Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Red Hook
If your kid is struggling to understand Snoopy’s references to World War I flying ace The Red Baron, a trip to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome might be in order. Home to just about every kind of old-fashioned plane you can imagine, the Aerodrome has weekend air shows from June into October. The opening weekend for this unique museum of aeronautical engineering is May 17.
When the planes aren’t in the air, visitors can also head into the hangers daily to check them out on exhibit.
For older kids and teens, who are really into air travel and the history of flight, you could also sign up for a biplane ride. A ride will cost $75 per person, and the plane can fit up to four riders. To get on the biplane, you also need a little bit of luck. It’s first-come, first-served on the weekends of the air shows. Rides are also weather-dependent, of course.
Younger kids will definitely enjoy checking out the old flying machines. But there’s also the more laid-back Model Airplane Museum on site for little ones who might be bothered by engine noise.
The museum and air field are located at 9 Norton Road in Red Hook. You can learn more about them online at https://oldrhinebeck.org/.
Arm-of-the-Sea Puppet Theater
The Orange County Earth & Water Festival in Montgomery in Orange County is an event especially geared to the environmentally conscious. It’s a whole day showcasing sustainable foods, agriculture and green technology like solar panels and energy efficiency tips and tricks.
Likely to be one of the standout shows at June 7’s festival at Thomas Bull Memorial Park is Arm-of-the-Sea Puppet Theater’s performance. The Malden-on-Hudson-based troupe performs widely in our region, and its stories focus on the theme of how mankind relates to nature and the environment. Hopefully, your kids will not only be entertained by the festival and puppet show, but they might just learn something, too.
The festival also features a whole heck of a lot of amazing food and vendors hawking everything from artisanal jewelry and craft to flea market-style goodies.
Check out Arm-of-the-Sea at https://armofthesea.org/. The park is located at 94 Grove St. in Montgomery.
Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, Poughkeepsie
If there’s ever a day between now and June that’s unbearably hot, having an indoor option to let your child play and learn is always a great find. Enter the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum.
Inside kids can learn about natural history – the museum has a replica of the Hyde Park mastodon and an exhibit on the ecology of marine life in the river – and they can learn about gear ratios and counting. Youngsters under the age of four have the option of heading through the Train Station room – an interactive play center.
Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is also marking a really important date this year, its 25th anniversary. A number of events, from Spring Break week activities to bike-safety workshops and a summer birthday bash, have been lined up to help celebrate.
It’s open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $7.50 for children and adults, but museum members and babies younger than 12 months old get in free.
Head to www.mhcm.org for the hours and a more detailed list of events in April to June.
-Mike Townshend with additional reporting by Carrie Jones Ross.
