“If anyone is interested in relentless and wildly inaccurate recaps of PAW Patrol episodes, I have a three-year-old with an unending supply. DM for details.”
– Brandon, Carmel
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
Karaoke Kids’ Party at Beacon Music Factory
Is your June schedule as jam-packed as our family’s calendar? Do you and your partner need to go out on a date? Or could you simply use a break? Here’s the perfect weekend antidote to recital/championship/testing/milestones and anything else that gets thrown your way this month: “Karaoke Kids’ Party: Date Night Out for Parents!” Karaoke Kids’ Party is hosted by the Beacon Music Factory and takes place on Friday, June 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. In addition to singing their hearts out, the $20 admission includes snacks, drinks and a slice of pizza and a dance party; sibling discounts are available.
The Beacon Music Factory is located at 333 Fishkill Avenue in Beacon. For more information, call (845) 765-0472 or visit http://beaconmusicfactory.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
Fairy house hunt at Locust Grove
What happens when some of your kids like historic sites, and some do not care for them at all? I consider that misery a disaster, and I get exhausted just thinking about it. Enjoy this time together by strolling the grounds! Look for fairy houses! The “Secrets in the Garden” family program take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11 at the Locust Grove Estate. Spend the afternoon exploring for fairy houses with Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi, and see what else you discover! The cost is $8 per person; kids under 3 get in free.
The Locust Grove Estate is located at 2683 South Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 454-4500 or visit www.lgny.org. To learn more about the program facilitator, visit http://lorrainetells.com.
Story slam workshop begins in Tivoli
Do your hungry and chatty tweens and teens shut down at the very thought of speaking in a more formal setting, or to a wider audience? What if there were another way? Introducing “Funny, but True!” This monthly workshop consists of three sessions: June 10, July 8 and August 12 that run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Funny, but True! is free and open to the public for youth in eighth through 11th grades and encourages participants to craft true and entertaining stories from your life. Registration for all three dates is required, and the series ends with a story slam at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 22 at the Enchanted Café, located at 7484 South Broadway in Tivoli.
The Tivoli Free Library is located at 86 Broadway. To register or for more information, call (845) 757-3771 or visit http://tivolilibrary.org/calendar/tivoli-calendar.
BachFest Young Performers’ Concerts in New Paltz and Cornwall
What’s German, loves music and has eight arms? Bachtopus! Get a jump on our area’s up-and-coming young musicians by attending the Hudson Valley BachFest 2017: Young Performers’ Concert this Saturday, June 10 at 2 p.m. at two different venues: North is the New Paltz United Methodist Church at 1 Grove Street in New Paltz; south is the Cornwall Presbyterian Church at 222 Hudson Street in Cornwall-on-Hudson. These youth performances are free and open to the public.
Did you know that Johann Sebastian Bach’s son, C. P. E. Bach, gave his father the nickname “the Old Wig”? Or that 19-year-old composer Felix Mendelssohn jumpstarted Bach’s popularity simply by having Bach’s St. Matthew Passion performed in Berlin in 1829? Go get your Bach on! For more information, a complete weekend concert schedule, or to make a gift to the Hudson Valley BachFest, visit www.hudsonvalleysocietyformusic.org/bachfest_2017_poster-final.pdf.
Drag Queen Story Hour in Hudson
It’s the weekend, you’ve got your kids and you want stories, activities, snacks and fabulousness, right? Great! Because that’s exactly what you get at the Hudson Area Library’s new Drag Queen Story Hour, taking place this Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Ella Ghent is a local drag performer, and this family-friendly gathering is open to the public of all ages.
The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 North Fifth Street in Hudson. For more information, call (518) 828-1792 or visit http://hudsonarealibrary.org.
ThinkDIFFERENTLY Dash in Poughkeepsie
How can I learn to think differently about something? It could it be exposure to a new idea I’ve encountered, or even a personal connection to someone who thinks differently from me. And these are precisely the inroads that Dutchess County is making to strengthen access to resources for individuals requiring physical or developmental support. On Saturday, June 10 at 10 a.m., you can be a part of ThinkDIFFERENTLY Dash! This one-mile run is an out-and-back route along Main Street in Poughkeepsie, and all people are welcome, including individuals, families, caregivers and friends, as well as mobility gear such as wheelchairs, crutches and other equipment.
Registration costs $10, headphone use is discouraged and you can read up on the website about the Walkway’s commitment to sustainability by minimizing race waste, conserving water and reducing its carbon footprint. For more information about this or the other Walkway races this weekend, or to become a ThinkDIFFERENTLY Dash mentor, contact Susanne O’Neil at soneil@walkway.org or visit http://walkwaymarathon.org/think-differently-dash.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
Sail Power at Hudson River Maritime Museum
“What is the connection between boats and kites?” you may wonder at first glance at the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Sunday Family Program this month. Your family can experience all kinds of fun at Sail Power taking place this Sunday, June 11 at 1 p.m. at the Museum, including the chance to make and fly your own kite!
Sunday Family Programs are open to the public of all ages and are included in museum admission: $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children, $20 for a family and free for museum members, active military families and kids aged 4 and under. The Hudson River Maritime Museum is located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston. For more information or to register, call (845) 338-0071, extension 11, or visit www.hrmm.org/family-programs.html.
