All right, Mamas, it’s that time of year again, and many of you tell me you are over the whole Mother’s Day thing. Well, let’s see about that! Here is my list of options that you might want to do this weekend after all, in honor of all of the amazing mother figures in our lives!
Bloom and the B2s appear at the Rail Trail Café for you this Sunday, May 14. The B2s sing at 1 p.m. (nine voices); Bloom at 2 p.m. (34 voices). 310 River Road Extension, Tillson, www.railtrailcaferosendale.com.
Cantors’ Cabaret: Spotlight on Broadway means an evening of Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line, Wicked, Ragtime and more! Performed by cantor Claire Franco, cantor Jodi Schechtman and Shir Chadash’s own cantor Gail Hirschenfang on Saturday, May 13 from 8 to 10 p.m. $25 advance tickets, $30 at the door, $20 students. Poughkeepsie Day School, 260 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie, www.shir-chadash.org/concert-.html.
Family Day at the Dorsky includes a family-friendly tour and scavenger hunt of the “Sara Greenberger Rafferty: Gloves Off” exhibition at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, followed by a hands-on activity. Sunday, May 14, $5 materials fee for children 18 and under. SUNY New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, www.newpaltz.edu/museum/visit/familydays.
Girl Goddesses and Their Moms: A Mother’s Day Retreat of Connection and Joy gives female caregivers and their girls ages 12 to 15 years time together with dance, collage and guided reflection. Facilitated by Nada Khodlova, the cost is $30 per mother/daughter pair, $10 per additional daughter. Saturday, May 13, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wellness Embodied Center, 126 Main Street Suite A, New Paltz, www.wellnessembodiedcenter.com/girl-goddesses-and-their-moms.html.
Girls, Inc. YWCA 5K offers you a chance to run with your family while supporting Girls, Inc. Then refuel during awards and free barbecue at Keegan Ales afterwards! Register in advance or at 8:30 a.m.; Run/Walk begins at 10 a.m. YWCA, 209 Clinton Avenue, Kingston, www.ywcaulstercounty.org/events-calendar/annual-mothers-day-run.
Make-Her Day on the Walkway highlights fine art, hands-on crafts, handmade, local and fair-trade gifts, whether for a mother figure or yourself or graduation. Saturday, May 13, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walkway over the Hudson, 61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, www.facebook.com/events/1784431181880184.
Mother’s Day at Mount Gulian is a Colonial history lesson right here in the Hudson Valley. Moms tour free at 1 and 2:15 p.m. and enjoy free refreshments. Remember to bring your camera for the adorable bridge and stream photos you’ll want to take. All others pay: $8 for adults, $6 seniors, $4 ages 6 through 18, free for members and children under 5. 145 Sterling Street, Beacon, http://mountgulian.org/events.html.
Mother’s Day Tea at Clermont State Historic Site includes a family tour of the gardens and a special tea party in a most lovely setting. Reservations are required; get your names on that list! The cost is $18 per person; children 5 and under get in free. 87 Clermont Avenue, Germantown, (518) 537-4240, www.friendsofclermont.org/mothers-day-tea.
Mother’s Day Bike and Hike happens at the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve this Sunday, May 14 until 4 p.m. Bikes depart Bartlett Park at 1:45 p.m. for the leisurely ride to the preserve; hikers meet at the Vassar Barns at 2:30 p.m. for a woodland stroll. Mothers and others of all ages are welcome. 50 Vassar Farm Lane, Poughkeepsie, http://environmentalcooperative.vassar.edu/news/2016-2017/170430-mothers%20day-hike-and-bike.html.
Roller Derby at Skate Time 209 pits the Mid-Hudson Misfits versus Firestorm Roller Derby (better than TaserFace, amiright?) on Saturday, May 13 at 6 p.m. at Skate Time 209. Two sets of rules, two fierce teams; enjoy! Admission costs $12 at the door, $10 in advance. 5164 Route 209, Accord, http://midhudsonmisfits.com/wp/a-storm-is-a-brewin.
