Postcard detail of Lower Broadway, Rondout, circa 1914.

The Matthewis Persen House, one of four Colonial stone buildings occupying the crossroads of John and Crown Streets in Uptown Kingston, is one of Uptown’s most-visited historic sites. Owned and partially restored by Ulster County, the building consists of a labyrinth of open floors and staircases, whose numerous additions and display of artifacts dug up from the site provide a fascinating glimpse into a deep slice of time, spanning three centuries of Kingston history.

On May 19, however, the focus will be on the Rondout: the raucous Hudson River port that became integrated with the older settlement dating from the Dutch in 1876. The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, which owns a historic bakery in the Rondout that’s currently being restored, will open the exhibit “Rondout Revisited” in the second-floor exhibition gallery. Previously displayed at Kingston’s Downtown Visitors’ Center, which has been taken over by Ulster County Tourism, the exhibition consists of three parts: Rondout circa 1820, when it was a small farming and commercial community catering to the river trade; Rondout circa 1914, when it was still a thriving commercial city and transportation hub; and Rondout during urban renewal, which captures the city when it was a faded has-been just before and during the period in the 1960s when it was mostly destroyed by the federally funded urban renewal program.

If you happen to have been around then – for that matter, if you have roots in Kingston and a story to tell – you are encouraged to participate in the Kingston Oral History Project, in which volunteers will be available to record and take pictures of participants from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (845) 338-8131 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for an appointment. At noon, a slideshow by Eugene Dauner – who, as a young man working for his father’s florist business, took hundreds of color slides of Rondout as it was being torn down in the mid-1960s – uncannily brings the vanished city back to life. If you’re interested in urban history, this is definitely a show that you should not miss. Dauner’s presentation will be followed by a slideshow by Jack Matthews showing images of Downtown, Midtown and Uptown Kingston from 1910 to 1930 –also not to be missed; Matthews has one of Kingston’s most comprehensive historic photo collections.

The exhibition will be on display on May 20 and then throughout the season, with possible additions focusing on the Uptown urban renewal program and highlighting the oral history presentations. The Persen House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May 26 through September 1, and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through November 10. Admission is free. For more information about the Rondout exhibit, contact the Jewish Federation of Ulster County at (845) 338-8131.

Photo of Slabsides by Will Dendis.

Last month would have been John Burroughs’ 175th birthday. Local admirers of the great 19th-century naturalist got a very nice present when the network of trails crisscrossing the John Burroughs Sanctuary was extended and spruced up in a major way, thanks to last year’s grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and many hours of volunteer labor. You can now follow a plank boardwalk through the swamp where Burroughs used to grow celery (instead of slogging through the muck as before), and there are new stone pathways and stairways all over the place.

So, now more than ever, the 170-acre Sanctuary is a rewarding place to visit. But most of the year, the jewel of the site is like a tantalizing package that the visitor is not yet permitted to open – though its windows are like little tears in the giftwrap, through which we may peer for a glimpse and a guess at its contents. I’m talking about Slabsides, of course: the rustic cabin that Burroughs built – partially with his own hands – in 1895. It was in this building that Burroughs wrote some of the essays that made him America’s foremost nature writer of his time, as well as entertaining such callers as Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, up until his death in 1921.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968, Slabsides is preserved today much as Burroughs left it. Slabs of lumber with their bark still on cover the exterior walls, and the rustic red cedar posts that Burroughs helped set in place still uphold the porch. Inside the cabin, the furniture that Burroughs used (and much of which he made) remains as it was. But to get a good look at the interior, including his writing desk and tools, you have to be there on Open House Day – and that only happens twice a year: the third Saturday in May and the first Saturday in October. This Saturday, May 19, is one of those rare opportunities.

Open House at Slabsides runs from noon to 4:30 p.m. In addition to a chance to enter the structure, examine the contents and soak up the ambiance of Burroughs’ retreat, you can also hear a talk from 12 to 1 p.m. on Burroughs, Roosevelt and the early conservation movement by Dan Payne, who is a Burroughs scholar at SUNY-Oneonta. Cabin tours and self-guided trail walks will begin at 1 p.m. At the nearby Pond House, refreshments will be provided, and you can view a DVD of John Burroughs: A Naturalist in the Industrial Age, a documentary produced by Dr. Lynn Spangler of SUNY-New Paltz.

The program will go on rain or shine and is appropriate for all ages. Admission is free. To get there, from Route 9W at West Park, turn west onto Floyd Ackert Road (between the Global Palate restaurant and the Post Office), cross the railroad tracks and follow Floyd Ackert Road about a half-mile to the foot of Burroughs Drive. Park here and walk up the hill to Slabsides, or drive up the hill and park at the green gate on the right, walk through the gate and up the gravel road to Slabsides.

For more information, call (845) 384-6320 or visit http://research.amnh.org/burroughs/programs.html. If you’d like to volunteer for the trail improvement project at the John Burroughs Sanctuary, e-mail joanburroughs@yahoo.com.

Photo of Opus 40 by Dion Ogust.

The nine-ton monolith at the heart of Opus 40 is more than the centerpiece of Harvey Fite’s massive work in stone, according to Tad Richards, Fite’s stepson and current artistic director of the site. The raising of the monolith represents a true sea change in Fite’s attitude toward his work: “It was the pivotal point of what Opus 40 is,” says Richards.

This Saturday, May 19, Opus 40 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the raising of the monolith with an all-day celebration free of charge to the public.

