Crabgrass Puppet Theatre at SUNY-Dutchess
Had it with Halloween? Here’s my list of fun stuff to do with the family this weekend.
Crabgrass Puppet Theatre presents The Pirate, the Princess and the Pea at SUNY-Dutchess on Saturday, November 1 at 11 a.m. This free event takes place at the James & Betty Hall Theatre and is open to the public, geared for children ages 4 to 12 years.
SUNY-Dutchess is located at 53 Pendell Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 431-8050 or visit www.sunydutchess.edu. To learn more about the performers, visit www.crabgrasspuppets.com.
Creative teen chefs wanted for Red Hook & the Chocolate Festival contest
Red Hook and the Chocolate Festival takes place on Saturday, November 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the organizers are looking for teens ages 13 to 16 to register for a chance to participate in the Chocolate Wars dessert competition. At 3 p.m. on the day of the festival, registrants meet at the Linden Avenue Middle School to get a free chocolate bar. If there is a Golden Ticket inside, the winner gets a spot on a team!
The team will immediately meet an adult mentor at their portable kitchen with a mystery basket of chocolate and other dessert ingredients and have 45 minutes to present three identical plated desserts for three judges. There are prizes for first and second place. The link to register for the competition is https://vols.pt/ZyYFPo.
Kid fun is abundant during the festival, including a skateboard race. For more information, call (845) 758-0824 or visit www.redhookchamber.org.
Horse Fun Day at Northwind Farm in Wallkill
Horse Fun Day sounds like a dream event for horse-loving 5-to-9-year-olds. The event takes place on Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the $10 admission includes a lead-line ride on a horse, grooming a horse, horse games, a drink and a donut and more. Horse Fun Day will take place at Northwind Farm at 2496 Bruynswick Road in Wallkill. For more information or to register, call (845) 344-1234, extension 246, or visit https://counties.cce.cornell.edu/orange/orange.htm.
Owleen at Olana
Have a hoot at Olana’s Owleen this Saturday, November 1 at 7 p.m. and immerse yourself in an evening of owls. Held in the Olana Wagon House Education Center, participants will learn all about this special bird, see a live owl and then try their luck at spotting one outside as they go on a guided owl walk. Preregistration is required, and the cost is $10 for an individual ticket or $25 per carload, plus a small online processing fee. Remember to bring flashlights and good walking shoes.
Olana is located at 5720 Route 9G in Hudson. For more information or to register, call (518) 828-1872, extension 109, or visit www.olana.org.
Asian dance master classes with Maya Dance Theatre at Kaatsbaan
International Asian Dance Weekend at the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center takes place this weekend, including performances by the Maya Dance Theatre on Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, November 2 at 2:30 p.m. Master classes cost $15 each and are open to all interested students.
On Saturday, November 1 from 3 to 5 p.m., the Maya Dance Theatre offers Reinventing Dance, featuring traditional Asian dance forms and their contemporary forms. On Sunday, November 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Sun Ock Lee leads Zen Dance Technique, focusing on tools to align mind, body and spirit.
The Kaatsbaan International Dance Center is located at 120 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-5106 or visit www.kaatsbaan.org.
Magic show at Unison in New Paltz
Halloween may be over, but there’s still magic in the air, especially at the Unison Arts Center. On Saturday, November 1 at 2 p.m., see magician Andy Weintraub perform a show with appeal for the whole family. Tickets cost $14 for adults, $10 for members and $7 for children age 12 and under; tickets purchased in advance cost $2 less.
Unison is located at 68 Mountain Rest Road in New Paltz. For tickets or more information, call (845) 255-1559 or visit https://unisonarts.org.
Gaming marathons to prevent child abuse at the Dragon’s Den in Poughkeepsie
This weekend, gather up your favorite gamers to the Dragon’s Den to support the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. On Saturday, November 1 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., participants can play: Heroclix War of Light Month 6, entry fee $30; Black on Black Plainswalker, entry fee $15; Star Trek, entry fee $30; and Dice Masters, entry fee $10. On Sunday, November 2, the games are: Yu-Gi-Oh, entry fee $10; and Super Smash 3D, entry fee $10. Also, donate $10 to the Center and receive a 20-percent-off coupon to the Dragon’s Den!
The Dragon’s Den is located in Poughkeepsie Plaza at 2600 South Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 454-0595 or visit www.thecpca.com. To learn more about the Dragon’s Den, visit www.gamersgambit.com.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Touch-a-Truck at Dutchess County Airport
Keep those kids’ Halloween imaginations in high gear with this weekend’s Touch-a-Truck on Sunday, November 2 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Dutchess County Airport. Admission costs $5 per ticket or $15 per family (maximum of six), and children under age 2 get in free. The event features children’s activities, food vendors, train rides and bouncy houses, in addition to checking out cool trucks and other vehicles.
The Dutchess County Airport is located at 263 New Hackensack Road in Wappingers Falls. For more information, call (845) 463-6000 or visit www.co.dutchess.ny.us.
Revolutionary War Muster Day at Mount Gulian in Beacon
Revolutionary War Muster Day takes place at Mount Gulian this weekend. Muster Day used to be militia enrollment day for men ages 18 to 45, and this Sunday, November 2 from 1 to 5 p.m., your family can reenact some of that history. Beginning at 2 p.m., children and interested adults will be recruited to enlist, swear a loyalty oath to the patriot cause, use wooden muskets, wear tricorn hats and march around. Storytelling takes place at 3 p.m. The day is filled with opportunities for hands-on living history and house tours.
Admission costs $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children ages 3 to 16 and is free for active-duty military personnel. Mount Gulian is located at 145 Sterling Street in Beacon. For more information, call (845) 831-8172 or visit www.mountgulian.org.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Poet Philip Schultz talks on dyslexia at Vassar
Here’s an inspirational story for you: Pulitzer Prizewinning poet Philip Schultz appears at Vassar College this Monday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. But did you know that Schultz experienced severe childhood learning struggles and was diagnosed later in life with dyslexia? “From Dyslexia to Pulitzer: The Narrative Gift” takes place in the Villard Room of the Main Building and is free and open to the public. Schultz will read from his poetry as well as from his memoir, My Dyslexia, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Vassar College is located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 437-7000 or visit www.vassar.edu.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Election Day
Remember to vote! For more information, visit https://ballotpedia.org/New_York_elections,_2014.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Mill Street Loft’s Portfolio Day in Hyde Park
Regional Portfolio Day takes place at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home on Friday, November 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and it is such a great way to get your work in front of quality art colleges. Students should bring 15 to 20 examples of original recent artwork.
The FDR site is located at 4097 Albany Post Road/Route 9 in Hyde Park. For more information, call (845) 471-7477 or visit https://millstreetloft.org.
Kids’ Almanac Writes
Kids’ Almanac thanks Michael Reiter for supplying writing prompts during the month of October. Michael is a longtime teacher of English literature in public high schools: “I love to get people reading. I love to get people writing.”
Remember to post your piece on the Almanac Weekly Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/almanac-weekly/287633831270607.
Writing Prompt: In approximately 750 words, write the absolute worst piece of writing you can possibly write. How you define worst is up to you.
Halloween version: Erica “Popcorn” Chase-Salerno and her husband Mike “Pine Tree” live in New Paltz with their two children: Maleficent and Scout from Team Fortress 2. She can be reached at [email protected].
