Hula-hoop extravaganza in New Paltz
I advise you to pick up some hula-hoops before you attend this weekend’s hula-hoop workshop with the Mandaliahs, or you can purchase one there. After watching this Brooklyn-based acrobatic hoop-dance duo, your family will want to join in!
On Saturday, August 16 at 11 a.m. at the Unison Arts & Learning Center, the Mandaliahs will perform and teach tricks and games to promote coordination, endurance, teamwork and confidence. Go early or stay late to check out Unison’s outdoor sculpture garden as a bonus.
Tickets cost $12 in advance, $8 for Unison members and $5 for children under 12, slightly more at the door. Unison is located at 68 Mountain Rest Road in New Paltz. For tickets or more information, call (845) 255-1559 or visit https://unisonarts.org.
Corn Festival in Hurley, Block Party in Kingston
Since you’re reading Kids’ Almanac, you already know that one perq for living or visiting the Hudson Valley is the abundance of quaint town festivals. And you can see for yourself from driving past the area cornfields, the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and that means corn festivals! This Saturday, August 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., plan to stop at the 34th annual Hurley Corn Festival for epic corn chowder in addition to other themed food such as corn fritters, as well as craft vendors and children’s activities, such as the cornhusking challenge at 10:30 a.m.
The suggested donation for admission is $3 per person, and children 12 and under get in free, with proceeds benefiting the Hurley Heritage Society. The Hurley Corn Festival takes place at the Hurley Reformed Church, located at 11 Main Street in Hurley. For more information, call (845) 338-1661 or visit www.hurleyheritagesociety.org.
Then, after the corn festival, keep the fun going by driving north on Route 209 to Kingston, where you can attend the free Chronogram Block Party on Wall Street between John and North Front Streets from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., featuring performances by the hula-hooping Mandaliahs at 4:40 p.m. and the kindie band Ratboy, Jr. taking the stage at 5:30 p.m., plus street entertainment, do-it-yourself art tent, dunking booth and food trucks. For more information, visit www.chronogramblockparty.com.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
Vegetable DNA extraction workshop in Bearsville
As some of you can attest, Molly Mason sings a wonderful rendition of “Homegrown Tomatoes,” which is especially fun to listen to as I’m eating a Big Pink or a fistful of Sungolds. But what’s really inside? I mean, what makes up the DNA of these summer treasures? You can find out this Sunday, August 17. Bring your own vegetable, fruit or fungus to Kathy Anderson’s School for Young Artists and learn to make your own vegetarian DNA as former student of the school Adam Zaretsky, PhD walks participants through the process of extracting DNA from vegetable matter.
This free program is open to all ages. Kathy Anderson’s School for Young Artists is located at 31 Wittenberg Road in Bearsville. For workshop time and more information, call (845) 679-9541 or visit www.schoolforyoungartists.org.
Concert at Mountaintop School in Saugerties
It’s one thing to listen to great live music. But what’s even better is to enjoy live music by artists who perform family-friendly songs during the day – in a family-friendly atmosphere! And the musicians are all parents of little people themselves!
On Sunday, August 17 at 1 p.m., get ready to tap your toes to groove and dance around to live performances by Simone Felice, Ratboy, Jr. and Rachel Loshak at the Mountaintop School. Admission costs $5 per person, or $15 for families of three or more. The Mountaintop School is located at 68 Band Camp Road in Saugerties, just minutes away from the nearby Between the Tides festival, which you can attend afterwards.
For more information, call (845) 389-7322 or visit https://mountaintopschool.com. To learn more about the musicians, visit www.simonefelice.com, https://ratboyjr.com and https://rachelloshak.com.
Between the Tides Festival at Saugerties Lighthouse
If you have been promising yourself to make it to one of the Hudson River lighthouses but still haven’t gotten there, here’s one way to really do it up: the 19th annual Between the Tides Festival. Located at the Saugerties Lighthouse, the festival is scheduled “between the tides” because low tide is the only time when one may access the otherwise-submerged half-mile walking path to the site.
This family-friendly event runs from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 17. Highlights include live music and local food, and the lighthouse interior is open for tours throughout the day. Advance tickets cost $25 per person, $30 at the event; children under 12 get in free. On your way through town, check out all of the artistically designed lighthouse sculptures adorning the village sidewalks!
The address for the Saugerties Lighthouse is 168 Lighthouse Drive in Saugerties. For more information, call (845) 247-0656 or visit www.saugertieslighthouse.com.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20
Lyme Wellness workshops in New Paltz
If your Lyme test is reported to you as negative, you may wish to look at the paperwork yourself, because “inconclusive” does not mean the same thing as “negative,” in terms of results; but it may get reported to you that way. That’s just one nugget that I learned recently about Lyme wellness. If you or someone you love is impacted by Lyme or other tickborne diseases or chronic illnesses, check out the new Lyme Wellness workshop series this fall.
Regular workshops take place monthly on the third Wednesdays from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the New Paltz Community Center on the following dates: August 20, September 27, October 15, November 19 and December 17, and a special Fall Feast potluck and cooking demo is scheduled for Friday, October 3. Each monthly meeting begins with a bring-your-own-bagged-lunch gathering from 12 noon to 12:30 p.m., followed by a solution-focused workshop that supports healing processes and overall wellness.
Admission to the workshops is free, but donations are accepted. The New Paltz Community Center is located behind the New Paltz Town Hall at 1 Veterans’ Drive in New Paltz. For more information, contact lymewellness@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/newpaltzlymesupportgroup.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21
Asperger’s advocate/author at Inquiring Mind
For some of you, these bare facts are all you need: Jesse Saperstein and his new book, Getting a Life with Asperger’s: Lessons Learned on the Bumpy Road to Adulthood, Thursday, August 21 at Inquiring Mind in Saugerties, 7 p.m.; Friday, August 22 at Inquiring Minds in New Paltz, 7 p.m. Now, for others of you who are new to this best-selling author, autism and anti-bullying advocate, motivational public speaker and Hudson Valley native son from Pleasant Valley, you and anyone else interested in any aspect of Autism Spectrum Disorder are in for an evening of excellent information, wry humor and inspiring anecdotes. Saperstein’s new book shares his own experiences and tips about getting along with others, managing emotions, succeeding in school and work, building relationships and more.
I hope that you share this event with everyone you know, especially families with youth on the spectrum who seek out a contemporary role model who really gets it about living with Asperger’s. Inquiring Mind is located at 200 Main Street in Saugerties, and Inquiring Minds at 6 Church Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-8300 or visit www.inquiringbooks.com. To learn more about the author, visit www.jessesaperstein.com.
Erica Chase-Salerno’s father, Robert Chase, shares these words of wisdom: “Glow sticks go in the fridge for another day of fun!” She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