Harvey Fite (1903-1976) was a sculptor and professor at Bard College. In 1938, he purchased an abandoned bluestone quarry in Saugerties, intending to use it as a source of raw materials for his work and as an outdoor gallery setting for large carved sculptures. After the raising of the monolith during the summer of ‘62, however, he switched gears and shifted his focus from simply placing sculptures on the grounds to a realization that, as Richards says, “The setting itself had become the sculpture.” The figurative pieces that had been on the quarry were moved to other places on the grounds, and Opus 40 emerged as the sprawling environmental artwork that it is today, encompassing more than six acres, the monolith at its core.

Along with the opening of the grounds for the season, an exhibit of photos curated by Richards will go on display this Saturday. “Opus 40: The First 20 Years” will reveal the early days of the site, from the 1930s through the 1950s. At 1:30 p.m. Tad’s brother, Jonathan Richards, who was present during the raising of the monolith, will hold a roundtable discussion with others who were there, explaining how the monolith was erected.

From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Opus 40 will host a square dance for all to join in, with experienced caller Sandy Corey. “When Harvey and my mother Barbara were young and building their lives,” says Richards, “they used to go square dancing. Harvey courted her at the Henry Wilgus General Store in High Woods, where the community gathered, and they had square dances there every Saturday night.” There will be something for children at the event, too, says Richards, at 11:30 a.m., when children’s book author and illustrator Iza Trapani will read from her work.

The event was originally scheduled for last fall, but Tropical Storm Irene got in the way. Opus 40 sustained damage from the storm, and Richards says that the celebration was postponed in part due to that, and in part because “we felt the community had more urgent things to be dealt with.” An intended performance of The Rocklins, a short play written by Richards based on a story by Harvey Fite about a young boy who learns about life from the spirits of great stone-carving cultures, has been rescheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10.

Opus 40 is located at 50 Fite Road in Saugerties. The site is open to the public in 2012 from Saturday, May 19 through October. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, and holiday Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission for Opening Day on Saturday, May 19 is free of charge; but regular admission is $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, $3 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children under age 6 with an adult. No dogs are allowed. Picnicking on the grounds is welcome. The grounds may be reserved for special events on some days. For a schedule of events or more information, call (845) 246-9922 or visit www.opus40.org.

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography.

Every year around this time, Kingston hosts a convocation of high-profile wellness gurus called the Women’s Health and Fitness Expo. The big news this year is the popular event’s spacious new venue: Formerly held at Tech City, the Expo’s 12th annual outing takes place on Saturday, May 19 at the M. Clifford Miller Middle School in Lake Katrine.

Attracting more than 5,000 visitors annually, the Expo offers more than 20 health screenings, over 75 expert speakers, workshops, fitness demos, chef demos, spa services, a healthy food court and some 125 health-related exhibitors. Expo participants also receive goodie bags filled with health and wellness products and information. Touting the theme of “Weight Loss for Wellness: Lose Weight, Feel Great,” this year’s Expo focuses on weight loss, the lifestyle changes that need to be put in place to maintain it and the impact that a healthy lifestyle can have on preventing and eliminating illness.

According to the New York State Health Department’s most recent statistics, 59.6 percent of Ulster County adults are obese or overweight. Obesity and overweight are often accompanied by chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, but the lifestyle changes needed to achieve and maintain weight loss can be challenging. At any point in time, one in three women and one in five men in the US is on some kind of diet, according to dietician and nutrition expert Mary Hartley, one of this year’s mainstage speakers. “These diets produce short-term weight loss, but two or three years later, 95 percent of traditional dieters regain the weight,” she says. Hartley will discuss the concept of “Intuitive Eating,” a non-diet approach to weight loss that “shifts the paradigm from weight loss to wellness, from food fear to food pleasure and from body dissatisfaction to body trust.”

Other featured speakers will include neurologist Dr. Marie Pasinski, author of Boost Your Brain Power, who will present a program for keeping our brains in peak condition, training them with the same intent that elite athletes use to train their bodies. Cardiologist Dr. Malissa Wood will discuss her new book, Smart at Heart, which bridges the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of a healthy heart and delivers a toolbox of new scientific findings on what women at risk for heart disease can do to improve their health. Jessica Smith, author of Thin in Ten, will discuss how exercising in short clips can improve health and well-being while fitting into busy contemporary lifestyles.

Also on the mainstage, weight-loss blogger Diane Carbonell will share tips; Biggest Loser winner Bernie Salazar will demonstrate his Monstercise program for kids; and Woodstock dentist Michael Tischler, DDS will talk about gum disease and overall health, eating disorders and oral issues for women, pregnancy and oral health and “healthy dental self-esteem.” Fitness for Dummies author Liz Neporent will moderate a panel discussion.

In addition to the mainstage speakers, eight workshops on a variety of topics will be offered during the day, including “Myths and Facts of the Supplement Industry,” “Living Well in Spite of Endometriosis” and “You Have the Power to Heal Yourself.” Fitness demonstrations will include Body Flow, Zumba and Smart Bells, and various chefs will offer healthy cooking demonstrations.

The Women’s Health and Fitness Expo includes activities for men and children. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission costs $7. Miller Middle School is located at 65 Fording Place Road in Lake Katrine. For lots more details, visit http://http://womenshealthexpo.com.

Photo of farm field in Dutchess County by Dion Ogust.

Special events & deals throughout the region to unlock the mysteries of history

Along with “staycations,” “heritage tourism” is a marketing concept that has gotten amplified buzz in these past few years, ever since the bottom fell out of a lot of people’s annual vacation budgets. It’s a brilliant notion for the Hudson Valley in particular, considering the wealth of cultural and historical resources that we have close at hand, and within easy driving distance of a major metropolitan area.

