Some animals have a lot to celebrate. They’ve been rescued for one reason or another and brought to live at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary (CAS), a 148-acre refuge located in Saugerties. Not a bad place to “retire” – especially when attended by compassionate caregivers like founder Kathy Stevens and her team. A not-for-profit organization, CAS has cared for more than 4,000 animals (and has found homes for many of them) since 2001.
To mark another successful year, CAS is throwing its annual summer party. The Shindig happens this Saturday afternoon with fun and educational family activities, vegan cooking demos, a raffle with great prizes, music by Joy Askew and Shlomo Franklin, vegan food vendors, speakers and the highlight of the day: the opportunity to hand-feed watermelon to rescued pigs!
About those savory and sweet vegan treats: Freakin’ Vegan, Gone Pie, the Green Palate, Wendy’s Vegetarian Kitchen and So Delish will serve up plant-based goodies. CAS provides year-round educational programs that advocate veganism as the best way to end animal suffering, improve human health and heal an ailing planet. Along with direct animal aid and advocacy, the Sanctuary also offers weekend tours, summer camp and vegan culinary classes.
Tickets cost $20 general admission, $17 for Sanctuary members, $10 for kids aged 5 to 12 and are free for kids under 5. Proceeds from ticket sales go to support the ongoing work of CAS. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/2zO3fFV. Shindig goes on rain or shine, so dress accordingly.
Shindig, Saturday, July 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., $20/$17/$10, Catskill Animal Sanctuary, 316 Old Stage Road, Saugerties; (845) 336-8447, www.casanctuary.org.
Join the family! 
