KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When they were handing out high school yearbook awards, some of my classmates unofficially, though cheerfully, voted me Least Likely to Become a Professional Cheerleader. I couldn’t really disagree: After all, I was a nerd before being a nerd came into fashion, much more comfortable in a library than at a pep rally. So much for teenage
predictions! Yesterday, my daughter Ella turned 25, which means KidsOutAndAbout turns 25, too. When Ella was imminent, and her sister Madison was one-and-a-half, I was realizing just how many incredible experiences for kids and families were all around us in Rochester, NY. Back then, before web calendars were a thing, finding out about stuff happening meant you had to know where to look. So during maternity leave from my old technology consulting firm, I
decided to build a place to make invisible opportunities visible, to celebrate the people who create them, and to build audiences for these great things. We’ve grown to a dedicated team of 20 people doing work that matters, serving 52 regions with 15 million readers per year and 750,000 weekly newsletter subscribers. So yes, I’m a professional cheerleader, and I love it. I love this. I love that my job is to help build an audience for the remarkable experiences
people are bringing to life. I love that our mission is to shine a light on the concerts, camps, classes, festivals, trails, museums, libraries, theaters, and local treasures large and small that become family stories and memories. Far from slowing down, we’re heading into hyper-drive for our Silver Anniversary, so stay tuned! Thank you for being part of the journey, and for giving us so much to cheer about.
—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. |
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Spend the day supporting local makers at the vendor market, enjoying live music on the main stage, trying delicious food, snuggling adoptable dogs and taking wagon rides through the orchard.
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International Leopard Day occurs on the 3rd of May every year. On this day people around the world celebrate this majestic species while increasing awareness of their status as well as the threats that leopard populations are faced with. Join us at the Zoo and visit our Amur leopards, Orion and Kallisto. Our education staff will have a tabletop set up for guests to learn more about this endangered species.
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All Aboard the Catskill Flyer. See the natural beauty of the Catskills from our railroad’s unique perspective aboard Ulster County’s scenic train. All trains are round trip from the Westbrook Lane Station located in the Kingston Plaza adjacent Uptown Kingston’s Stockade District. Join us as we travel through some of the oldest farmlands in the United States where we will cross the Esopus creek as we travel through the Hurley Flats and then start climbing Hurley Mountain. Our excursion is pulled by a 1951 Alco RS1 diesel locomotive. Passengers can enjoy the trip in our vintage coaches or on our open-air flat cars for the ultimate views on their ride.
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The Hudson Children’s Book Festival, established in 2009, strives to create, sustain, and nurture a culture of literacy in partnership with our community and schools. This free, public event fosters a love of reading as families meet and greet world-class creators of books for children of all ages.
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Celebrate spring with hands-on outdoor fun at the Westmoreland Family Party, a lively afternoon designed for families to explore, discover, and play in nature. Enjoy up-close animal encounters, engaging family nature programs, and woodland adventures, along with crafts, games, and a wood-fired pizza truck with snacks and drinks.
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- Camp Kenan Open House - Healthy Kids Day - YMCA, YMCA Camp Kenan, 8571 Lower Lake Road, Barker, NY 14012, 05/02/2026, 10:00am to 2:00pm
- Camp Weona Open House - Healthy Kids Day - YMCA, YMCA Camp Weona, Poplar Tree Road, Gainesville, NY, 05/02/2026, 10:00am to 2:00pm
- Hudson
Children's Book Festival 2026 -, Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson, NY, 05/02/2026, 10am – 3pm
- Creatures Alive! -, Putnam Valley Free Library, Oscawana Lake Road, Putnam Valley, NY, 05/02/2026, 2:00pm
- Free Buddhist Temple Tours Upstate New York in Sullivan County Catskills -, Kadampa Meditation Center New York, Sweeney Rd, Glen Spey, NY, 05/02/2026 to 05/03/2026, 1:30PM
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Hudson Valley -, Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, 05/03/2026, See link for times
- Apple Blossom Festival & Vendor Market -, Fishkill Farms, Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell Junction, NY, 05/03/2026, 11AM-3PM
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Hudson Valley 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…
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Hudson Valley area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Hudson Valley? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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