SATURDAY, MAY 13
Mythology workshops at Elting Memorial Library in New Paltz
The Mythology Explosion at the Elting Memorial Library is a chance for young people to experience these ancient stories through new pathways, and all right at a local library! Here are some of the upcoming workshops: Saturday, May 13, 4 p.m., Jigsaw Puzzle event, where participants complete mythology-themed puzzles; Tuesday, May 16, 4 p.m., Origami Workshop gives kid a choice between making a dragon or Pegasus; Sunday, May 21, 4 p.m., Mask-Making/Who Do You Want to Be? Workshop; Tuesday, May 23, 4:30 p.m., Dungeons and Dragons Workshop; Sunday, June 4, 10:30 a.m., Magic the Gathering Workshop; Monday, June 5, 6:30 p.m., Astronomy/Planetarium Workshop (registration due by June 2).
These cool workshops are free and open to the public. The Elting Memorial Library is located at 93 Main Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-5030 or visit www.eltinglibrary.org/elting-events/calendar.
Teen Coloring Book-Making Crafternoon in Kingston
Wishing for more gender-fluid, feminist and queer visibility in media? Here’s a terrific way to get started: the LGBTQ Teen Coloring Book-Making Crafternoon with artist and author Jacinta Bunnell! I just think that everyone should go and hang with Jacinta; but, to expand on what’s happening at her event, this is instruction to create your own old-school print-media influence. You’re changing images that are out there to fit your vision of the world. You are making your own coloring book – just like Jacinta does.
The Hudson Valley Queer Youth Project for Big Queer Coloring Book-Making takes place this Saturday, May 13 at 1 p.m. at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center at 300 Wall Street in Kingston. There’s a $5 suggested donation, and this event is geared for young people ages 12 to 18 years. For more information, visit https://vspotz.com/event/128514377698115 or http://lgbtqcenter.org. To learn more about the amazing presenter, visit www.etsy.com/shop/jacintabunnell.
Apple Blossom Day in Red Hook
Just as the apple blossom is a hint of the juicy rewards coming this fall, so too is the Apple Blossom Day, which is so much more than dainty flowers! We’re talking Music by Maggie Rothwell, Irish dance, pony rides, children’s activities, food and more…and more, and more. Just head over to the Village of Red Hook between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and take in spring.
For more information, visit www.redhookrotaryclub.org/stories/apple-blossom-2017. To learn more about my cherished Music by Maggie, visit www.facebook.com/musicbymaggie.
Workday at Esopus Meadows Preserve in Ulster Park
Have you ever felt like your entire life is eroding beneath you? I have a fix for that: Bend down and touch the Earth – preferably with a coir log. That’s exactly the project happening at Scenic Hudson’s Weekend Volunteer Workday at the Esopus Meadows Preserve this Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: erosion control. Come with family and friends and colleagues, closed-toe shoes, gloves, hat, water and lunch, and make a difference and help to heal the land.
The Esopus Meadows Preserve is located at 269 River Road in Ulster Park. For more information or to register, call (845) 473-4440, extension 273, or visit http://bit.ly/2q47WTD.
Community Free Day at Dia:Beacon
Until recently, I honestly had no idea how many first dates take place at Dia:Beacon. But it turns out that it’s a thing, and I think it’s genius: open space, plenty to discover and talk about, Hudson River views – and cool eateries just up Main Street, like my personal favorite, gluten-free Ella’s Bellas bakery. And you and your crew can visit DIA for free this Saturday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Community Free Day! Have fun, and tell me your impressions!
Dia:Beacon is located at 3 Beekman Street in Beacon. For more information, visit www.diaart.org/program/program/community-free-days.
Late Spring Wildflower Walk at Mohonk Preserve
I’m so enchanted by the title, now I’m dreaming of ladyslipper blooms… For a dash of nature, along with what are sure to be some sweet photos, make a plan to attend the Late Spring Wildflower Walk at the Mohonk Preserve taking place this Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You’ll feel refreshed, rejuvenated and inspired walking through this forest-and-ridge hike. Open to ages 15 and up (no pets, please), this easy four-mile hike is a spring highlight.