Last year, New York State got on the bandwagon big-time by launching an initiative called New York Heritage Weekend, with the intent of kicking off the summer tourism season a couple of weeks earlier than its traditional Memorial Day weekend onset. It was a big success; so it’s going on to its second incarnation this weekend, with plenty of things to do both locally and farther afield in the state.

The official premise behind New York Heritage Weekend is to “celebrate the state’s unique role in shaping America” by organizing “heritage and cultural destinations” to offer free or discounted admissions or present special events all on the same weekend. “New York’s history is a profound competitive advantage for the state,” notes the state Heritage Weekend website. “Protecting, preserving and promoting our heritage resources is a critical component of economic development and revitalization of communities throughout the state. Heritage Weekend demonstrates the power of leveraging our cultural and historic resources.” So it’s a win/win proposition, whether you’re a host community or just somebody looking for something cheap and interesting to do this weekend.

Heritage Weekend events are organized around specific themes: Military History, Arts and Culture, Corridor of Commerce, Innovation, Architecture, Freedom and Dignity, Traditions and Cultures and Community Heritage. At the events listing webpage, www.heritageweekend.org/heritage_weekend_events.aspx, you can search by areas of interest or geographically. There are hundreds to choose from, from Montauk to Buffalo to the Adirondacks, but here are a few happenings in our own neck of the woods.

Ulster County

Hurley: Saturday, May 19, 5 p.m. at the Twin Lakes Resort – Heritage Dinner

The Hurley Heritage Society will celebrate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Hurley with an evening of dining and entertainment. The menu will include Dutch-themed selections such as Dutch cheeses, vegetable dumpling soup, poached salmon, pork loin, rye and pumpernickel breads and apple tarts. The Adirondack Baroque Consort will perform 18th-century music on historic instruments. This event is not suitable for children under age 12. The cost is $40 per person, and advance registration is required. Contact (845) 331-8852, (845) 331-7228 or visit www.hurleyheritagesociety.org.

Sunday, May 20, 2 p.m. at the Hurley Heritage Society Museum –

Guided Walking Tour of Historic Hurley

Hear the story of Hurley’s 350 years of history, its citizens and its famous stone houses as you stroll down Main Street with your guide. Weather permitting, a tour of Hurley’s burial grounds, dating back to the 17th century, will also be included. This tour goes on rain or shine, so dress for the weather conditions. Persons with mobility issues should note that this event takes place on an uneven sidewalk, and parts may take place in an unpaved cemetery. The fee is $3 for adults, free for children under age 12. For more information call (845) 331-8852 or visit www.hurleyheritagesociety.org.

Kingston: Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. at the Matthewis Persen House – Grand Opening of “Rondout Revisited”

The first section of the exhibit, “Circa 1820,” describes Rondout when it was still Kingston Landing, a small community comprised of a handful of farms and stores and several docks to accommodate the river trade. The second section, “Circa 1914,” captures Rondout in the years after the closing of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, during which time it continued to thrive as a commercial center and transportation hub. The third section, “The Urban Renewal Years,” documents Rondout during the 1960s, when it was in serious decline. For more information, call (845) 340-3040 or visit www.co.ulster.ny.us/countyclerk.

Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. at the Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery – “Saving the Best to Last: Preservation in Kingston”

An exhibit in the Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery will showcase the life and work of noted antiques dealer and preservationist Fred J. Johnston and other preservation “stories” in Kingston. Guided tours of the circa-1812 Fred J. Johnston House feature his antiques collection in eight elegant room settings. Please note that the second floor of the House is not handicapped-accessible. The fee for the tour is $5. For more information call (845) 339-0720 or visit www.fohk.org.

Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. at the Senate House State Historic Site – Spring at the Senate House

This celebration of spring will feature activities from the 18th century, including children’s games, 18th-century musicians, spinning and weaving, wool-dyeing and planting a vegetable garden. Bring home a plant seedling as a souvenir. House tours start at 10 a.m. and the last one starts at 4 p.m., for a fee of $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and free for kids aged 12 and under. For information call (845) 338-2786 or visit www.nysparks.com.

Sunday, May 20, 11 a.m. at the Hudson River Maritime Museum – Build a Boat

From a unique and fascinating collection of maritime artifacts and annual exhibits that touch on economic issues past and present to bold plans to partner with the river’s major environmental education flagship, Clearwater, the Hudson River Maritime Museum is taking its place as a significant resource in the region. Tour the Museum free of charge and join staff and volunteers in the free “Build A Boat” workshop to build model boats, design sails and create maritime crafts. For more info call (845) 338-0071 or visit http://hrmm.org.

Milton: Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 1 p.m. at the Milton Train Station – Trains, Trains, Trains

Tour the rehabilitated Milton-on-Hudson Train Station that was built in 1883. Learn the history of train travel along the Western Shore of the Hudson River. Look at the display of train paraphernalia. Enjoy the views of the Hudson River. Watch the trains go by. This is a great chance to “trainspot” – sightings guaranteed! For more information, call (845) 236-7288.

New Paltz: Saturday, May 19, 12 noon on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail – History along the Rail Trail

New Paltz has a rich history dating back to its settlement by Huguenots in the 1600s. The Wallkill Valley Railroad, built in the post-Civil War era, originally served as both a passenger and freight line, bringing tourists to the mid-Hudson Valley and local agricultural and industrial products to the New York City metropolitan area. Carriages from the Mohonk Mountain House met passengers at the New Paltz station – the last one still in existence on this rail line, now La Stazione restaurant. The trail runs parallel to historic Huguenot Street in the heart of the Village of New Paltz. Relics of the railroad and local industries and businesses can be seen along or near the trail, as well as magnificent views of farms, orchards and the Shawangunk Ridge. The portion of the trail from Mulberry Street to Plains Road is wheelchair-accessible. For more info call (845) 255-2761 or visit www.gorailtrail.org.

Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 11 a.m. at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center – Historic Huguenot Street Opening Weekend

To celebrate Heritage Weekend, deluxe 90-minute docent-guided tours of the museum houses, French Church and burial ground will be buy-one, get-one-free ($15 for two). Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes; starting times are 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Tours are limited to 15 people on a first-come, first-served basis and are offered rain or shine. Please mention New York Heritage Weekend to take advantage of the discount offer. Some buildings only have first-floor handicapped access due to their historic nature. There is some walking between museum houses, but a golf cart is available. These tours are not suitable for children under age 5. For more information call (845) 255-1889 or 255-1660, or visit www.huguenotstreet.org.

Saugerties: Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. at Opus 40 Sculpture Park & Museum – 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Raising of the Monolith

This event, delayed due to the damage that Opus 40 sustained as a result of Hurricane Irene, will be an all-day celebration. Highlights will include a reading from children’s book author/illustrator Iza Trapani at 11:30 a.m. At 2 p.m. Jonathan Richards, sculptor Harvey Fite’s stepson who grew us at Opus 40, will give a presentation explaining how Fite erected the enormous monolith. From 3 to 6 p.m. there will be square dancing with experienced caller Sandy Corey. The event is free of charge, but donations are appreciated. For more information call (845) 246-3400 or visit www.opus40.org.

Sunday, May 20, 3 p.m. at the Saugerties Historical Society’s Kiersted House – Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to “Woodstock”

Weston and Julia Blelock, co-editors of Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to Woodstock, will offer a PowerPoint presentation and book-signing. This book explains definitively and for the first time why the festival was named Woodstock, and why it continues to be so closely associated with the town, even though the concert actually took place in Bethel. This event is not suitable for children under age 16. For more info call (845) 679-8111 or visit http://rootsofwoodstock.com.

Woodstock: Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m. at the Historical Society of Woodstock – William B. Rhoads’s Ulster County, New York: The Architectural History and Guide

William B. Rhoads will be giving a slideshow and reading selections from his book Ulster County, New York: The Architectural History and Guide, which celebrates three centuries of Ulster County’s architectural heritage. This meticulously researched title provides an in-depth guide to 325 sites in 20 Ulster County townships and the City of Kingston. Admission to the event is free, and refreshments will be served. For more info visit www.historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org or call (845) 679-8111.

Dutchess County

Red Hook: Saturday, May 19, 10 a.m. beginning at the Elmendorph Inn – Bicentennial Heritage House and Barn Tour

More than two centuries of Red Hook architecture are represented in this self-driven tour of rarely open houses, barns and churches. Highlights include Barrytown’s elegant Edgewater, one of America’s finest Classical Revival houses, the Heermance Farm, a remarkably intact early-18th-century Dutch stone farmhouse, a meticulously restored Greek Revival farmhouse and imaginative adaptations of a church, a barn and a former gristmill into residences. The closing reception will be at the stately Maizeland mansion. Not all tour sites are wheelchair-accessible. The fee is $25 and advance registration is required. Call (845) 758-1920 or e-mail rhbicentennial@earthlink.net to register. For more info visit www.redhook200.org.

Rhinebeck: Sunday, May 20, 12 noon at Wilderstein Historic Site – Wilderstein Guided Tours

Get $1 off the regular house tour admission all day at this exquisite Queen Anne-style mansion that was the home of Margaret (Daisy) Suckley, cousin and confidante of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. House tours begin regularly throughout the day from noon until 3:30 p.m., and last for about an hour. For more info call (845) 876-4818 or visit www.wilderstein.org.

Staatsburgh: Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 1 p.m. at Staatsburgh State Historic Site – Titanic Tour at Staatsburgh

Special tours beginning at 1 and 3 p.m. will highlight the striking parallels between a visit to the estate and a voyage on the Titanic. Fortunately for Staatsburgh’s owner, Ruth Livingston Mills, her ticket was for the Titanic’s scheduled second crossing: the return trip from New York to Europe. But among the many victims of the liner’s sinking was the Millses’ friend and neighbor, colonel John Jacob Astor. The tour fee is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors. Children aged 12 and under get in free, but this program is not suitable for children under age 10. For more information, call (845) 889-8851 or visit http://facebook.com/StaatsburghSHS.

The ASK Award for Artistic Excellence and Innovation, nicknamed “The ASKAR,” designed by Katharine L. McKenna, fabricated by Scott Kolb.

The Art Society of Kingston (ASK)’s upcoming gala at the Steel House on Saturday, May 19 honors three very different artists: Philippe Petit, the “poet laureate” of the highwire, most famous for his extraordinarily daring highwire walk between the tops of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, who is also an accomplished juggler, author, lockpicker, chess-player and motivational lecturer; Peter Schickele, the prolific composer, genre-crossing musician, author, radio host and satirist whose fictional creation P. D. Q. Bach is a household name (and believed by some to be actual progeny of J. S. Bach); and Kingston’s own Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, whose luminous landscapes of mountains, rivers and valleys have been exhibited throughout the US and in Italy, Austria and Germany, earning her an entry in Who’s Who in American Art.

