KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Jun 26: Summer Solstice Party at Hilltop Hanover Farm
Sat, Jun 27: Jazz & Jive at Harvest Moon Farm and Orchards
Sat, Jun 27: Revolutionary Cider Celebration at Fishkill Farms
Sun, Jun 28: Celebrate Pride Month with "STEAM Pride" at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum
Wed, Jul 1: Waterfront Wednesdays w/ Arm-of-the-Sea
Theater
Sat, Jul 4: Red, White & Wild at Bailiwick
Sat, Jul 4: Happy Independence Day at DuBois Farms
Sat, Jul 11: Farmstead 1868 Cazenovia Lavender Festival
Sat, Jul 11: Seafood Festival at Barton Orchards
Sat, Jul 18: Blueberry Bash at Fishkill Farms |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: I’m a sucker for songs in 6/8 time, no matter the music style. I don’t know why that ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six swinging rhythm so captures me whether it’s fast or slow, but there’s no denying that it does. And I might not even notice this rhythm, but for one little fact: I’m a thoroughly mediocre cellist. I took cello lessons from age 8 to age 14; during
those years, I graduated from “truly bad” to “moderately acceptable,” at least acceptable enough to play in orchestras where my individual sound would be drowned out by the better kids’ playing. But even as unskilled as I was, I know I am happier as an adult for having played: I can understand music from the inside. I hear patterns and styles and instruments with far different ears than I would have had I not studied music early in life. Understanding what makes your heart sing helps
you be on the lookout for more, and that makes your life better. Summer is the perfect season to help kids grow their ears. Yes, check out the big open-air concerts from your local orchestra, municipal band, or jazz ensemble. But also keep an active ear out for the smaller stuff: free concerts in parks, weekly community series, festivals, buskers, church lawn performances, library gigs, and whatever band happens to be playing near the funnel cakes. When you hear something,
name it: bluegrass, salsa, soul, swing, zydeco, classical, funk, folk, rock, rap, mariachi. Kids don’t have to like everything, but knowing the names of things helps them understand what they do like, and gives them handles for finding more of it later. A couple of tips: If you know you're headed in the direction of something new, play a sample of the style before you leave so kids have a hook on which to hang the experience. While you’re there, help them notice one thing: the
bass line, the drummer, the singer’s breathing, the way people move. That will help the music swirl around in their minds long after the last note fades. Remember, music isn’t only on stages. It’s in carousels, movie scores, worship services, elevators, malls, ballparks, and the ice cream truck coming around the corner. So as tour guide to your kids’ universe, don’t ignore the invisible! Point your ears toward the music, tune everyone's radar, and grow.
—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 Hudson Valley. 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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We invite your family and you to our annual Rochambeau Festival, a two-day living history event; this year, we are especially excited to commemorate both the enduring friendship between the United States and France and the 250th anniversary of the birth of America. Our event features skirmishes and military tactical demonstrations with men at arms, the colonial life of women and children, working animals of the day, artisan demonstrations, heritage booths, hands on colonial crafts, guided bus tour of Yorktown's encampment sites, live music performances, and food and beverages.
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Enter one of Muscoot Farm’s enclosures where you will see, touch, and learn more about an animal of the farmer’s choice! Available only to those ages 8+ with pre-registration required online; tickets are $25 for a group of two (one adult, one child as adult supervision is required, or two adults). Please meet at the Reception Center upon arrival with sturdy, closed-toe footwear.
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The HV’s most unique and thoughtfully curated shopping event, The Rhinebeck Crafts Festival returns on June 6 -June 7, 2026! Find handmade items you can't find anywhere else upstate.
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Saddle up for a boot-stompin’ evening at Rodeo Night! Test your skills on the mechanical bull, try your hand at axe throwing, enjoy pony rides for the kids, and hit the dance floor for line dancing while live music by Homegrown keeps the party going. Along with all the action, enjoy wood-fired pizza, craft beer, hard cider, specialty drinks, and farm-favorite soft serve ice cream. It’s a lively western-style night packed with excitement, music, and fun for all ages.
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Local farmers' market offering a wide variety of goods: produce, naturally raised meats, free-range eggs, baked goods, flowers, bedding plants, honey, maple syrup, jams, draft beers, and crafts. Family activities and live music.
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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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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Hudson Valley 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 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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It's almost time for fruit picking! 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.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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