“Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance correctly.”
– Edward Albee, The Zoo Story
Saturday Arts Lab is back at SUNY-New Paltz
Parents of kids from kindergarten through fourth grade, are you ready for this? Two-hour art classes for eight weeks on Saturday mornings, for $65! It’s time for a new session of the Saturday Arts Lab at SUNY-New Paltz, beginning Saturday, October 1. This fall, the Saturday Arts Lab offers three classes, with session times from 10 a.m. to 12 noon or 1 to 3 p.m.: Adventures in Art (Kindergarten), Multimedia Imaginarium (grades 1 and 2) and Multimedia Explorations in Art (grades 3 and 4). Classes are taught by advanced Art Education students under the supervision of Art Education faculty. That means that you can go relax with a cup of tea at the Village TeaRoom, or take your younger kids to the playground, or go for a walk on the Rail Trail, or take care of some grocery shopping…
SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information, scholarship applications or to register, call (845) 257-3850 or visit www.newpaltz.edu/sal.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Screenagers at New Paltz High School
Are you an adult looking for help connecting with others? Do you feel that you need a better way to handle your time on electronic devices? Perhaps Screenagers can help! Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age is a 60-minute film intended to help families have conversations about how best to navigate the world of social media, videogames, academics and culture in everyday life. The movie is shown this Friday, September 23 at 7 p.m. in the New Paltz High School auditorium, located at 130 South Putt Corners Road in New Paltz. A panel discussion and audience question-and-answer session follows the film, including Melanie Hill, PhD, associate professor of Psychology at SUNY-New Paltz. Families are encouraged to attend together, especially middle school youth.
This event is part of a community series presented by the Maya Gold Foundation, which are all free and open to the public, although donations are welcomed. Upcoming events include Natalie Merchant and Friends: A Benefit Concert for the Maya Gold Foundation on Saturday, October 22 at SUNY-New Paltz; “Emotions Matter: Creating More Compassionate Schools and Communities through Emotional Intelligence” on Thursday, October 27 at SUNY-New Paltz; and Mykee Fowlin’s You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me on Thursday, November 17 at the Rosendale Theatre.
For more information, call (845) 418-5227 or visit www.mayagoldfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mayagoldfoundation. To learn more about the film, visit www.screenagersmovie.com.
Family Campout at Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall
Wish you could gaze at the night sky and squeeze in one more s’more this season? Join the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum’s Family Campout! The campout takes place from 6 p.m. this Friday, September 23 to 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 24, with activities for the whole family, a campfire and s’mores! A light breakfast snack – and, more importantly, coffee! – will be provided on Saturday morning. Bring a tent, sleeping bags and your penchant for fun. The campout costs $20 per adult, and $12 for children ages 5 and over.
The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum’s campout takes place at the Outdoor Discovery Center on Muser Drive in Cornwall, across from 174 Angola Road. For more information or reservations, call (845) 534-5506, extension 204, or visit https://hhnaturemuseum.org.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Museum Day means free admission to Bethel Woods
Been thinking about visiting the site of the original Woodstock Music Festival? (Hint: It’s not in Woodstock.) On a budget? Then clear your calendar for visiting Bethel Woods this Saturday, September 24 for Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live! because it’s free today! You simply print your ticket from www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day-live-2016, which is good for two people for the day at one participating museum. Other local museums with free admission for ticketholders today include the Gomez Mill House in Marlboro, www.gomez.org, and John Burroughs’ Slabsides in West Park, www.johnburroughsassociation.org.
Bethel Woods is located at 200 Hurd Road in Bethel. For more information, call (866) 781-2922 or visit www.bethelwoodscenter.org.
Kites over the Hudson at Washington’s Headquarters
I have two kids, and that means flying two kites at the same time – and inevitably, one never works. Can you relate? Well, take heart, dear readers, because Kites over the Hudson takes place this Saturday, September 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site; and not only do they offer free kites to the first 150 children ages 15 and under, but they have a kite hospital, too! You can picnic and frolic on the vast lawn of this historic property while taking in the gorgeous Hudson River views and enjoying free refreshments. The site is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free museum admission all day.
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is located at 84 Liberty Street in Newburgh. For more information, call (845) 562-1195 or visit www.facebook.com/washingtonsheadquarters or www.nysparks.com.
Hansel and Gretel at Red Hook’s Chocolate Factory
Follow the trail of gluten-free breadcrumbs to the Chocolate Factory for Hansel and Gretel this Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m. and again at 12 noon. Enjoy this live performance with Hansel, Gretel, the Stepmother, the Goose Herder and the Witch! Tickets cost $10 per person and are available in advance or at the door.
The Chocolate Factory is located at 52 Elizabeth Street, Suite 2, in Red Hook. For tickets or more information, call (845) 475-7973 or visit www.facebook.com/theatreontheroad or www.theatreontheroad.com.
Family Day at West Point’s Constitution Island
“Chain, chain, chain,” sings Aretha Franklin in her 1967 hit “Chain of Fools,” 200 years after our Great Chain across the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War. The Chain’s eastern anchor point was Constitution Island, now part of West Point; and if you have not had the chance to see the island, you’ll want to attend this weekend’s Family Day. On Saturday, September 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Constitution Island is open for family-friendly activities, such as exploring footpaths and signs of Revolutionary War remnants; miniature horses, raptors and other live animal exhibits; professional storyteller Jonathan Kruk in period costume; live music; old-fashioned traditional games; and a teddy bear parade on the lawn for younger children. After all, the island was deeded to West Point during the tenure of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
Family Day is free and open to the public, but donations are welcomed. Constitution Island is accessed by boat from West Point’s South Dock every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or by van service from the Cold Spring Metro-North Train Station from 9:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. For more information, directions or reservations, call (845) 265-2105 or visit www.constitutionisland.org/family-day.
