Maple festivals in New Paltz and Fishkill
You love Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” but have you tried to play it? You love maple syrup, but have you tried to make it? Well, I can’t help you learn how to tickle the ivories, but I can help you with the syrup part! Here are two maple events going on this weekend:
The Maple Fest at Phillies Bridge Farm takes place this Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include a pancake brunch with local maple syrup, learning how to identify a maple tree, seeing a tapping demonstration, sipping sap straight from the tree, maple syrup-making, maple candymaking, teamaking, a children’s storytime, fiber arts and live music. The cost is $20 per family, $7 per individual, and $5 per student. Phillies Bridge Farm is located at 45 Phillies Bridge Road in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 256-9108, e-mail jasmine@philliesbridge.org or visit https://philliesbridge.org.
The 13th annual Sugar Maple Celebration at the Fresh Air Fund’s Sharpe Reservation takes place this Saturday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day includes maple sugaring demonstrations, historical characters, the Nature Discovery Center, a planetarium, a live animal show, a maple syrup-judging contest and a local crafts and food market. This event is free and open to the public. The Sharpe Reservation’s Camp Hidden Valley is located at 436 Van Wyck Lake Road in Fishkill. For more information, call (845) 897-4320 or visit www.freshair.org/maple-celebration.
Pirate School returns to Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
My kids and I really enjoyed the Pirate School show, and now I thoroughly enjoy throwing around pirate trivia, like “Did you know that the term ‘Jolly Roger’ comes from the threatening French pirate flag, Jolie Rouge, meaning ‘pretty red’?” You can learn this and much more at Pirate School: A Pirate’s Life for Me! this Saturday, March 19 at 11 a.m. at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. The show is geared for children ages 4 and up and includes plenty of comedy, audience participation and a puppet sidekick. Kids, come dressed as pirates!
The cost is $7 for children and $9 for adults and seniors. The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck is located at 661 Route 308 in Rhinebeck. For tickets or more information, call (845) 876-3080 or visit https://centerforperformingarts.org.
Signs of Spring Walk at Mohonk Preserve
This event is called a Signs of Spring Walk, but if Ann Guenther just stood still, I would call it Signs of Awesome because she’s so great! Join Ann for this annual tradition of noticing the smallest details emerging from winter into spring at the 26th annual Signs of Spring Walk this Saturday, March 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. All ages are welcome to this fascinating 2.5-mile ramble with Ann, a naturalist and former Mohonk Preserve educator. This program is free and open to the public, but you may need to cover the fees to use the Preserve, which are $12 for adults and free for children aged 12 and under.
Meet up at the Spring Farm trailhead, located at Upper 27 Knolls Road in High Falls. For more information, call (845) 255-0919 or visit https://mohonkpreserve.org/events.
Ulster Ballet’s Festival of Dance at UPAC
If March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, then what’s in between? Dance! This Saturday, March 19, the Ulster Ballet’s annual Festival of Dance takes place at 8 p.m. at the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC). Performers this year hail from the D’amby Project, Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Energy Dance Company, Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, Neville Dance Theatre, Silver Screen Ballroom, Syncopated City Dance Company and Ulster Ballet Company. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for children aged 11 and under.
UPAC is located at 601 Broadway in Kingston. For tickets or more information, call (845) 339-6088 or visit https://ulsterballet.org/festival.html.
Kids can dismantle stuff at Repair Café New Paltz
Have you heard? Repair Café New Paltz includes a take-apart area for kids! This is an exciting opportunity for children to tinker just like some of us were able to do growing up, just seeing what’s inside of all kinds of stuff! Repair Café New Paltz takes place at the New Paltz United Methodist Church this Saturday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Services to repair items, and Leah’s ten-minute massages to repair bodies, are free!
The New Paltz United Methodist Church is located at 1 Grove Street in New Paltz. For more information, e-mail jwackman@gmail.com or visit www.repaircafehv.org.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20
Murphy Center hosts Kingston Model Train and Railroad Hobby Show
If your crew goes wild for trains, then you’ll want to get to the Kingston Model Train and Railroad Hobby Show this Sunday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Andy Murphy Midtown Recreation Center. The show includes model train displays, memorabilia and hobby items, for fun and for sale. The Children’s Fun Corner has balloons and kid-friendly activities such as Thomas the Tank Engine displays. You can even buy treats at the show kitchen, including hot dogs, soda, fruit and more.
