KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Jun 6: Kids Arts Festival 2026
Sat, Jun 6: Art on Lark 2026
Sun, Jun 7: La Hora del Cuento Bilingüe Sun, Jun 7: 2026 Lower Adirondack Pride Festival
Wed, Jun 10: Pride at the Plaza Fri, Jun 12: Homeschool Art Education Program *NEW* Creature Creation Series
Sat, Jun 13: Warp & Weft: Kids Loom Weaving - Mabee Farm Historic Site Sat, Jun 13: 2026 Summer Craft Fair
Sat, Jun 13: Say It Loud! BIPOC Pride Celebration - In Our Own Voices
Wed, Jun 17: Saratoga Outdoor Markets at High Rock Park
Fri, Jun 19: Hamilton Hill Arts Center's 26th Annual Juneteenth Celebration!
Sat, Jun 20: Summer Craft Fair! - Walker's Farm, Home, &
Tack
Sat, Jun 20: Strawberry Festival at the Farmers Market in Menands
Sun, Jun 21: Big Bounce America 2026 at Ellms
Family Farm
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Saratoga Pride Festival
Fri, Jul 3: America’s 250th Birthday
Celebration — Presented by Schenectady County
Sat, Jul 4: Summer Hike-a-thon Scavenger Hunt |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: "The best thing about your newsletter," said a reader who met me in person at an event last June, "is the sheer number of things to do, and the fact that they're just packed in there, all in one handy place." "Thanks!" I said. I may have glowed a little. "And the worst thing about your newsletter," she continued, "is the guilt trip. I know
you don't mean to lay that on us. We can't do it all, so it means we read about so much we can't do. Especially in summer." She was right, in one sense, of course. June and July are the most packed months of the calendar: Kids are out of school, families are ready for fun, and our communities respond. Each local organization gets to post its own events on our calendar for free, and many are featured in this newsletter, so what's happening is right there in front of
you. But I get it! And I hereby remove the guilt. Ego te absolvo. Of course, good families try to expose their kids to great things, but no one has the time, money, or energy to do it all. This stuff needs to be spread out over a childhood, not packed into a single summer, much less a single weekend. So make a family bucket list for Summer 2026. An easy way to do that is to take our annual survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids, which is open through June 20; it has dozens of places to have fun this summer, even though you only vote for your top 3! And you should also use our 50 Ways to Love Your Summer article for ideas that require zero technology, zero travel, and zero dollars. Above all, go easy! Remember, summer is no time for grades! The only prize is the summer that's right for your
family.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Capital Region. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people
who create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! |
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This summer, give your child a space to explore, experiment, and create at the Arts Center! Our Summer Art Camps offer an immersive experience for young artists ages 6–12. Each weekly session is a new adventure—from "Mixed Media Magic" to "Sculpture Secrets"—guided by professional instructors who prioritize curiosity over perfection. Campers will dive into hands-on projects, learn new techniques, and build confidence through visual storytelling. Each week culminates in a Friday "Mini-Gallery" show for family and friends. Space is limited, so register early to ensure a summer filled with color and discovery!
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Gates Quest Congregation Gates of Heaven We are more than a Hebrew School— We are a place that is anchored in caring, purposeful relationships Our students and staff seek the answers to the questions, challenges, and meaning of everyday We enable individuals to construct their own meaning through inquiry, problem solving, and discovery. We explore content that is rich and accessible. Experiential and project-based Jewish learning and community-building. We are Gates Quest, Sunday mornings, Preschool through Seventh Grade, Middle and High School programs. Please visit our website for more information.
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Skip the boring birthday party this year. At NYzipline, kids celebrate high above the trees with soaring ziplines, aerial ropes courses, laughs, challenges, and unforgettable memories with friends. Our guided birthday adventures are exciting, confidence-building, and completely different from the usual party experience. We use advanced belay safety technology so parents can relax on the ground while kids focus on the fun. Parents love the easy planning. Kids love the adventure. Located just 30 minutes from Albany and Saratoga, NYzipline is the perfect destination for birthdays kids will still be talking about months later. Weekend party dates fill quickly — book your birthday adventure today at NYzipline.com.
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Pop the champagne, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the winner of 10 Tony Awards® — including Best Musical! Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award® winner Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and — above all — Love. With a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan; music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony Award® winner Justin Levine; and choreography by Tony Award® winner Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical! is more than a musical — it is a state of mind.
