Party Bangladeshi-style, pet a Dalmatian, play with paints or shoot a flintlock on snowshoes
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
– Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16
Bard students turn gradeschoolers onto science at Tivoli & Red Hook libraries
STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, is big right now, so what better way to reinforce these concepts from school or homeschool than with cool college folks? On Saturday, January 16 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Tivoli Free Library, Bard College offers free and fun computer science activities for young people in first through fifth grades. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
The Tivoli Free Library is located at 86 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information or to register, call (845) 757-3771, e-mail tivolilibrary@gmail.com or visit https://tivolilibrary.org.
Some say that the path to love is through food. Well, it can be the path to science, too! On Saturday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bard College’s Center for Civic Engagement leads “Take a Bite of Science” at the Red Hook Library. This free event is for children in second through fifth grades and includes edible science experiments, such as finding the iron in breakfast cereal and using a chemical reaction to make fizzing lemonade. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
The Red Hook Public Library is located at 7444 South Broadway in Red Hook. For more information or to register, call (845) 758-3241 or visit https://redhooklibrary.org.
Civic Center hosts Fitness & Family Fun Expo
This Fitness & Family Fun Expo sounds like a good time for a great cause, and if you resolved to get fit in 2016, then it can help with that, too! On Saturday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, talk with trainers and representatives from different gyms, participate in demonstrations, be in a bench-press competition or try out some strongman equipment; and there’s a bouncy house and activities for the kids.
Admission costs $5 for adults, and children under 12 get in free. This event is organized by Shelly’s Xtreme Fitness, and all admission and bench-press fees go to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The Iron Move bench-press competition is open to teens aged 15 and up, as well as men and women of all ages. The bench-press weigh-in takes place at 9:30 a.m.; the competition begins at 12 noon. Bench-press fees are listed at www.shellysxtremefitness.com/211-2.
The Mid-Hudson Civic Center is located at 14 Civic Center Plaza in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 452-5205 or visit www.shellysxtremefitness.com.
Mount Saint Mary College hosts Newburgh Symphony’s Arabian Nights
I’m hearing some nice buzz about this concert event and hope you can make it. On Saturday, January 16 at Mount Saint Mary College in Aquinas Hall, the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra presents Arabian Nights for young people and their families. Arrive at 1:30 p.m. for the Interactive Music Fair, including a chance to try out some sounds at the Instrument Petting Zoo; some opportunities for expression at the Art & Music Creation Station; a chance to conduct in You Take the Baton; and storytelling. Then, at 3 p.m., enjoy a family concert, a multimedia presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, featuring storyteller Peninnah Schram; and Aleksandr Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances with dancers from the Newburgh Free Academy.
Tickets cost $24 for adults, $30 for reserved seating, $18 for seniors, and children and students are admitted free with student ID. This event is generally very well-attended, so I strongly suggest reserving your tickets in advance. Mount Saint Mary College is located at 330 Powell Avenue in Newburgh. For tickets or more information, call (845) 913-7157 or visit www.newburghsymphony.org.
Interactive fire prevention show at Hudson’s FASNY Museum of Firefighting
Fire safety is serious business, but Firefighter Fran makes it fun! On Saturday, January 16 at 10:30 a.m. at the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, kids will enjoy Fran’s interactive show about fire prevention, as well as a meet-and-greet with FASNY Dalmatian mascot Firestar and access to museum exhibits and activities. Admission on this Super Saturday is free to Columbia County residents with proof of residency, and for non-county residents, it costs $7 for adults, $5 for children age 3 and older, free for children under 3 and $20 for the family rate of two adults and two children.
The FASNY Museum of Firefighting is located at 117 Harry Howard Avenue in Hudson. For more information, call (518) 822-1875 or visit www.fasnyfiremuseum.com.
Honor Ulster Corps volunteers at Marbletown Community Center
Did you make a resolution to do more volunteer work with your family this year? Learn more about some of the local opportunities to help in our area, while celebrating the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday, January 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Marbletown Community Center. The program honors Ulster Corps Guests of Honor volunteers and includes live music, refreshments and raffles.
The Marbletown Community Center is located at 3564 Main Street (Route 209) in Stone Ridge. For more information or to register, call (845) 481-0331, e-mail volunteer@ulstercorps.org or visit www.ulstercorps.org/events/mlk-day-celebration-of-service.
