Sankofa performs at Howland Cultural Center in Beacon
This Saturday, February 7 at 8 p.m., get ready to move and groove with a performance by the African drum and dance ensemble Sankofa at the Howland Cultural Center. Tickets cost $10. The Howland Cultural Center is located at 477 Main Street in Beacon. For tickets or more information, call (845) 831-4988 or visit www.howlandculturalcenter.org.
DanceFest! returns to SUNY-New Paltz
This weekend’s 23rd annual DanceFest! is the chance to see 12 area dance schools perform in one venue, and it’s always spectacular. DanceFest! takes place at the McKenna Theatre at SUNY-New Paltz this Saturday, February 7 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, February 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and children 12 and under, and proceeds will benefit the Vanaver Caravan’s local arts education programs.
SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 256-9300 or visit https://vanavercaravan.org.
Tree ID walk in Woodstock
“Can you identify a tree without its leaves?” asks the Woodstock Land Conservancy. Let’s get outside! This Saturday, February 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, bring the whole family for a tree walk with arborist Vern Rist, who will point out identifying features including buds, bark, twigs, silhouette and persistent seeds. This program is free and open to the public, and children are especially welcomed and encouraged to come.
Meet at the Comeau Town Offices parking lot, weather permitting, located at 45 Comeau Drive in Woodstock. For more information, call (845) 679-6481 or visit ulsterpub.staging.wpenginelandconservancy.org.
Make musical Valentines at Kingston’s Old Dutch Church
“If music be the food of love, play on,” commands Shakespeare. This Saturday, February 7 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., you can go to the Old Dutch Church to get your farm-fresh veggies from the Kingston Farmers’ Market, and your children can make Valentine’s Day-themed, music-based art projects with Catskill Mountain Music Together.
The Old Dutch Church is located at 272 Wall Street in Kingston. For more information, visit www.kingstonfarmersmarket.org. To learn more about Music Together, visit www.catskillmountainmusictogether.com.
You Glow Girl! at Bodhi Spa in Hudson
Round up the 9th-through-12th-grade girls you know and head over to You Glow Girl! You Glow Girl! celebrates teen wisdom and empowers girls by helping these young women to ask the questions that matter to them, to share dreams and to explore feelings. The evening begins with yoga poses and ends with discussion.
Preregistration is required and the cost is $30. You Glow Girl! takes place on Saturday, February 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Bodhi Spa, Yoga & Salon, located at 543 Warren Street in Hudson. For more information or to register, call (518) 828-2233 or visit www.bodhiholisticspa.com.
Arts Society of Kingston shows artworks by brain injury patients
I’m making a point this month to stop by the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) to see the exhibit, “Art Created during Recovery.” These works were created by 50 art studio participants at the Northeast Center for Rehabilitation and Brain Injury.
ASK is located at 97 Broadway in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 338-0333 or visit https://askforarts.org. To learn more about the Center, visit www.northeastcenter.com.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Percussion workshop for kids at Rhinecliff’s Morton Library
Have your kids bring bottles, pots and pans to this weekend’s free family concert featuring the Bard College Conservatory Percussion Studio. On Sunday, February 8 at 3 p.m., the musicians present a lively, interactive concert about exciting ways to create sound with everyday objects.
The concert takes place at the Morton Memorial Library and Community House, located at 82 Kelly Street in Rhinecliff. For more information, call (845) 876-2870 or visit https://rhinebeckmusic.org.
Frozen-themed kiddie makeover at Revive in New Windsor
Got a child who loves Frozen? Might that same child be interested in receiving spa services? On Sunday, February 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Revive, tell your mini-Elsa or Anna to put on her princess dress and join the “You’re Worth Melting For” event, which includes a singalong, storytime, make-up application session, Frozen-inspired hairstyle, mini-manicure, professional photograph opportunity and a Valentine’s Day craft. The cost is $38 per child, and parents get in for free.
Revive is located at 47 Old Temple Hill Road in New Windsor. For reservations or more information, call (888) 492-4415 or visit www.onceupon-a-teaparty.com.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Valentine cookie-decorating at Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in Poughkeepsie
Call now to reserve for the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum for Valentine cookie-decorating on Thursday, February 12 at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per child and includes a heart-shaped sugar cookie and all of the trimmings, and no mess for you to clean up!
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is located at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. For reservations or more information, call (845) 471-0589 or visit www.mhcm.org.
Erica Chase-Salerno thinks that Chocolate Day is a brilliant idea. She and her husband, Mike, live in New Paltz with their two children: the inspirations behind Hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