Harvest Hoedown & Local Food Barbecue in Marbletown
What are some words that we might use to identify the September season? Autumn…fall…Harvest Hoedown… You love this annual, family-friendly gathering with its local farm-to-table barbecue, live music and dancing, Zucchini 500 race, pumpkin-decorating and more! Tickets cost $30 for adults, $10 for children 6 to 12 years and are free for kids under 6, with discounts for advance purchase. The Harvest Hoedown takes place this Saturday, September 24 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Marbletown Recreation Park, rain or shine.
Marbletown Park is located at 350 Tongore Road in Kingston. For tickets or more information, call (845) 626-1532 or visit www.rondoutvalleygrowers.org/event/2016-harvest-hoedown-local-food-barbecue.
Peppa Pig’s Big Splash Live comes to UPAC
Do you live with anyone who loves muddy puddles like Peppa Pig? How about surprising your favorite little one with tickets to Peppa Pig’s Big Splash Live? Your child’s favorite sassy swine and friends come to the Ulster Performing Arts Center in the form of life-sized puppets and costumed characters this Saturday, September 24 at 5 p.m. Your two-to-five-year-old will love seeing Peppa, her brother George, Mummy and Daddy Pig, as well as Danny Dog, Pedro Pony and Suzy Sheep, as they all work together to fix the nursery roof and of course, do some muddy puddle-jumping. Tickets cost $39 to $79 for reserved seating.
The Ulster Performing Arts Center is located at 601 Broadway in Kingston. For tickets or more information, call (845) 339-6088 or visit www.bardavon.org/press-releases/peppa-pigs-big-splash-live. To learn more about the characters, visit www.peppapig.com.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Mask and puppet workshops in Rosendale
“I feel that almost everyone maintains a childlike quality throughout their adulthood. One of the nice things about the puppet form is that it has the ability to communicate with this childlike side of the audience,” mused master puppeteer Jim Henson. You and your companions, ages preteen through adult, can try your hand at the puppet- and mask-making workshops on Sunday, September 25 and October 2 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Redwing Blackbird Theater. The schedule features two hours of scripting, visual storyboards and vocal skills on September 25; movement and dance on October 2; one half-hour for break and snack; and one-and-a-half hours for rehearsal and performance at the end of each session. Each puppet workshop session costs $10 per person.
The Redwing Blackbird Theater is located at 413 Main Street in Rosendale. For more information or to register, call (845) 658-7651 or visit www.redwingblackbirdtheater.com.
Urban Wilderness Festival at Vassar Farm
Have you been wanting to try geocaching? Have you ever seen a real beaver dam? You can do all of this and more at the Urban Wilderness Festival and Environmental Fair taking place this Sunday, September 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve. This free and family-friendly festival gives people of all ages experiences with nature and sustainability in fun and engaging activities, and it’s happening rain or shine.
The Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve is located at 50 Vassar Farm Lane in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 437-7422 or visit https://environmentalcooperative.vassar.edu/news/2016-2017/160822-urban-wilderness-festival.html.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Monthly support groups in Rhinebeck & Red Hook
If we could save a young person’s life, would you do it? Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24. And the number of suicide attempts is four times higher for lesbian/gay/bisexual youth than straight youth. Here’s one local beacon of support: Teen Queer & Company, a social and supportive group for youth ages 13 to 18 years in the LGBTQIA community. Teen Queer & Company meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Starr Library every fourth Tuesday beginning September 27 and at 5:30 p.m. at the Red Hook Library every second Tuesday beginning October 11. These gatherings are free and open to the public.
The Starr Library is located at 68 West Market Street in Rhinebeck, (845) 876-4030; the Red Hook Library is located at 7444 South Broadway in Red Hook, (845) 758-3241.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Family Fun and Fish Day at Mt. Tremper’s Wilson Park
Were you disappointed about the postponed Wilson Park family fishing event in June? Well, here’s an exciting update: It’s happening next weekend! But if you plan to go, now is the time to register. because Wednesday, September 28 is the last day to sign up!
Family Fun and Fish Day takes place on Saturday, October 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Kenneth Wilson State Campground. All supplies and instruction are provided for fishing (although you are welcome to bring your own gear), and other offerings include a barbecue, arts and crafts and fish identification and ecology learning activities. This event is free and open to the public of all ages, and no fishing license is required, but the park has an entry fee of $6 per vehicle.
Kenneth Wilson State Park is located at 859 Wittenberg Road in Mount Tremper. For reservations or more information, call (845) 688-3047, extension 3, e-mail bwg37@cornell.edu or visit https://pub.cce.cornell.edu/event_registration/main/events_landing.cfm?event=FFFD2016_251.
Taco Lab for kids at Red Hook’s Enchanted Café
Longing for taco trucks on every corner? Here’s something to delight you and your crew in the meantime: Kids’ Cooking Class – Taco Lab, scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 at 5 p.m. at the Enchanted Café. Ages 6 through 12 will work with Chef Liam to create a taco meal that everyone can enjoy at the end! Parents are welcome to stay, and your food allergies can be accommodated with your advance registration. The cost is $15 per child and includes ingredients, a beverage, an activity book and a chef’s hat.
The Enchanted Café is located at 7484 South Broadway in Red Hook. For more information or to register, call (845) 835-8345 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSes6TFCOCt1b3xKqkZ9ChY-G2_HONS14XVOh2ibNtr3OapuMg/viewform?c=0&w=1#sthash.MPeJwLNU.dpuf.
Erica Chase-Salerno wishes you a Happy Autumnal Equinox! She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
