Remember to spring ahead and turn your clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. this Sunday, March 12.
Maple action
Warming days and chilly nights mean that the sap is inside the trees flowing up and down, which means that it’s time to make maple syrup! Here’s a roundup of sugaring events this weekend for you and your kids:
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Outdoor Discovery Center: maple sugar education tours each weekend until the end of March. Muser Drive, across from 174 Angola Road in Cornwall, (845) 534-5506, www.hhnm.org.
Randolph School Maple Fest: a day of music, story and sugaring, Saturday, March 11; pancake breakfast 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., $10 for adults, $5 for kids; Maple Fest activities 1 to 4 p.m., free. 2467 Route 9D in Wappingers Falls, (845) 297-5600, www.randolphschool.org/maplefest.
Camp Rising Sun Maple Syrup Day: make syrup and do traditional camp activities, Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free. 6 Rising Sun Lane in Rhinebeck, (212) 686-1930, www.lajf.org/events/2017/1/12/maple-syrup-day.
Ashokan Center Maple Fest: annual gathering with traditional Catskill activities like tree-tapping, hikes and crafts, Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5, extra charge for pancakes and/or crafts. 477 Beaverkill Road in Olivebridge, (845) 657-8333, http://ashokancenter.org.
Spanish Spelling Bee practice
¿Tiene un hijo o una hija quién habla Español? Do you have a son or daughter who speaks Spanish? Because youth in fourth through eighth grades who can read and write in Spanish can participate in the upcoming fourth annual Spanish Spelling Bee taking place on Saturday, April 29 at Vassar College. Since we know that practice makes perfección, your crew can register for free weekly review sessions!
Practice sessions with volunteer mentors take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon through April 22 at the Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street in Kingston and in Room 203 of Rockefeller Hall at Vassar College at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie. The winner of the local April competition receives two tickets to participate in the National Spanish Spelling Bee in Austin, Texas in July. The list of words covers everything from A to Z – or from abad to zurriagazo – which can be found here: http://nationalspanishspellingbee.com. For more information, call (845) 758-6822, extension 3759, or visit http://lavoz.bard.edu.
#blackstoriesmatter
Therapist Carl R. Rogers said, “What is most personal is most universal,” and that insight is exactly the special sauce for which the TMI Project is known: connecting people through personal sharing. I invite you and your family to check out #blackstoriesmatter, a collection of nine different interesting narratives that features local folks right here in the Hudson Valley. Let me know your thoughts about it! Simply visit www.tmiproject.org/blackstoriesmatter.
Zylofone programs
What is it about music that helps us to feel like a part of something bigger? That’s exactly what drives Zylofone: interactive music programs for individuals of all ages with special needs or considerations. A new session begins this month with these weekly classes:
Hats! a musical production for children ages 5 to 13 years, begins on Saturday, March 18 at 12:30 p.m.
“Groove for Kids” workshop starts on Tuesday, March 21 from 6 to 6:45 p.m.
“Sketch and Song” workshop begins on Wednesday, March 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
“Music and Movement” workshop for ages 4 to 9 years takes place on Saturday, March 25 from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
And Zylofone doesn’t just have a new session getting underway; it also has a new studio space! Zylofone is now located at 3020 Route 207, Suite 107, in Campbell Hall. For more information or to register, call (845) 476-8257 or visit http://zylofone.org.
FRIDAY, MARCH 10
Libraries host free Brianna Thomas Band concerts
Modern gospel, jazz standards, all ages and free? Yes, please! I’m obviously talking about the dynamite singer Brianna Thomas and her band, and you and your family can catch a performance this weekend (crossing fingers that she sings “Bye Bye Blackbird”)! On Friday, March 10 from 7 to 8 p.m., see Brianna with her jazz trio at the Mountaintop Library, located at 6093 Main Street in Tannersville. On Saturday, March 11 from 5 to 7 p.m., Brianna will be at the Millbrook Library, located at 3 Friendly Lane in Millbrook.
For more information, call the Mountaintop Library at (518) 589-5707 or the Millbrook Library at (845) 677-3611, or visit the songstress’ own website at www.briannathomas.com.
Irish Dance Workshop in Tivoli
Q: Why do frogs like St. Patrick’s Day?
A: Because they’re always wearing green!
Lately, with talk about jump-overs and leaps, one might think that we’re talking about frogs; but this is the time of year when we see a plethora of Irish dance performances! On Friday, March 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Tivoli Free Library hosts an Irish Dance Workshop by the D’Amby Project, which is a dance company and school based out of Red Hook. This session includes an energized dance lesson and demonstration, and all ages and abilities are welcome. The Tivoli Free Library is located at 86 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-3771 or visit http://tivolilibrary.org. To learn more about the D’Amby Project, visit www.thedambyproject.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
Woodstock Playhouse presents Cinderella! Cinderella!
Have you been looking for an engaging live show to introduce your little one to live theater? Here’s one that’s sure to please! At 2 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12, the New York Conservatory for the Arts (NYCA) Theatre for Children Company presents Cinderella! Cinderella! at the Woodstock Playhouse. Don’t be fooled by the name – this isn’t just another story about a damsel in distress who lost a high heel; this story has a twist, as Cinderella learns that magic isn’t the answer to her problems.
