What To Do: With the Kids August 2016

What To Do: With the Kids August 2016: Here’s 22 things to do with the kids in August … if you count Labor Day weekend as part of August! We do …

August

Tongue in Cheek: The Inflatable Art of Jimmy Kuehnle – Hudson River Museum: Bright, bouncing, inflatable sculptures that are an exciting art form and a witty commentary on our interests and enthusiasms. Made from vinyl-coated polyester fabric, Kuehnle’s creations inflate and deflate, pulsing and “breathing” like an organism, with intriguing names like You Lick Me, I Lick You (shaped like tongues), Hot Polyester Bladder Lung, You Wear What I Wear and Hello Bye. Massively scaled, the site-specific works are put in your way so that you ask yourself, “Is this space mine, or does it belong this extremely large creature blocking me?”(Pictured here: Jimmy Kuehnle, Punch Bubbles, 2016.) Wed-Sun: 12-5pm. Through 9/18. (511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers; www.hrm.org)

Free! Local! Outdoor! Armonk’s First Thursdays: The Armonk Chamber of Commerce presents art, music, in-store promotions, dining, wine tastings and more in downtown Armonk the first Thursday in June, July, August and September. You’ll find music in Armonk Square and special offers at Amore, Mariachi Mexico, Fortina and other restaurants. Plus special activities, events and raffles at Houlihan Lawrence, LOL Kids, LaGravinese Jewelers, Framings, Hickory & Tweed, DeCiccos and more. Check online for a full list of promotions. Thurs, 8/4 & 9/1: 5-9pm. www.armonkchamberofcommerce.com)

Local! Chappaqua Chamber of Commerce Movies in Millwood Park: The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, with major support by Drug Mart, present movies in the park on three Friday nights in August. Honey I Shrunk the Kids: Fri, 8/5: 8:30pm; Finding Nemo: Fri, 8/12: 8:30pm & The Incredibles: Fri, 8/19: 8:30pm. (Millwood Park, 235 Saw Mill River Rd., (Rt. 100) Millwood; chappaqua-millwoodchamber)

Renaissance Faire: A romp through Elizabethan England in Tuxedo Park complete with 16th Century games, rides, arts, crafts, food, music and dance . There’s also mime, magic, music, comedy and storytellers, pirates, fairies, pole dancing, piping, acrobats, aerialists, a fire circus, birds of prey, sword fighting, knife throwing and the big one … jousting. Check for theme weekends & special events. Sat, Sun, & Labor Day: 8/6-10/2: 10am-7pm. (600 Rt. 17A, Tuxedo Park; www.renfair.com)

Farmland – Muscoot Movies: “Farming is hard work. But it’s cool again” – CNBC Visit the farm after hours for Academy Award-winning Director James Moll’s movie about “the next generation of farmers.” Fri, 8/12: 7:30-9:30pm. (Route 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Sheffield Island Haunted Lighthouse: Ghosts, ghouls and goblins greet visitors to the historic Sheffield Island Lighthouse decorated to provide thrills and chills for youngsters of all ages. Only two rooms are kept dark so this fun-filled, child-friendly haunted attraction will include many activities for young visitors. Sat-Sun: 8/13-14: 11am, 12:30, 2 & 3pm. (Sheffield Island Dock, Washington and Water Streets, South Norwalk, Ct.; www.seaport.org)

So Please You – Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival: This family-friendly comedy tells the story of a servant named Dennis who appears only once in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, to announce that, “so please you,” there is a wrestler at the door! Zachary Fine and HVSF’s Conservatory Company’s original creation, a “tragical-comical, comical-tragical” tale revels in the classic art of clowning. The production also showcases text from many of Shakespeare plays. Mon, 8/15: 7:30pm, Tues, 8/15: 2pm & Mon, 8/29: 7:30pm. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvshakespeare.org)

County Center Baseball Card Show: 300 tables, thousands of autographed memorabilia, modern and vintage sports cards and autographed baseballs with on-site authentication. There’s also hobby and wax boxes, and on site autographs from the stars. Thurs, 8/18: 4-8pm, Fri, 8/19: 11am-7pm, Sat, 8/20: 10am-5pm & Sun, 8/21: 10am-4pm. (198 Central Ave., White Plains; www.countycenter.biz)