But having a chance to chat with each of these uniquely talented individuals (plus viewing a painting by Bloodgood-Abrams) and benefiting ASK isn’t the only reason to attend the gala, which will be held from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the restaurant, located in a former foundry, on the Kingston waterfront. There are hors d’oeuvres, dinner, a cash bar and a silent auction starting at 5 p.m. And there’s a variety of entertainment, starting with the crooning of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” by a singer from the Woodstock Youth Theater. The swing dance combo Got2Lindy will perform one of its high-octane dance routines to a 1940s Big Band recording; and the Castaway Players, the Saugerties-based theater group of mainly young people that’s brimming over with energy and talent, will perform a scene from an upcoming musical. Brandon Chrisjohn will wind up the entertainment by creating a painting set to music, with the finished product auctioned off.

For tickets and reservations, visit www.askforarts.org.

Photo of Rebecca Miller Ffrench by Philip Ficks.

Rebecca Miller Ffrench was trying to figure out how to recreate her local bakery’s apple-cider doughnuts at home, when her eldest daughter, Anna, made a helpful suggestion. “Why don’t you make the doughnuts that are in there?” she said, referencing a faded little blue book. The book was an inheritance — Ffrench’s great aunt’s recipe journal — and by adding apples and cider to the well-worn recipe, mother and daughter created the doughnut they craved.

Ffrench called her grandmother, the sister of the recipe-writing great aunt, to inquire about the origins of the doughnut. It was the same one her grandmother used to make with her grandmother, back in the 1930s, in Madison, Wisconsin. Every Saturday, they fried up 20 dozen for a Women’s Exchange.

Ffrench loved her grandmother’s reminiscence as much as the recipe. “She opened up a window into our family heritage,” said Ffrench. “Recipes really tell a story. There’s a lot to be learned from food.”

In Sweet Home: Over 100 Heritage Desserts and Ideas for Preserving Family Recipes (Kyle Books, 2012), Ffrench, a full-time resident of Phoenicia, shares the stories behind dozens of recipes passed down by elders and along by friends. On Saturday, May 19, she will be at the Tender Land Home, 64 Main Street in Phoenicia, for a 4-6 p.m. book signing, with samples of some sweet treats. All proceeds from books sold during the event will benefit the Phoenicia Library.

Ffrench is a former contributing writer for Cookie, a Condé Nast lifestyle magazine for modern mothers that ran 2005-2009. She planned to write a book about children’s parties — one of her specialties — but Sweet Home, and the urge to learn more about her family’s heritage, soon took precedence. The resulting recipe collection is an eclectic mix of crisp Norwegian cookies from her mother’s side, hearty German cakes from her father’s side, a selection of Jamaican desserts inspired by her husband’s father-in-law, who grew up on the island, and Hudson Valley staples from favored neighbors. In other words: it’s all-American.

“I hope to inspire readers to take the time to cook with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or even a very close friend, someone who they like to spend time with, someone who has a recipe that they really treasure,” said Ffrench, “and to carry on the tradition and the memory of that person, and the time spent together.”

Ffrench also encourages bakers to develop recipes and rituals of their own. The book’s four sections are: preserving, celebrating, giving and creating. All recipes are accompanied by the stories that shaped them.

There’s one for Mormor’s Rosettes, Norwegian cookies made by dipping cast-iron forms into a thin batter that’s then fried. (Her daughter Camilla categorizes them as “like a deep-fried waffle.”) German Apple Custard Cake, with a custardy layer and cobbled-top crust, originated at her father’s family’s Bockbierfest celebrations.

A recipe for Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding leads with story about the family’s recent trip to the island to see where Ffrench’s father-in-law grew up. Oliver Bailey, owner of Oliver’s Dutch Pot in Treasure Beach, taught them how to make the traditional dish “with ‘ell on top, ‘ell on bottom” — “hell on top, hell on bottom” — that is, over an outdoor fire with coals above and below the pudding.

“The sweet potatoes were covered in red earth,” said Ffrench. “There was a spigot out back, where we washed them and the grater. That experience, with my father-in-law and my kids and my husband, all of us, was one we’ll treasure forever.”

My early favorite is Mom’s Banana Cake, made with too-ripe bananas and rolled oats and topped with a schmear of cream cheese and butter frosting. I liked the trick of incorporating the baking soda and the baking powder directly into the buttermilk, which I believe contributed to the hearty texture. It felt substantial, like it could tide me over till dinnertime. In the Ffrench spirit, I brought a big piece over to my neighbors, who provided the batter’s two fresh eggs.

I honestly can’t wait for June, when I can make the Mile-High Strawberry Cake pictured on the front cover. Three layers high, stacked with sliced strawberries oozing juice and fresh whipped cream, it looks like early-summer heaven. The book is full of such photos, taken by photographer and Ffrench neighbor Philip Ficks.

Ffrench is currently working on incorporating an interface into her blog, Sweet-home.com, that would let readers post their favorite family recipes and stories. “That’s my dream,” she said. It’s a sweet one.

For more information on Ffrench’s appearance this Saturday, call (845) 688-7213.

Mom’s Banana Cake

Serves 12

Banana Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup rolled oats

1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 very ripe)

*To make sour milk, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice to 1/3 cup whole milk and let stand for 5 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dash of salt

1. Make the banana cake: Preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan using baking spray.

2. Cream the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each time until incorporated.

4. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the sour milk.

Alternately add the milk mixture and flour to the creamed butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour (add the flour in half-cup increments), mixing to fully incorporate the ingredients each time.

5. Blend in the oats and mashed bananas. With the mixer on low, beat for 30 seconds.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan.

7. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting: In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl and beat for another 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat on high for another 30 seconds.

Using an offset spatula, frost the top of the cooled banana cake.