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Join us for the Summer Craft Fair at the historic Shaker Heritage Society! Shop handcrafted goods from more than 65 regional artisans, enjoy live music, craft demonstrations, a petting zoo, sheep shearing, and delicious local treats at America’s first Shaker settlement. Brook’s BBQ will be onsite Sunday, with online preorders available. The fair runs Saturday from 10am–4pm and Sunday from 10am–3pm. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 and supports vital restoration projects and programs at the site. Come celebrate local creativity and community with us!
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Summer memories start at Liberty Ridge Farm’s Strawberry Festival on June 20 & 21 in Schaghticoke. Families can spend the day exploring 50+ farm adventures, riding the trolley, listening to live music, meeting farm animals, and shopping vendors and the Market Barn. Menu features include fresh strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade, smokehouse selections & a beer and wine bar (21+). If you’re looking for an easy, screen-free day your kids will be talking about all summer, this is it! For a limited time, families can grab an online-exclusive 4-pack of tickets for just $60.
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Schenectady Pride is back, and we are excited to kick off Pride celebrations across the Capital Region on Saturday, June 6th. Our vibrant festival will feature live entertainment, vendors, community tables, and a special appearance by Kandy Muse from RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 13, and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 8. Vendors, music, fun, and all your best friends in one place to celebrate PRIDE!
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While Proctors brings the splendor of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” to its MainStage, June 2-7, thousands of kids and their families will celebrate a special French connection from 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 6. The 32nd annual festival plans to transform Downtown Schenectady into a Parisian arts district with special activities to celebrate the beauty, music, and art of France. Imaginative performers and student groups will entertain crowds at the Jay Square gathering space while more than 50 art activities will be offered on Jay and Franklin Streets around City Hill.
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Back by popular demand! The Art on Lark street festival celebrates local artists & small businesses in Albany, taking place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Lark Street will come alive with painters, photographers, jewelers, ceramicists, food, along with live, local music. With an average yearly attendance of about 10,000 people, Art on Lark is the second largest street festival in upstate New York and has been voted the Capital Region’s Best Arts Event by both the Times Union Readers Poll and Metroland.
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Join the 4th Annual Touch A Truck Family Festival hosted by Battenkill Community Services---Sunday, June 7th, 2026, from 10 am to 4 pm at Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, NY. Explore Big trucks, Equipment, Emergency Vehicles, plus our Car and Motorcycle show, karate and dance demonstrations, basket raffle, live bands, and more! Kids can enjoy the free bounce House, Petting area, and activities all day long, enjoy food for purchase by Boy Scouts Troop 27, Ashlar Mason lodge, Chicken BBQ, Casa Reves Mexican food truck, and more. Suggested donation at the gate is just $5 per person. Our Motorcycle Rally Ride leaves at 11 am for a scenic trip to Whitehall and back. Motor registration starts at 9 am. Suggested donation for motorcycles and cars is $15. We gratefully welcome sponsorship for this event. If you would like to donate a basket or become a sponsor, please email [email protected]. All proceeds support Battenkill Community Services. providing compassionate,… |
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Join us on June 6, 2026, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm for a FREE in-person event: BIG Truck Day! Do you love BIG trucks like we do? Then this is the event for you! Learn all about big trucks and even sit in the truck cabs! A school bus, fire trucks, all types of utility trucks, and many more vehicles will be visiting the Museum for the day, so come check out all the BIG truck action! When you complete your BIG truck tour, try your hand at the prize-punch game and meet Otto, the incredible, talking robot car who has a lot to say about safety!
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The US tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical! is playing at Proctors in Schenectady and continuing through many of KidsOutAndAbout's regions. This show is extremely fun as a date night or girls' night out, with gorgeous dancing and leads with powerhouse voices. If you're wavering about taking a teen, keep in mind that the show centers on Satine, a performer and prostitute at the famouse Parisian club, and it's very similar to the 2001 movie.
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It's spring, and that means some of our favorite places to go are opening for the season! Check out our list of amusement parks, ice cream shops, adventure parks, and more! Hooray for spring!
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Albany area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Albany area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our
guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens. Capital Region: Albany, Schenectady, Troy: Here's where
you can go for strawberry picking, cherry picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities.
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Have a wonderful weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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