Space is limited, and reservations are required. For more information or to register, call (845) 255-0919 or visit http://mohonkpreserve.org/events/late-spring-wildflower-walk-0.
Bike Swap at New Paltz High School
These kids keep growing! They keep needing bigger bikes! Do you need a bike too, just to keep up? Or perhaps you have some goods to sell? Here’s where to start: the tenth annual New Paltz Bike Swap at New Paltz High School this Saturday, May 13! Seller check-in begins at 9 a.m.; at 10 a.m., buyers arrive; at 1 p.m. seller check-in ends; at 2 p.m. the Swap ends; 3 p.m. is the deadline for seller pickup. Admission is free!
New Paltz High School is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road in New Paltz. For more information, call (917) 655-5123 or visit www.newpaltzbikeswap.com.
MONDAY, MAY 15
Student Loan Repayment Workshop
So, over the years, I include college-related information for you – often about loans and financial aid. But this time, it’s a different angle: What can you do when you need help figuring out how to pay back a loan after you graduate? That’s where the Student Loan Repayment Workshop at the Tivoli Library comes in. This Monday, May 15 from 5 to 7 p.m., attendees will learn about “available repayment plans, forbearances, deferments, loan consolidation, rehabilitation, student loan forgiveness, ways to bring your loan out of default and stopping wage garnishment.” You can do this!
The Student Loan Repayment Workshop is free and open to the public. The Tivoli Library is located at 86 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-3771 or visit http://tivolilibrary.org/programs. For more information about this New York State government program, visit www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/student_protection/dfs_student_protection.htm.
TUESDAY, MAY 16
Immigrant Gifts to America: Laughter at Old Dutch Church
Need a laugh? Looking for a lighter way to celebrate our area’s incredibly rich heritage? I am so glad to tell you about Immigrant Gifts to America: Laughter. This Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Old Dutch Church, smile, giggle, cackle, guffaw, snort or do whatever it is that you do in good humor, with “local laughter provocateurs” Mikhail Horowitz and Gilles Malkine, Henry Liu, Jared Whiteford and Thomas Bachman. Immigrant Gifts is free and open to the public, and donations are welcomed.
The Old Dutch Church is located at 272 Wall Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 338-8131 or visit www.rehercenter.org/news-and-events/immigrant-gifts-to-america.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
Tie-dye workshop for special needs youth
Do you have a young person between the ages of 14 and 24 with special needs? Are you familiar with the cool stuff offered by Family of Woodstock’s Adolescent Services? Family has a series of life-skills workshops that might be of interest to your kid – like this Tuesday, May 17 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for tie-dye! This program is free and open to youth, and registration is required.
Family of Woodstock is located at 39 John Street in Kingston. For more information, to register or to learn about additional upcoming workshops, call (845) 331-7080, extension 154 or 164, or visit www.facebook.com/family-of-woodstock-inc-parents-supporting-parents-431792943623463.
Family Fun & Fish Day
Here’s an easy way to get a jump on summer memory-making with your crew before June gets crazy: Family Fun and Fish Day 2017 at Kenneth Wilson State Campground on Saturday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I’m telling you about it now because you must register for Family Fun and Fish Day here, by Thursday, May 18: http://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/events/2017/05/20/family-fun-and-fish-day-2017. People tell me how much they love this annual event for all ages: crafts, fishing and food!
The cost to enter the park is $6 per person, but there is no admission fee for Family Fun and Fish Day. Kenneth Wilson State Campground is located at 859 Wittenberg Road in Mount Tremper. For more information or to register, call Brent Gotsch at (845) 688-3047, extension 3, e-mail bwg37@cornell.edu or visit http://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/events/2017/05/20/family-fun-and-fish-day-2017.
Erica Chase-Salerno is grateful to her Mom, mother-in-law and all of the mother figures in her life. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