The Muppets – Jacob Burns: Walter (Peter Linz), the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel, The End of the Tour) and Mary (Amy Adams, Enchanted) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper, Adaptation) to demolish the Muppet Theater and drill for oil. Walter, Mary, and Gary reunite the Muppets to stage “The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever” to raise money to save the theater. Sat-Sun, 8/20-21: 12pm. (364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville; www.burnsfilmcenter.org)

Dutchess County Fair: 144 acres of bucolic fairgrounds in Rhinebeck plays host to half a million patrons and thousands of farm animals, agricultural exhibits and horticultural displays at New York’s second largest county fair. You’ll find carnival rides, racing pigs, diving dogs, a horse show, petting zoo, pony rides and a timber show. Also, goat milking, chicken clucking, horse shoeing, Frisbee dogs, jugglers, arts & crafts, woodworking and weaving demonstrations. Finally there’s a painted pony rodeo, championship bull riders, a bikes, blades and boards show, food and musical entertainment. Tues-Sun: 8/23-26: 10am-10pm. (6550 Springbrook Ave, Rhinebeck; www.dutchessfair.com)

Muscoot Farm Faerie Walk: Take an interactive walk through the forest at the farm to discover the fairies that live at Muscoot. Dress up like fairies, make a fairy craft and listen to fairy stories. Sun, 8/28: 1-3pm. (Route 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Living History: Military Reenactment Day at Boscobel: To honor its historic ties, Boscobel presents, “The Dyckman Family at War: An Encampment of Soldiers from the American Revolution through the Civil War”.  Re-enactors from three wars will demonstrate military camp life though tactical weapon demonstrations, inspections, formations, musket firings, artillery demonstrations and drill. All activities take place on the grounds of Boscobel House & Gardens, overlooking the majestic Hudson River and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Sun, 8/28: 11am-4pm. (Boscobel, 1601 Route 9D (Bear Mountain Highway) in Garrison; www.boscobel.org)

Labor Day Weekend & Beyond

Lime Rock Park Historic Festival: The east coast’s premier vintage racing and concours event presents three days of on-track racing. Including more than 300 cars and drivers, racing everything from pre-WWI racers to the best competition machines from the 1920s to the 1970s. How cool is that? Thurs-Mon, 9/1-5: check schedule. (60 White Hollow Rd., Lakeville CT: www.limerock.com)

CORNucopia at Philipsburg Manor: This novel corn festival offers an inspired bounty of corn-centric delicacies, demonstrations and hands-on, corn-related activities. Kids play games like Konk-a-Crow and Ring-a Cob in the CORNival area. There are also corn-shucking races, a mini maize-maze, and crafts. Plus house tours, cooking, barrel making and corn grinding demonstrations, bluegrass and folk music and English country dancing in the barn. Finally, for those with the corn munchies there’s cornbread, corn salsa and chips, corn chili, popcorn and sweet corn ice cream. Sat-Mon, 9/3-5: 10am-5pm. (381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow; www.hudsonvalley.org)

Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival: Featuring Nerveless Nocks Motorcycle Thrill Show, 65 foot Ferris Wheel, Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show and an Arts & Crafts Show with 100 vendors. There’s also a New England Seaport Village, Kids’ Cove with games, rides & activities under a circus tent and an International Food Court. Headline Entertainers feature Smash Mouth on Sunday. And of course there are harbor tour cruises, vessel tours, and … OYSTERS, OYSTERS, OYSTERS. Including their famous Celebrity Oyster Slurpoff. Sat-Sun: (9/10-11: 11am-8pm (Norwalk Veterans Park, 42 Seaview Ave., Norwalk; www.seaport.org)

Local! Community Family Camp Out at Katonah Memorial Park: Bedford Recreation serves up this first family camp out event. They provide tent set-up assistance, a large campfire, 2 large grills for cooking and picnic table. S’mores, hot chocolate, coffee and tea, breakfast bagels, donuts, and beverages are also provided. Activities include ghost stories and a Sunday morning swim at the Katonah pool. Finally they boast clean rest rooms, supervision. Campsite registration begins May 2. Sat-Sun, 9/17-18: 4:30pm – 11am. Contact the recreation office at 666.7004 or www.bedfordny.gov)