The show lasts for 45 minutes, with no intermission. Tickets cost $10 for seniors and students, $12 for adults. The Woodstock Playhouse is located at 103 Mill Hill Road in Woodstock. For tickets or more information, call (845) 679-6900 or visit www.woodstockplayhouse.org/theatre-for-children.
Monster Intelligence at Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
Do your kids enjoy funny things? Lots of different types of music? Not-very-scary creatures? Then get your reservations for Monster Intelligence, a puppet show about challenges, risks and dreams taking place this Saturday, March 11 at 11 a.m. at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. Tickets cost $7 for children, $9 for adults.
The Center for Performing Arts is located at 661 Route 308 in Rhinebeck. For tickets or more information, call (845) 876-3080 or visit http://centerforperformingarts.org/family-series/item/monster-intelligence-puppet-show.
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
Experience “Purim in the Caribbean” in Poughkeepsie
Brrrrrrrrrrr! A tropical getaway would sure be nice for warming up right now, wouldn’t it? You can leave your passport home for this one, though, because “Purim in the Caribbean” takes place right here in the Hudson Valley! On Sunday, March 12 at 4 p.m., head over to the Town of Poughkeepsie Senior Center for a Caribbean-style dinner, smoothie bar, reggae drum circle, Jewish reggae music, pirate treasure hunt, crafts and more. Admission costs $18 for adults, $12 for children, $180 for sponsors and $360 for Purim Heroes.
The Town of Poughkeepsie Senior Center is located at 14 Abe’s Way in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 463-5801 or visit www.chabadmidhudsonvalley.com.
“Activist (Story) Hour” for kids at Inquiring Minds in New Paltz
Democracy is for all ages! But how can you connect with young children around activism? Chelsea Miller is making it easy, with “Activist (Story) Hour,” geared for children ages 3 to 8 years, taking place this Sunday, March 12 at 10:30 a.m. at the Inquiring Minds bookstore in New Paltz. Kids will hear a story, be a part of the discussion and celebrate our world’s commonalities and differences. Older children as well as parents will appreciate this time of inspiration, too! “Activist (Story) Hour” is free and open to the public.
Inquiring Minds is located at 6 Church Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-8300 or visit www.inquiringbooks.com or www.facebook.com/events/431086027228061.
Hands-on ceramic workshop at the Dorsky Museum
Would you like to get in on a fun and unique family activity? Round up the kids and register for the Family Day at SUNY-New Paltz’s Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art taking place this Sunday, March 12 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The theme is “Carl Walters and Woodstock Ceramic Arts”: Because you showed such a demand last month, they’re offering it again! Families will take a special tour of the exhibits, then use oven-bake clay to make Carl Walters-inspired animals, which are then displayed in a shadow box. The program costs $5 for materials for children under 18, and registration is required.
SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. To register or for more information, call (845) 257-3844 or visit www.newpaltz.edu/museum/visit/familydays.
Purim Carnival in New Paltz
Q: What is a cat’s favorite holiday?
A: Purrrrrrrrr-im! (Dylan, age 9, New Paltz)
Dylan says that families are invited to come together for the annual Purim Carnival taking place this Sunday, March 12 at 10 a.m. at the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz Community Center, and from what she’s telling me, it’s a great time! You get dressed in costumes like Halloween; stories are told about Esther and her heroism; and every time the bad guy Haman is mentioned, the kids razz him with their noisy graggers. And, yes, of course there are hamantaschen cookies, representing Haman’s three-pointed hat.
The shul (storytelling, service) takes place at 8 Church Street in New Paltz; the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz Community Center is located at 30 North Chestnut Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-9817 or visit www.jewishcongregationofnewpaltz.org.
“Hudson Valley Whaling & Scrimshaw” at Maritime Museum in Kingston
When considering an artform that is considered American-born during the whaling years, how can you tell the difference between traditional handcarved scrimshaw ivory work and laser-etched, mass-produced pieces? The machine-made specimens look identical, including the width of the etched lines, whereas the hand-crafted ivory has variation in both line thickness and depth.
Would you like to give your kids a scrimshaw experience? Take the crew to the Hudson River Maritime Museum this Sunday, March 12 from 1 to 2 p.m. for a “Hudson Valley Whaling & Scrimshaw” family program. Participants will listen to a story about whaling, learn about the history of whaling in New York and carve their own scrimshaw out of soap. This program is included in the price of admission, which costs $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children or a $20 family rate. Active military families and children aged 4 and under get in free.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 338-0071 or visit www.hrmm.org/family-programs.html.
THURSDAY, MARCH 16
“Being at Your Best when Your Kids Are at Their Worst” in New Paltz
If you see a lecture titled “Being at Your Best when Your Kids Are at Their Worst,” are you curious to learn more? Because when Kim Payne’s the name, and the Simplicity Parenting Approach is the game – specifically with regard to emotional self-regulation – lots of people want to hear him! Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, so you can hear new tweaks, ideas, approaches and methods about parenting. Tickets cost $15 before March 10, or $20 at the door.
The Mountain Laurel Waldorf School is located at 16 South Chestnut Street in New Paltz. For tickets or more information, call (845) 255-0033 or visit https://mountainlaurel.org.
Erica Chase-Salerno thought LEGO Batman was hilarious! She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