Zylofone workshops in Montgomery
Do you have a child with special needs who would love to explore some music, rhythm and movement classes? Zylofone weekly winter workshops begin this Saturday, January 16 from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for ages 4 to 9 years at Ms. Claire’s Music Cupboard. The cost is $159 per person.
Ms. Claire’s Music Cupboard is located at 8 Factory Street in Montgomery. For more information or to register, call (845) 476-8257 or visit https://zylofone.org.
Bangladeshi community celebration in Hudson
Bangladesh has Independence Day, Victory Day and there’s the New Year, and with so much to celebrate, why not begin 2016 with festivities that honor this country and its cultures? On Saturday, January 16 from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at the former St. Mary’s Academy, members of the Bangladeshi community are invited to be a part of the excitement. St. Mary’s Academy is located at 301 Allen Street in Hudson.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 17
Shandaken Primitive Biathlon in Oliverea
The Shandaken Primitive Biathlon at the Upper Esopus Fish & Game Club is old-school Catskill Mountain tradition, and it’s open to the entire family. Participants may use any style of snowshoes and black-powder muzzle-loading firearms. The biathlon takes place on Sunday, January 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, the course is 1.25 miles long with four shooting stations, two shots per station, and progress is timed. Time is reduced for participants wearing 1800s-era clothing.
Age classes are 12 to 16 years old, 17 to 40, 41 to 59 and 60 years and over, with prizes for First Place in each category. The day’s events include tomahawk and sharpshooter competitions, and an untimed woodswalk is an option for those to just want to snowshoe and shoot the course. Admission costs $18 and the woodswalk $12.
The Upper Esopus Fish & Game Club is located on Little Peck Hollow Road in Oliverea. For more information or to register, visit www.shandakenprimitivebiathlon.net.
Woodstock Community Center’s Birthday Tribute to Martin Luther King
Let’s get offline and out of the history books to connect in real life as a community remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Sunday, January 17 at 2 p.m. at the Woodstock Community Center, join the Woodstock’s 26th annual Birthday Tribute to Martin Luther King. Activities include reflection, celebration and song.
The Woodstock Community Center is located at 56 Rock City Road in Woodstock. For more information, call (845) 679-7420.
Paper Bag Players perform at SUNY-Orange
You can kind of get an idea of the style of these performers by their name and show title: Pop-Pop-Popcorn with the Paper Bag Players. They sound fun, active, engaging and all about entertaining kids and their adults. You can catch a local performance this Sunday, January 17 at 2 p.m. at Orange Hall Theater at SUNY-Orange. Tickets cost $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors and $6 for children and students with ID.
SUNY-Orange is located at 115 South Street in Middletown. For more information, call (845) 341-4891 or visit www.sunyorange.edu/culturalaffairs. To learn more about the performers, visit https://thepaperbagplayers.org.
MONDAY, JANUARY 18
Check out Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum
Are your kids off from school, preschool or daycare this Monday, January 18? Just a reminder that the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with its regular array of activities. Admission costs $8 for everyone over one year of age, but remember: You can always check with your library to see if it has passes available for you to check out so you can save on the entry fee. For an extra $3, your child can do the Paint Lab artistic experiments between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., such as a paint pendulum or a marker robot (and for extra peace of mind, I suggest bringing a change of clothes).
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is located at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 471-0589 or visit www.mhcm.org. And I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but for anyone who missed this announcement, nearby kid-friendly and traditional after-Children’s-Museum-outings restaurant staple Soul Dog has closed down permanently.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20
Woodstock’s Golden Notebook hosts improv classes
Improv is great for acting chops and comedic pursuits; just ask Tina Fey, Amy Poehler or Will Ferrell. Now your kids can get in on the fun right here in our area: On Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Golden Notebook, kids aged 7 years and up can participate in drop-in improv classes with the Ovenbird Theatre Company. The cost is $15 per class, or get a three-class card (or more) that works out to $12 per class.
The Golden Notebook is located at 29 Tinker Street in Woodstock. For more information, e-mail ovenbirdtheatre@gmail.com or visit www.ovenbirdproductions.com.
Erica Chase-Salerno dedicates this week’s column to the memory of her friend, the sweet, smart and very sassy Edie Backofen. “I’ll miss you, girl.”
Join the family! 
