Lego Creative Building/Machine competition in Kingston
Take it from Lego Movie star Emmet: “You are the most talented, most interesting and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone.” Bring your favorite Lego experts and their Legos to create amazing things at St. Joseph’s Creative Building/Machine competition this Saturday, January 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Creative Building is for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, with prizes awarded to the top three most creative buildings in each age group and a medal for every builder.
Creative Machine is open to teams of students from fifth to 12th grade to build a Rube Goldberg machine: a device that executes a complicated chain reaction to complete a simple task. This event is open to youth from all school districts. Entry fees are $10, and all students will receive a participation certificate. Preregistration is encouraged, as space is limited.
St. Joseph’s School is located at 235 Wall Street in Kingston. For a full list of guidelines or to register, call (845) 339-4390 or visit www.saintjosephschoolkingston.com.
Gustafer Yellowgold at Kingston Library
Bring a drop of sun into your life with a Gustafer Yellowgold show at the Kingston Library this Saturday, January 24 at 10:30 a.m. Musician and artist Morgan Taylor sings excellent and whimsical songs about Gustafer’s new life here on Earth, accompanied by screened images illustrating the music. Gustafer is a favorite in our family. This performance is free and open to the public of all ages.
The Kingston Library is located at 55 Franklin Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 331-0507 or visit www.kingstonlibrary.org. To learn more about the performer, visit https://gustaferyellowgold.com.
Cunneen-Hackett in Poughkeepsie stages Rent: School Edition
Rent: School Edition tones down the show’s language and sexuality, giving you a chance to take the kids to some performances of it this weekend. You can see Rent: School Edition at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center this Saturday, January 24 at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, January 25 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under.
The Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center is located at 12 Vassar Street in Poughkeepsie. For tickets or more information, visit https://srotheatercompany.com.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28
Millbrook Library hosts Bill Robinson’s World of Animals
I hope your family has had a chance to visit the Trevor Zoo at the Millbrook School, with its indoor and outdoor exhibits. And now there’s a special opportunity to see more critters out Millbrook way: the “World of Animals” program at the Millbrook Free Library, led by Bill Robinson. On Wednesday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m., children ages 2 and up are invited to get up close and personal with a variety of reptiles and raptors. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
The Millbrook Free Library is located at 3 Friendly Lane in Millbrook. For more information or to register, call (845) 677-3611, extension 4, or visit h. To learn more about the presenter, visit www.robinsonswildlifelectures.com.
Modfest kicks off at Vassar College
Vassar College’s Modfest means that your life is about to light up with two-and-a-half weeks of free arts and cultural programs open to the public, from Wednesday, January 28 through Saturday, February 14. There are so many terrific events scheduled, but here are a few highlights that I feel might be of most interest to local families:
On Wednesday, January 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Ysaye Barnwell, formerly of Sweet Honey in the Rock, leads a community sing in the Villard Room on the second floor of the Main Building.
On Thursday, January 29 at 4:30 p.m., the “Teen Visions” art exhibit opening reception takes place in the James W. Palmer III Gallery in the College Center of the Main Building, and features works created by students ages 11 to 19 from the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft. Then, at 6:30 p.m., see a live performance of “Teen Music, Dance and the Spoken Word” in the Villard Room of the College Center in the Main Building with students from Mill Street Loft’s LitClub, an outreach program for girls in the Poughkeepsie Middle School, musicians in the Vivace string ensemble and dancers from the New York Academy of Ballet.
On Thursday, February 5 at 7 p.m., ChoralFest begins with the young voices of the Cappella Festiva Treble Choir in the Skinner Hall of Music.
For more information and a full listing of Modfest events, call (845) 437-5370 or visit https://arts.vassar.edu.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29
Pleasant Valley Library hosts identity theft protection workshop
I laughed when I read this bit recently: “As a young child, my mother told me I could be anyone I want. It turns out the police call this identity theft.” But identity theft is no joke; and to learn more about it, head over to the Pleasant Valley Free Library this Thursday, January 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This free program is led by investigator Timothy Milone of the New York State Police Troop K’s Computer Crimes Unit, and topics include identity fraud, phishing and scams and how to protect yourself.
The Pleasant Valley Free Library is located at 1584 Main Street in Pleasant Valley. For more information or to register, call (845) 635-8460, e-mail plvprograms@yahoo.com or visit https://pleasantvalleylibrary.org.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30
FDR’s birthday bash in Hyde Park
After watching that energized opening scene in the new Annie movie referencing president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, you can foster an even deeper connection for your family with the New Deal leader by attending his annual birthday event. On Friday, January 30 at 3 p.m., head over to the Rose Garden Ceremony at the FDR National Historic Site, followed by birthday cake and refreshments at the Henry A. Wallace Center. This event is free and open to the public.
The FDR National Historic Site is located at 4079 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park. For more information, call (845) 229-6214 or visit www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/publicprograms/calendar.html.
Coming up
The Yoga of Vision workshop
To me, Marc Grossman, OD, LAC is much more than a Hudson Valley eye doctor; he’s a visionary. I have worn glasses and contact lenses from a very young age, and after attending one of his workshops, I continue to marvel at the elements of sight that I have the power to improve by strengthening my eye muscles with his exercises, as well as his wonderfully entertaining and best-selling Magic Eye Beyond 3D book.
If you are interested in learning about how your inner vision affects your outer vision; how mind/body therapies combined with conventional approaches can treat conditions of nearsightedness, macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and more; the underlying physical and psychological effects of vision problems; and receiving an individual protocol for your particular eyesight issues, then you will want to attend his event next weekend: “The Yoga of Vision.” The Yoga of Vision takes place at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health from Friday, January 30 through Sunday, February 1.
Kripalu is located at 57 Interlaken Road in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. For more information or to register, call (866) 200-5203 or visit https://kripalu.org/presenter/V0000115. To learn more about Grossman’s work, visit www.naturaleyecare.com and https://drgrossman2020.com.
Hudson Valley Seed Library sponsors animated film contest
I’m all for living in the present, but to be honest on this frigid January day, at present I am thinking a lot about spring. Many of us are big fans of the Hudson Valley Seed Library, but why wait until spring to have some seedy fun? The Hudson Valley Seed Library invites animators and amateur stop-motion creators to submit a piece of four minutes of less to its short film contest. The film must be related to seeds, preferably including some of the Seed Library’s art packs.
Submissions should be uploaded to YouTube.com, Vimeo or another video-sharing site; e-mail the link with contest information to the Seed Library and post the link to the Hudson Valley Seed Library’s Facebook page. Entries are due between Sunday, February 1 and Sunday, February 15, when the films will be seen and voted on for a People’s Choice Favorite award. A separate panel of judges will select top films for prizes.
For more information about the Hudson Valley Seed Library or the short film contest, visit www.seedlibrary.org/seedyshorts or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/seedlibrary.
Erica Chase-Salerno celebrates this third anniversary of Kids’ Almanac this week, first published on January 26, 2012, with deepest thanks and appreciation to Almanac Weekly editor Julie O’Connor, Ulster Publishing publisher Geddy Sveikauskas and Erica’s awesome family, who inform every column. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
