Firefighters Tree Lighting
For a special holiday evening to get your family into the Christmas spirit, head over to Kingston for the Professional Firefighters Annual Tree Lighting on Friday, November 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Festivities include caroling led by Coach House Players and special performances by the Catskill Ballet, the Kingston High School Brass Ensemble, and opera singer Maria Todaro. Santa, Mrs. Claus and all their friends will arrive aboard a fire truck at 7 p.m. There will also be giveaways, raffles, and refreshments. The tree lighting event is free and open to the public and takes place at Academy Green Park on Clinton Avenue in Kingston. For more information, call the Kingston Visitor Center (845) 331-7517. To learn more about the Kingston Professional Firefighters Association, visit www.kpffa.org.
Frosty Fest at Headless Horseman
It’s opening weekend at Frosty Fest, another special way to welcome the holiday season. The Headless Horseman attraction transforms into a winter wonderland through December 30. You can take a hayride or drive along the road on the grounds to see the holiday displays, then you park and walk around the buildings which are now festive and cheery, not scary like they were earlier this fall. This is a fun activity for families, and remember to dress warm. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for children, infants under one year are free. Bring some extra money for refreshments and the gift shop. Frosty Fest is located at 778 Broadway/Route 9W in Ulster Park. For more information, call (845) 339-2666 or visit www.afrostyfest.com where you can also download a picture to color and a decorative wish list.
Sinterklass journey
I’ll bottom line it for you: Sinterklaas is magical and you should go. To participate in Sinterklaas is to feel like you have been transported to some sort of old-fashioned feel-good movie where small towns accomplish great things with smiles and good cheer. I love how it draws from the Hudson Valley’s own history, because it’s a celebration that Dutch settlers imported with them when they landed here. Until I attended Sinterklaas last year, I had no idea how wonderful it is. You can pick and choose which events to attend, and you will have a wonderful time. This is an awesome annual tradition to begin participating in with your children. Sinterklaas, incidentally, was a real man who lived in Asia Minor during the 4th century, became a bishop, and loved children.
There are three parts to Sinterklaas: preparation; arrival day; and festival day. By “preparation,” I mean there are open workshops available for crafting Sinterklaas-related gear: giant puppets, decorative crowns and branches, but you could also do these on your own at home. The crowns and branches are worn and held by children in the Sinterklaas parades. You can participate in a crowns and branches workshop in Kingston on Friday, November 23rd from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Maritime Museum located at 50 Rondout Landing; and on Saturday, November 24th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rondout Center located at 105 Broadway. The Rhinebeck workshop takes place on Friday, November 23 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 20 West Market Street, next to Oliver Kita.
Arrival day means the actual Sinterklaas character appears: he is given a grand send-off from Kingston, he crosses the Hudson River, and he arrives in Rhinecliff to great fanfare.
Festival day takes place next Saturday, December 1, and I’ll write more about that in the next Kids’ Almanac.
For now, here’s what you should know. On Saturday, November 24, festivities take place between Broadway and the Rondout from 11a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A complete list of performers and activities is on the Sinterklaas website. At 3:30 p.m., the Children’s Maritime Parade begins its march down lower Broadway, and Sinterklaas is escorted down the hill to the Rondout waterfront to board his tugboat with his white horse to cross the river to Rhinecliff. This boat ride represents Sinterklaas’ traditional journey from Spain to Holland. Kids are encouraged to wear what they created in the workshop or at home: their decorated crowns, a sign of being a queen or king for the day, and to carry their decorated branches, a symbol of creative power, like a royal scepter. Adults are invited to carry the special Sinterklaas star. In Rhinecliff, the festivities take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sinterklaas is greeted with cheers and a brass band, followed by musical performances, a holiday singalong and a traditional performance of St. George and the Dragon. After the Arrival Day festivities, hold onto your crowns, branches, and stars, because you’ll want them for the parades on Festival Day next weekend. For more information about the Sinterklaas story or schedule, call (845) 339-4280 or visit www.Sinterklaashudsonvalley.com.