The Gardiner Cupcake Festival will be held at Wright’s farm this Saturday (Photo by Clever Cupcakes)

When I saw Fa-Mulan, the title of Cocoon Theatre’s latest production, the first thing I thought of was Mulan of Disney fame. I wasn’t alone; Ada Graham-Lowengard, 12-year-old homeschooler and local actor playing the title role, can relate: “I had heard the name Mulan, and I knew it was a Disney film, but other than that I had no clue what it was. I was really excited to do the play when I heard that she was disguising as a boy to be in the army; I’d read a story similar to that a few years ago and I’d really liked it.”

Written in the sixth century, this story is both timeless and inspiring. When Mulan’s father is called to join the army, Mulan decides to disguise herself as a man and go in his place. Eleven years later, she returns home and reveals her true gender, to the shock of her fellow soldiers. I asked Ada how the role of this legendary Chinese heroine compares to other work that she has done in the past. “She’s pretty similar to most of the roles I’ve played. I usually play this kind of intellectual and nice character: someone you would want to be around, and I like playing that type.”

This original play is written and directed by Marguerite San Millan and includes live percussion, classical Chinese music, mime and dance. What does Graham-Lowengard have in her sights to do in the future? “I really want to try doing a musical.”

The Ballad of Fa-Mulan will be performed on May 18 and 19 at 7 p.m., and on May 20 at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and the play is suitable for all ages. Cocoon Theatre is located at 6384 Mill Street in Rhinebeck. For tickets or more information, call (845) 876-6470 or visit www.cocoontheatre.org.

Celebrate the Monolith’s 50th this Saturday at Opus 40 in High Woods

There are certain unique spots here in the Hudson Valley that I consider must-sees for families, such as Opus 40 and the Storm King Art Center. With our various commitments each week, I find it hard actually to get there. So when these places host special family-friendly events, it’s the perfect draw to share them with the kids.

It’s opening weekend at Opus 40, and its keepers are hosting a “50th Anniversary Celebration of the Raising of the Monolith.” Opus 40 is an outdoor sculpture gallery of walkways, ramps and carved pieces created by artist and former Bard professor Harvey Fite. All of the walls, walkways and sculptures were done entirely by hand, and raising the central nine-ton monolith was accomplished by adapting principles of the ancient Egyptians to hoist it into place. Fite named his site Opus 40 because he figured that it would take 40 years to complete. He died in an accident in 1976, 37 years after beginning the work. Fun Fact: the rock band Mercury Rev produced a song called “Opus 40” referencing this site.

The Monolith celebration takes place on Saturday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but donations are welcome. Children’s book illustrator and author Iza Trapani will do a reading at 11:30 a.m. At 1:30 p.m., Harvey Fite’s stepson Jonathan Richards, who grew up at Opus 40 and witnessed the raising of the monolith, will give a presentation about it. Then, from 2:30 to 5 p.m., there will be square dancing with caller Sandy Corey.

Opus 40 is located at 50 Fite Road in Saugerties. For more information, call (845) 246-9922 or visit www.opus40.org.

Storm King Art Center in Mountainville hosts kite workshop this Sunday

Go fly a kite! No, I’m not telling you to leave. On Sunday, May 20, Storm King Art Center is hosting a “Kite-Making and Flying Workshop” in Storm King’s South Fields. Is it possible to read these words from Mary Poppins without humming along? “Let’s go fly a kite/Up to the highest height!/Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring…” Or perhaps you’ve been looking for some motivation to gear up for another week. Try this Winston Churchill quote: “Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.”

Whatever it takes, get your family out to Storm King on Sunday, May 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. This kite event is a collaboration with the Free Style Arts Association from Queens. Its mission is to connect the public with art in spontaneous, creative ways. All materials will be provided.

I wondered where this Storm King name came from in the first place, since the Art Center is named after the nearby mountain. According to the Marist Environmental History Project, “The name Storm King was coined by 19th-century writer Nathaniel Parker Willis. Noting that the mountain was the tallest in the region and an accurate predictor of stormy weather when early morning clouds covered its peak, he felt there could be no better name than Storm King.”

Entrance fees to Storm King are $12 for adults; $10 for senior citizens aged 65 and older; $8 for students; free for members and children under age 5. Storm King is located at 1 Museum Road in New Windsor. For more information, call (845) 534-3115 or visit www.stormking.org.

Munch out at Gardiner Cupcake Festival this Saturday

The Gardiner Cupcake Festival is in its fourth year, and this year it takes place at Wright’s Farm. Fun Fact: What do cupcakes and Wright’s Farm have in common? They’ve both been around for over one hundred years! Fun Fact #2: What’s the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? A cupcake is generally considered more of a “sweet,” and a muffin more of a “savory.”

If you and your family like cupcakes, or frosting, or both, you should head over to the festival. Maresa Volante of Sweet Maresa’s Cupcakes, based in New Paltz, is looking forward to this year’s event with some amazing vegan offerings: “I’m very happy to be at the Gardiner Cupcake Festival, stocked with tons of decadent cupcakes made with healthy fats and organic ingredients. Treat your kids to one of our cupcakes (like Coconut Cream!) made with heart-healthy coconut oil. No need to worry about factory-farmed butter or shortening; we wouldn’t touch those with a ten-foot pole – only pure, good ingredients, whipped into sweet little cakes for you and your family.”

There will also be live music, a cupcake-eating contest, a bouncy house, cupcake-decorating, face-painting, hair-braiding, pony rides, an amateur cupcake-baking contest, a local racecar exhibit, helicopter rides and wagon rides, too. The Gardiner Cupcake Festival takes place on Saturday, May 19 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the Gardiner Cupcake Festival is free. There is a suggested $1 per car donation to the volunteer Fire Department for helping with parking.

