6/14: Kingston Kayak Festival
Try your hand at paddling for the first time, learn how to do an Eskimo roll, or get a great deal on a new boat at the 16th annual Kingston Kayak Festival. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and your $10 entry fee benefits the Forsyth Nature Center. Kids under 10 get in free. The landward access point for Kingston Point Beach is 53 Delaware Ave. in East Kingston. For more info call 338-5021 or visit www.kingstonkayakfestival.info.
6/14: Summer Solstice at Storm King
Storm King Art Center is hosting its third annual Summer Solstice Celebration gala evening. Including drinks, appetizers and dinner, the special fundraiser also features private sculpture and exhibit tours. Starts at 5 p.m. Proceeds go to benefit Storm King, which is located at 1 Museum Road, in New Windsor. Tickets range from $150 to $500 for individuals. Learn more at https://www.stormking.org/events/.
6/14: Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Fans of old airplanes and aviation history – or fathers of all stripes – can look forward to a pretty sweet air show at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome’s Father’s Day weekend bash. The air show season begins on June 14, and they’ll offer a special deal for admission and a biplane ride for $85. The Aerodrome offers flight shows every Saturday and Sunday until Oct. 12. They’re located at 9 Norton Road, in Red Hook. Learn more at www.oldrhinebeck.org.
6/14-15: Around the World in 14 Wineries
Wine connoisseurs have a June event aimed just at them, the Shawangunk Wine Trail’s Around the World in 14 Wineries tour. Tickets to the tour get you two-day access to 14 of the Hudson Valley’s best wineries, plus stops for wine tastings and tapas-sized snacks. Foods and wines are specifically selected for their pairings. A Sunday-only ticket costs $21.60, a two-day ticket costs $37.80. Designated drivers can buy a two-day ticket for $10.80. Learn more at www.shawangunkwinetrail.com.
6/21: Beer, Bourbon & Bacon Festival
Craft-beer enthusiasts won’t want to miss this festival. With barbecue food and bacon all around, the Beer, Bourbon & Bacon Festival showcases beers from Ommegang, Bell’s Brewery, Smuttynose Brewery, Founders Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada, Allagash Brewing Co., Rogue Ales and more. Advanced online tickets cost $45 for general admission. $100 for the “V.I.P. Experience” package includes rare beers and specialty foods unavailable to others. Designated drivers can get in for $10. Beer, Bourbon & Bacon Festival is for ages 21 and up. Bring ID. Gates open at 2 p.m. Event goes on rain or shine. The Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck is located at 6550 Spring Brook Ave. Learn more at www.beerbourbonbacon.com.
6/22: Tour de Kingston and Ulster bike ride
Now in its ninth year, the Tour De Kingston and Ulster bike ride returns. The event is aimed at riders of all skill levels. There’s a free flat five-mile ride, more intermediate skill rides and a 50-mile expert ride. Tour de Kingston start at Forsyth Park in Kingston. Kids will have the educational Bicycle Rodeo to entertain them. Food for hungry bikers will be served at the post-ride barbecue. Early registration for the 12-, 16-, 25- and 50-mile rides costs $25 for singles and $40 for families. Proceeds will go to the Tour de Kingston Community Scholarship and other charities. Learn more at www.tourdekingston.com.
7/4-6: Dutchess County Balloon Festival
Not much compares to the annual aerial invasion that takes place when hot-air balloons float en masse above the Hudson River. Photographers, thrillseekers and kids will want to stop to gawk. The 23nd annual Dutchess County Balloon Festival launches at 6 p.m. on Friday at various locations on the Poughkeepsie waterfront. Flights will take place all weekend, weather permitting. Viewing is free; rides in tethered balloons cost extra. For more info, visit www.hotairballoon.com/dutchess-county-balloon-festival.
7/6: Sawyer Motors Car Show in Saugerties
Last year, the “Best Little Car Show in the Northeast” expanded to a two-day event and brought an estimated 10,000 people to Saugerties. For 2014, the 11th annual Sawyer Motors Car Show is back to its one-day classic-auto-show roots. Main and Partition streets in the village will again be closed to traffic (though shops and restaurants will be open for business), except for more than 500 vintage cars guaranteed to “bring back the memories.” Fifty trophies will be awarded. If you’ve got a car that you want to enter in the show, register at www.sawyermotorscarshow.com/pages/registration-p5267.html. Entry fees support a different local non-for-profit group each year, and spectator admission is free. For more info, call 246-4560 or visit www.sawyermotorscarshow.com.
7/12: ‘A Fair Day’ in High Falls
High Falls will hold its annual town-wide street festival on July 12, from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. Expect food, crafts, games, historic tours, contests, music and kids’ activities. All ages and free admission. Learn more at www.highfallscivic.org.
7/18-20: Hudson Valley Chalk Art Festival in New Paltz
Now in its third year, the Hudson Valley Chalk Art Festival continues to grow at New Paltz’s Water Street Market. Cheered on by more than 8,000 spectators last year, chalk artists from all over the U.S. came to create seemingly impossible images drawn with a medium most people abandon after middle school. If you missed it then, give it a chance in 2014. Admission is free for viewers. For more info, visit https://hudsonvalleychalkfestival.com.
Join the family! 
