KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a kid, summer meant St. Rocco’s Feast in the Peterstown neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The streets were filled with music, carnival rides, vendor booths, and fairgoers... but the main attraction for 10-year-old me was zeppoles: lumps of dough dropped into hot oil, puffed golden, shaken in a paper bag with powdered sugar, and handed over hot enough to require
patience. To my young self, they were almost proof of magic. They were also my gateway drug into Italian food. Zeppoles led eventually to prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto and gnocchi, pesto and puttanesca. Along the way, I learned that food has a vocabulary: crisp, chewy, silky, smoky, briny, bitter, fermented, caramelized. Knowing the names of flavors and textures helped me notice them more clearly, and knowing where dishes came from helped me see that food carries
geography, history, ingenuity, celebration, and memory. The more I tasted, the bigger the world became. Summer is the perfect season to help kids develop that kind of appetite... for food and discovery. Visit a farmers market and learn what grows nearby. Pick berries and notice how they taste when harvested just a second ago with your own hands. Try the food truck serving something you’ve never ordered. At a festival, ask what country or region a dish comes from, what ingredients give it its flavor, and who traditionally makes it. Kids don’t have to like everything. Exploration still counts when the verdict is “Not for me.” As tour guides
to our kids’ universe, we can help them notice that food connects downward to the Earth and outward to people. Name the flavor. Name the texture. Name the place and the tradition. Then take another bite. Sometimes an entire world opens through one little bag of fried dough.
—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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Give your young ballplayer an unforgettable summer at Renegades Rising Stars Camp! Designed for ages 6–14, this four-day camp features hands-on instruction from Renegades staff and collegiate players, with skill-building drills, scrimmages, and plenty of fun. Campers will build confidence, make new friends, and wrap up the week with a pizza party and showcase game featuring walk-up music and their photo on the videoboard. Every camper receives an exclusive camp T-shirt, Renegades hat, four tickets to the Aug. 30 game against the Brooklyn Cyclones with an exclusive on-field activity, and additional discounts. Sessions are available July 13–16, Aug. 3–6, and Aug. 17–20.
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Blueberry Festival at Kelder's Farm - A Berry Sweet Celebration! Immerse yourself in a blueberry lover's paradise at Kelder's Farm's Blueberry Festival! Join us for a weekend of all things blueberry, from U-Pick adventures to delicious blueberry treats and our famous Blueberry Gnomie Shake! Explore a stunning display of thousands of sunflowers in a variety of colors and sizes. Capture picture-perfect moments!
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Roar into Adventure on the Catskill Mountain Railroads Dinosaur Express! Grab your Explorer’s hat and take a train ride back in time to the Jurassic Period and discover the magic of Dinosaurs! After departing our station our passengers will suddenly find themselves back in the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth. One of the highlights of this train ride is the presence of roaming dinosaurs and friendly dinosaur hunters onboard. Let your little ones’ imaginations run wild as they encounter these
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Join us on July 18th and August 8th to see Hudson Valley favorites, “Me & My Ex”, perform their eclectic mix of songs from folk, rock and standard song lists. With a focus on harmonies and songs with meaning, the Goats should really enjoy this! ....oh, you will also!
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Pride in July Returns to the Sound Garden at Barton Orchards! This is not your average Pride show! Expect electrifying dancers, world-class drag performers, a powerhouse live band, and high-octane vocalists delivering show-stopping performances. Featuring young local talent Star 2B Performing Arts to kick things off, followed by Jan Sport, Loosey LaDuca, and Andrew Barret Cox with Apocalypse Noir - this is a full-scale production that rivals Broadway. Plus, enjoy a foam party, Hey Girl-Hay Ride, local vendors, and more throughout the night - making this a full Pride experience from start to finish. Full bar, specialty cocktails and concessions will be available for purchase throughout the night. Tickets are limited and expected to sell out. Secure yours now!
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Don’t miss the Teddy Bear Festival, a day of fun and games. Children are invited to bring their favorite plush toy to the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital “Clinic” for a health checkup. The day is filled with healthy activities and education. Hugs to Teddy Bear Sponsor: CHET 529 College Savings Program.
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It's pick your own lavender season at Hayberry Farm! This is a great outing and photo op for all ages!
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Step into a magical world where princesses, pirates and fairy tale characters take the stage in an unforgettable live concert experience! Beauty and the Beats blends storytelling, audience interaction, and high-energy performances featuring today’s favorite hits and timeless Disney classics. Sing and dance to your favorite hits like Let It Go, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, A Whole New World, Under The Sea, Be Our Guest, You’re Welcome, Golden and so much more! Ultimate fairytale tribute show for Disney fanatics of all ages!
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Catch every thrilling moment of the championship match on our massive 40-foot screens during the Hat Trick Watch Experience at Dave & Buster's Palisades. Enjoy an exciting game-day atmosphere with unlimited wings and fries throughout the match, unlimited video game play all day, contests, giveaways, and more.
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2026's winners in KidsOutAndAbout's annual survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley. Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories like Favorite Art Educator, Favorite Sport Educator,
and Favorite STEM Educator!
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Nothing says SUMMER quite like going to an amusement park with your family! We've put together a great list of ones you can visit within driving distance of Nashville. So, pack the sunscreen, load up the car and head out on a grand adventure!
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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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