Wright’s Farm is located at 699 Route 208 in Gardiner. For more information, call (845) 255-5300, visit www.eatapples.com or check Facebook for the Gardiner Cupcake Festival or Sweet Maresa’s Upstate Cupcakes.

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater performs at Earth & Water Festival in Montgomery this Saturday

Looking for a festival that’s both fun and informative? An event that is engaging for both adults and children? Festivities with free admission and free parking? Then you need to get to the fifth annual Earth & Water Festival. Organized by the Orange County Water Authority (OCWA), this event features a wide variety of environmentally conscious citizens, groups and businesses from the Hudson Valley. In addition to the Green Expo’s booths and exhibits, there will also be a Farmers’ Market and festival food vendors.

Another terrific component of this event is the Children’s Activity Area. Children can pick up a “Passport to Fun” to do free activities, get it stamped by vendors, then pick out a free prize. The Snakeman will be on hand with snakes for kids to hold and look at. There will also be games, crafts, educational activities, information for families, live music and entertainment all day.

One highlight for all ages is the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater’s 3 p.m. performance of At the Turning of the Tide. I asked Carl Welden, who has been a puppet wrangler with the company since 1997, about the show: “At the Turning of the Tide is a tale of the natural and human history of the Hudson River Estuary. It’s about the lifeforms in the river and lifeforms using the river, such as for industrial and commercial use.”

Founded by Marlena Marallo and Patrick Wadden, Arm-of-the-Sea is in its 30th year and is the region’s oldest puppet company. I think that its life-sized masked characters, costumes and music create a wonderful opportunity for Earth & Water Festival families to learn more about our river’s freshwater and saltwater dynamic.

Welden enjoys doing these performances as much as people like watching them: “I just love this medium for storytelling. It’s a place where all of the artistic disciplines find a home: sculpture, writing, puppetry, movement, music…It’s a blend of science and poetry, ultimately.”

The Earth & Water Festival takes place on Saturday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Thomas Bull Memorial Park, rain or shine. Thomas Bull Memorial Park is located at 94 Grove Street in Montgomery. For more information about the Festival, call (845) 615-3868 or visit http://waterauthority.orangecountygov.com. To learn more about Arm-of-the-Sea, visit www.armofthesea.org or the troupe’s Facebook page.

Phools’ Parade returns to New Paltz this Saturday

The artist Pablo Picasso said, “The purpose of Art is to create enthusiasm.” That sentiment has infused New Paltz’s Phools’ Parade from the beginning. The Phools’ Parade is a public procession of art. It is open to all artists, musicians, theatre and puppet troupes and students of any age. According to Phools’ Parade founders and organizers Eileen Hedley, Melanie Cronin and G. Steve Jordan, “The goal is a fantastic family and community event celebrating the creative spark in all of us.” All ages and skill levels are welcome and encouraged to get as artsy and creative as possible, such as dressing like a favorite artist, displaying wearable art, making a puppet or even making a float.

The Phools’ Parade takes place in New Paltz on Saturday, May 19 at 2 p.m. The route begins at the New Paltz Middle School at 196 Main Street, continues down Main Street, turns south onto Plattekill Avenue and finishes at Hasbrouck Park. After the Parade, the festivities continue at Hasbrouck Park with an awards ceremony, food, crafts by Macaroni Kids and music by Ratboy, Jr. and the Sweet Clementines. For more information, call (845) 255-6724, visit www.phoolsparade.com or check out the Phools’ Parade page on Facebook.

Summer job workshop for teens this Saturday at Elting Library in New Paltz

To me, summer in the Hudson Valley means swimming at Split Rock, Young People’s Concerts at Maverick and homegrown tomatoes. For teens looking to earn some disposable extra income or save for college, it means summer jobs. The Elting Memorial Library in New Paltz announces new offerings to optimize teens’ chances for summer employment. First, plan to attend the “How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Summer Job” workshop on Saturday, May 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Library. Led by local entrepreneur Julia Robbins, topics for job-seeking teens will include “What do you need to know before applying for a job?” “What type of job is right for you?” and “How can you best present yourself to a potential employer?”

Following this workshop, the library intends to create a Teen Summer Jobs Information Book where potential employers can list and describe working opportunities for teens, and teens can submit a Job Wanted profile for potential employers to consider. Finally, teens can meet potential employers at the Job Fair on Saturday, June 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Library. These Teen Summer Job resources and events are free and open to the public.

The Elting Library is located at 93 Main Street in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 255-5030 or visit www.eltinglibrary.org

Open House at John Burroughs’ Slabsides this Saturday

I like hikes, I like history and I like proximity. Famed naturalist John Burroughs’ rustic 1895 Slabsides cabin accomplishes all three and has quickly become a favorite spot for me and the kids. Whenever we stroll the fabulous grounds or take a peek in the cabin windows, we see a detail that we missed the last time. But twice a year, the cabin opens up, and now we can’t wait to check out the inside.

Naturalist, writer, educator and New Paltz Times columnist Richard Parisio teaches about John Burroughs. He shared with me Burroughs’ basic premise: All that Burroughs had and ever would have, every person can have as well. All that is needed is to reach out and touch it, for it is right in front of us – these satisfactions that come from opening our minds, hearts and senses to the natural world.