All Summer Long

Afternoon & Sunset Sails on the Schooner Soundwaters: Board the 80’ Tall Ship Soundwaters, the ship that Pete Seeger made famous, for a two-hour journey on the Long Island Sound. The Schooner Soundwaters sails from Boccuzzi Park in Stamford on Saturdays at 3-5pm and Sundays from 2-4pm from June 25 to September 25. Soundwaters also sets sail for the sunset on a varied schedule from Thursday to Sunday, June 23-Septbember 25. Check dates & times. (Bocuzzi Park at Southfield, 166 Southfield Ave., Stamford CT; www.soundwaters.org)

Marine Life Cruises at The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk: The Norwalk Aquarium’s 63 foot research catamaran, Spirit of the Sound runs silently on electric power for its 2½-hour “study cruises” on the Long Island Sound. You will study marine biodiversity from the water’s surface to the bottom of the Sound. Cruise guides dredge up fish, crabs, mollusks and more. Sat & Sun in May, June and September and most days June 28 through Labor Day: check times. (10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT; www.maritimeaquarium.org)

Sleeping with Wolves – Wolf Conservation Center: Camp out overnight with the 20+ wolves that call the WCC home! It’s cheaper than a trip to Yellowstone – and you’ll leave a much smaller carbon footprint. The evening includes a pizza party with Ambassador wolves Atka, Alawa, Nikai and Xephyr. Plus movies under the stars at Zephyr, Alawa and Nikai’s enclosure. Tents are provided for all campers as well as fireside snacks and a light breakfast. Friday nights and select Saturdays June through October: 6pm-8:30am. Pre-registration is required at www.nywolf.com)

Sheffield Island Lighthouse Cruises: Board the 45-foot C.J. Toth catamaran for a cruise to Sheffield Island on the Long Island Sound for a lighthouse tour, hike through Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, picnic and beach front activities. Sat-Sun, 5/28-9/5: 11am, 2 & 3:30pm. Mon, Thurs & Fri, 6/27-9/2: 11am & 3pm. Tues-Wed, 6/30-9/2: 11am. Check holiday weekend times. Acoustic Wednesday Cruises: Wed, 6/22-8/31: 6:30-8:30pm. Clambake Tours: Thurs, 6/9-9/29: 6-9:30pm. Lighthouse BBQ:Sat, 7/16 & 8/13: 5-9:30pm. (Sheffield Island Dock, Washington & Water Streets, South Norwalk, Ct.; www.seaport.org)

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome: This “living” museum of antique aviation, offers one of the largest collections of early aero planes (1909 to 1939) in the world. And on weekends there are airshows, and bi-plane rides. The museum displays aircraft form the Pioneer Era, World War I and the Lindbergh Barnstorming era. Saturday airshows chronicle the History of Flight with Pioneer, World War I and Lindbergh era aircraft. The show features a 1909 Bleriot – the oldest flying aircraft in the United States. Sunday shows showcase a World War I dogfight and Barnstorming Aircraft. Museum & bi-plane rides run from June-October. Air shows run from mid-June- mid-October. (9 Norton Rd, Red Hook; www.oldrhinebeck.org)

Pride of the Hudson River Cruise: See the majestic beauty of the Hudson River on this narrated river adventure that cruises from Newburgh down to West Point. You will take in the sights of Washington’s Headquarters, World’s End, Mt. Beacon, Bannerman Island, Storm King Mountain, Breakneck Mountain, the Catskill Aqueduct and Cold Spring along the way. 5/1-10/31: check times. (120 Front St., Newburgh; www.prideofthehudson.com)

Rye Playland: There’s 42 carnival rides, entertainment in Kiddyland and the Music Tower Stage every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Rye Playland – except Mondays! Plus a beach nearby. There are kiddy rides like the Kiddy Coaster, Carousel and Whip. And rides for the whole family like the Gondola Wheel, Family Flyer and Bumper Cars. Thrill seekers will like the Sky Flyer, Dragon Coaster and the Playland Plunge. Also there’s fireworks every Friday night at 9:15 beginning on July 1. Gotta go once … www.ryeplayland.org)

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