Debbie Lan’s On a Midsummer’s Night at High Meadow School
Every time local librettist and composer Debbie Lan creates new work, I feel like I receive a gorgeous gift of sound. I hope you can hear her latest offering, On a Midsummer’s Night, which is scheduled for performance in July. Would you like to hear a sample of the music? I’m hearing that people are enjoying Debbie’s Shakespeare-through-song approach. On Sunday, June 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the High Meadow School, community members of all ages gather to hear songs from Debbie’s pop-opera, as well as music from her singing groups, Bloom and the B2s.
This benefit performance helps to offset the cost of the production, and a bake sale and silent auction are available to tempt you as well. General admission costs $15, $5 for children and is free for kids aged 4 and under. The High Meadow School is located at 3643 Main Street in Stone Ridge. For more information or to support the project with a donation, visit www.facebook.com/bloomlovestosing and www.facebook.com/events/242924736184060/permalink/244382936038240.
Hudson Valley Horrors & Frightmares at Hyde Park Roller Magic
Been restless, looking for new music to work out to? How about checking out a roller derby playlist? Even better, why not attend a roller derby bout?! I love to watch the quick speed and strategies of the teams as they circle lap after lap, while I stuff my maw with candy and carbonation: It almost feels like I did a workout by the time the match is over!
On Sunday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at Hyde Park Roller Magic, you can catch the fast live-action excitement of roller derby! Have you ever been to a roller derby? Cheer on our hometown Hudson Valley Horrors, and at intermission, amp up your applause for the expo bout of the Hudson Valley Frightmares Junior Roller Derby, whose members are ages 8 to 17 years!
A portion of the evening’s proceeds benefits Dutchess County Remove Intoxicated Drivers (www.facebook.com/dutchesscountyrid). Tickets cost $10 in advance, $15 at the door; children under 10 get in free. The doors open 6 p.m. Hyde Park Roller Magic is located at 4178 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park. For tickets or more information, call (845) 229-6666 or visit www.horrorsrollerderby.com.
Mask-making workshop at Minnewaska
Halloween comes once per year, but if your crew does pretend play year-round, this program will be of great interest! On Sunday, June 11 at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve Nature Center, stop by with your kids any time between 1 and 4 p.m. for “Mask-Making at the Nature Center.” Geared for children 6 to 11 years, this program explores the worlds of insects, birds and frogs; participants can make a colorful critter mask to keep and take home.
Mask-Making is free and open to the public, but each car is required to pay a $10 entrance fee into the park. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located at 5281 Route 44/55 in Kerhonkson. For more information, call (845) 255-0752 or visit https://parks.ny.gov/events/event.aspx?e=127-19323.0.
Sloop Club Strawberry Festival returns to Beacon
Looking for iconic Hudson Valley events for you and your family? Perhaps a local festival committed to environmental advocacy? Maybe throw in some live music on two stages, lots of free children’s activities and a favorite, local, seasonal fruit at the center of it all? I’m talking about the Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival, of course, taking place this Sunday, June 11 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Riverfront Park in Beacon.
First of all: Yes, the strawberry shortcake is homemade, and yes, including the whipped cream! I think strawberries are the perfect gateway to summer. And yes, the Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival offers free admission and is open to the public of all ages, with food, beverages, crafts and more available for sale. Pro Tip: if any boat rides are available, I suggest signing up for those first thing upon arrival!
Riverfront Park is located at 1 Flynn Drive in Beacon. For more information, call (845) 463-4660, (845) 831-6962 or (914) 907-4928, or visit www.beaconsloop.org/strawberry%20fest.html.
Jerrice Baptiste reading at Inquiring Minds in New Paltz
If activism means advocating and agitating individuals and communities into action, the point is to meet people where they are, right? That is exactly what Activist Story Hour is all about: reading stories out loud and exploring themes of social justice, diversity and more. Our next local Activist Story Hour takes place this Sunday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. at the Inquiring Minds bookstore in New Paltz, featuring Jerrice Baptiste. Baptiste is a familiar presence at area libraries, schools and book fairs where she does readings, writing instruction and poetry. You have also heard her on the airwaves on WKZE, and now you can meet her in person!
Activist Story Hour is free and open to the public, although it is geared toward young children. Inquiring Minds is located at 6 Church Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-8300 or visit www.facebook.com/groups/activisthour. To learn more about this month’s author, visit www.guanabanabooks.com and www.authenticpoetry.com.
TUESDAY, JUNE 13
Peter and Mikail and the Wolf at Kaatsbaan
Did you accomplish any important, meaningful work over these past two weeks? I thought I had, but then I learned that Prokofiev composed Peter and the Wolf in one week, then took another week or two to orchestrate it! Inspired? This week, you and your crew can experience the genius of this special story and musical themes through the lens of live dance!
On Tuesday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, the Academy of Dance performs Peter and Mikail and the Wolf. Your family will enjoy watching young dancers and supporting the arts. Tickets cost $5 per person. Kaatsbaan is located at 120 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-5106, extension 10, or visit www.kaatsbaan.org.
Erica Chase-Salerno is on the quest for fresh local strawberries! She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