Want to save on admission while helping others? Adults who bring in a non-perishable food item for the local Caring Hands Soup Kitchen get $1 off of entry. Admission costs $6 for adults and $1 for children under 12. The Murphy Center is located at 467 Broadway in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 616-0931 or visit https://kingstontrainshow.com. To learn more about the Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, visit www.facebook.com/caringhands.soupkitchen.3.
Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie hosts Community Purim Carnival
Springtime and hamantaschen are part of Purim, and you can be a part of the celebration at this weekend’s Community Purim Carnival. The Community Purim Carnival takes place this Sunday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie. The cost is $5 for kids and includes games, prizes, costumes and snacks. Gold’s Gym is located at 258 Titusville Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 471-9811 or visit www.jewishdutchess.org.
Bodhi Kids/Family Day at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock
Perhaps the change of seasons has left you and your family feeling rough around the edges. Do you need some inspiration? This Sunday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bodhi Kids/Family Day offers lessons on courage for young people from birth to age 18, with Tara Dance and environmental education for younger children and guided reflection, art and discussion for older youth from 11 to 18 years. This program is free and open to the public, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, and lunch is available for $10.
Bodhi Kids/Family Day takes place at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, located at 335 Meads Mountain Road in Woodstock. For more information or to register, call (845) 679-5906 extension 3, or visit www.kagyu.org.
MONDAY, MARCH 21
Poughkidsie hosts spring break workshops
Spring break workshops at Poughkidsie are a win/win: Your kid gets a couple of hours of supervised, fun learning time while you can do kids-free errands or just sit and enjoy a cup of tea. Spring break workshops are offered daily from 10 a.m. to 12 noon from Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25 and include daily themes such as “Young Chemists: Adventures with Slime, Gases and More” or “Clay Time/Playtime: Pinch Pots, Coiling and Clay Figurines.” Workshops are open to children ages 4 to 10 years for dropoff, but Village playtime afterwards requires a parent presence. The cost is $18 per workshop, with the option of adding afternoon Village play for $5.
Poughkidsie is located at 50 Springside Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For reservations or more information, call (845) 243-3750 or visit www.poughkidsie.com.
TUESDAY, MARCH 22
Spring Break Day Camp with Wild Earth in Accord
Put the “spring” in your kids’ spring break by getting your crew outside! Kids ages 5 to 11 years can register for Wild Earth’s three-day Spring Break Day Camp, which takes place this week from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 22 to 24. Activities include morning and closing circles, small group adventuring, assorted nature activities and great group games.
The program is located at Stony Kill Road in Accord, and the cost is $225, with sibling discounts and financial aid available. For more information or to register, call (845) 256-9830 or visit https://wildearth.org.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
Sciencetellers present “Dragons and Dreams” at Millbrook Library
When storytime involves dry ice and talk about dragon’s breath, it must mean that the Sciencetellers are in town! Come see for yourself this exciting, engaging and educational program about changing states of matter this Wednesday, March 23 at 3 p.m. at the Millbrook Library. The “Dragons and Dreams” family program is free and open to the public of all ages, but registration is required.
The Millbrook Library is located at 3 Friendly Lane in Millbrook. To register or for more information, call (845) 677-3611, extension 4, or visit https://millbrooklibrary.org. To learn more about the presenters, visit www.sciencetellers.com.
Children’s Spring Tea at Mount Gulian in Beacon
Looking for a sweet tea party in a historic setting? Some families make this Children’s Spring Tea an annual tradition! Don your hats and head over to Mount Gulian this Wednesday, March 23 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Guests will enjoy afternoon tea, finger sandwiches, scones, desserts and a craft for children. Are you gluten-free? Mention it when you register, so you can join in on the treats, too. The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for kids.
Mount Gulian is located at 145 Sterling Street in Beacon. For more information or to register, call (845) 831-8172 or visit www.mountgulian.org.
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
Open mic night for youth at Tivoli Library
Could your talented teen be the next Sawyer Fredericks? Youth in sixth grade and up are invited to the Tivoli Free Library’s first open mic night this Thursday, March 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. All acts are welcome, the event is free and there will be snacks!
The Tivoli Free Library is located at 86 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-3771, e-mail tivoliprograms@gmail.com or visit https://tivolilibrary.org.
Erica Chase-Salerno has enough hair growth to start using shampoo again (but no eyebrows yet!). She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
