at Pleasant Valley Rec Park, located at 1554 Main Street in Pleasant Valley, and ends at Greenvale Park, located at 2260 New Hackensack Road in Poughkeepsie. Spectators are welcome. For more information, visit https://aquaticexplorers.org.
Anti-Bullying Walkathon in Dutchess County
This Saturday, April 26, you can participate in the third annual Anti-Bullying Walkathon: “Take a Stand, Change a Life” by walking, sponsoring a walker or donating funds online; but with best-selling author, autism advocate and anti-bullying movement leader Jesse A. Saperstein as the keynote speaker, I hope that you are able to attend in person. Each walker who raises $50 or more receives a free anti-bullying tee-shirt, and all proceeds benefit the Mediation Center of Dutchess County’s Anti-Bullying Initiative.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the walk runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Dutchess County Rail Trail at Van Wyck Lane off Route 376. For more information, to create a team or to donate, call (845) 471-7213 or visit www.dutchessmediation.org.
Join the family! 
