Touch-a-Truck at Orange County Fairgrounds
Here are a couple of features that I especially appreciate about this weekend’s Touch-a-Truck on Sunday, June 9: I love the designated horn-free hour from 10 to 11 a.m. for sensitive ears, including those of children with special needs; and the event runs until 4 p.m., so no matter when your child naps, there’s time to attend. In addition to vehicles such as a concrete mixer, dump trucks, an ambulance and racecars, children can enjoy a bouncy house and inflatable slide, games and more. Tickets cost $5 per person; children age 3 and under are free.
Touch-a-Truck takes place at the Orange County Fairgrounds, located at 239 Wisner Avenue in Middletown. For more information, call (845) 457-4774 or visit www.touchatruck.org.
Physics for kids at Gardiner Library
Take all of those questions – you know the ones I mean: the questions the kids ask while you’re driving and can’t look anything up. Why is the sky blue? Where do rainbows come from? Well, thanks to the Gardiner Library, you’ll get an assist. On Tuesday, June 11 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., high school Physics teacher Christian Fracchia presents “Phenomenal Physics,” where he’ll explore those questions and more. This science program is free and open to the public and geared toward preschool and elementary-school-aged children.
The Gardiner Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike in Gardiner. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit https://gardinerlibrary.org. To learn more about the presenter, visit www.physicsland.net.
Hudson heritage
Bloom where you’re planted, the saying goes. Here are some family-friendly events that I’m highlighting because to me, they do just that: help us connect with our Hudson Valley roots while celebrating in the present day.
Block Party in Celebration of Diversity in Kingston
Two wonderful festivals are taking place along the water this Sunday, June 9. In Kingston, it’s the first Block Party in Celebration of Diversity. This event takes place rain or shine from 1 to 5 p.m. at the T. R. Gallo West Strand Park, featuring a variety of ethnic clubs and organizations. The Block Party is intended as “an opportunity for sharing and building relationships cross-culturally…. The groups represent Kingston’s African-American, Greek-American, Irish-American, Jewish-American, Latino-American, Native American and Norwegian-American cultures.”
Children’s activities include arts and crafts, games, singing and storytelling. All of the activities at the Block Party are free, and food will be available for sale. Gallo Park is located at the foot of Broadway along the Strand in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 332-0258 or visit www.facebook.com/reherbakery.
Beacon Strawberry Festival
The Beacon Strawberry Festival is a family-friendly annual event that takes place along the Hudson River on Sunday, June 9 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Riverfront Park. In addition to homemade strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream, children’s activities include games; a children’s music stage; free hula-hooping demonstrations and lessons; crafts; environmental displays of live fish and other river life and local river history; and free 45-minute sails on the Woody Guthrie. Space aboard is limited; early signup at the Sloop Club booth is suggested.
Admission to the event is free. Riverfront Park is located on Red Flynn Drive in front of the train station in Beacon. For more information, call (845) 463-4660 or visit www.beaconsloopclub.org.
Flash mob
This Friday, June 7 at 4 p.m., head over to the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall to show your support for Ability First’s Dancing + Drumming Flash Mob event. The flash mob is the kickoff to the Love Our Kids Campaign, a six-month rally to share milestones among families with children with special needs by using the Twitter hashtag #loveourkids or posting the stories on Facebook: “We hope to raise awareness about the challenges that children with special needs and their families face every day, and the incredible joy they experience when they are able to overcome them.”
The Poughkeepsie Galleria is located at 2001 South Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 485-9803 or visit online at https://abilitiesfirstny.wordpress.com or at www.facebook.com/abilitiesfirstschool.
Erica Chase-Salerno celebrates all things cicada in New Paltz with her husband Mike and their two kids: the inspirations behind hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at [email protected].