I asked why this historic site, and the man who built it, matter to children and families today. “These days, cut off as we are in so many ways from the simple life in nature Burroughs recommended, families need to go outdoors together to rediscover it. Children only need to be exposed to places like Slabsides, and the sanctuary that surrounds it, for them to experience nature for themselves, and maybe in the process help their parents recover a bit of their own childhood sense of wonder.”

I know that “wonder” is exactly how I feel any time I walk around Slabsides, looking up at those majestic shelves of rock, hearing the trickle of water along the rocky connector trail or experiencing the peaceful grandeur of Sanctuary Pond. What is Slabsides all about, anyway? In John Burroughs’ own words from Far and Near: “I was offered a tract of wild land, barely a mile from home, that contained a secluded nook and a few acres of level, fertile land shut off from the vain and noisy world by a wooded precipitous mountain…and built me a rustic house there, which I call ‘Slabsides,’ because its outer walls are covered with slabs. I might have given it a prettier name, but not one more fit, or more in keeping with the mood that brought me thither…Life has a different flavor here. It is reduced to simpler terms; its complex equations all disappear.” It still feels true today: just moments from Route 9W, and I’m surrounded by pristine forest.

Spring Slabsides Day takes place on Saturday, May 19 from noon to 4:30 p.m. Dan Payne presents “John Burroughs: Conservationist” at noon. Additional activities include cabin tours beginning at 1 p.m., self-guided trail walks and a Pond House viewing of the DVD “John Burroughs: A Naturalist in the Industrial Age” by Dr. Lynn Spangler, as well as refreshments. Admission is free, but donations are always welcomed.

Slabsides is located on John Burroughs Drive, off Floyd Ackert Road in West Park. For more information, call (212) 769-5169 or visit http://research.amnh.org/burroughs.

Grenadilla & New Raspberry Bandits perform for kids in Rosendale this Sunday

I’m going to bottom-line this for you: Debbie Lan’s music is awesome, and you and your kids should go hear her group Grenadilla (rhymes with sarsaparilla). Alm@nac’s Ann Hutton describes the music this way: “Grenadilla – the South African name for passionfruit – puts out rhythms and harmonies of a distinctly ‘township’ vibe, its founder, songwriter Debbie Lan, having been born and raised in Cape Town.” Sure, there’s an international flair, and the songs are playful, affirming and upbeat; but for me, what it comes down to is how much I enjoy listening to them. Her lyrics are a powerful celebration of life, friendship, connection and joyfulness – a reflection of the possibilities of love and growth that surround us everyday.

Grenadilla’s newest CD Can’t Wait is the winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. “It’s family-friendly music, for sure; but it’s definitely not just for little kids,” says Debbie, a mother and teaching artist who lives in the mid-Hudson Valley, as do her bandmates. “So many parents who’ve bought our CD tell us they love it so much, they listen to it in their car themselves – even when their kids aren’t around.”

Grenadilla is teaming up with the New Raspberry Bandits for a wonderful all-ages concert at the Rosendale Theatre on Sunday, May 20 at 11 a.m. The New Raspberry Bandits are the new band from Vanessa and Jamie Saft. Our son loves the rock sounds of their “Big Trucks” song, and our daughter gets excited hearing the word “princess” in the lyrics of “LULA.” The New Raspberry Bandits’ new CD Little Birds and Big Trucks is out soon on Veal Records.

Tickets for this double feature are $5 each or $10 per family. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Rosendale Food Pantry. The Rosendale Theatre is located at 408 Main Street in Rosendale. For more information call the Theatre at (845) 658-8989 or visit www.rosendaletheatre.org. To learn more about the musicians, visit www.grenadillasings.com and www.vealrecords.com/newraspberrybandits.

Cunneen-Hackett Theatre in Poughkeepsie screens Louder than a Bomb this Saturday

In March, I wrote about the Poughkeepsie students’ Hip Hop Theater performance at the Bardavon, a culmination of the two-week residency with Hip Hop’s Playback Theater NYC. I was moved by the stories of these youth who connected with their inner voices through this program, and I admired their courage to take that self-expression to the stage. So I was thrilled to learn that the film Louder than a Bomb delves into these same themes and is having a showing in Poughkeepsie.

Louder than a Bomb, held annually in Chicago, is the world’s largest youth poetry slam. This documentary follows the youth on four teams, giving us a window into their lives and how it reflects in their poetry: “This is not ‘high school poetry’ as we often think of it. This is language as a joyful release: irrepressibly talented teenagers obsessed with making words dance. How and why they do it – and the community they create along the way – is the story at the heart of this inspiring film.”

To learn more, I contacted Neil Johnson, the producer of the Sleuth Pro Film Series, which is presenting the film at the Cunneen-Hackett Center. I asked him how he heard about the film and what motivated him to arrange for a showing: “When I saw it, it touched me. I knew this was a film I wanted to bring back to the community.” Johnson said that the stories stayed with him – like Nova, who agonized about going away to college wondering if her beloved brother with autism would forget about her; or Nate, who became an inspirational leader among his peers against all odds, having drug-addicted parents and growing up in the ghetto. Could Johnson relate to any of this? Was it personal? What was different?

“I was born and raised here in Poughkeepsie. I was a ghetto kid growing up in the projects with a loving mother and family who exposed me to art, to learn about the world beyond home.” The key to the outside world for young Neil was art. And his nickname Sleuth came from his constant questioning, “Why?”

After school, Johnson traveled and returned to Poughkeepsie, passionate about the power of poetry, art and music to bring people together. An independent producer, he hosts dynamic, uplifting shows in his Sleuth Pro Art Studio and around the area. He arranged a screening of this film as yet another medium to inform, educate and inspire area families and youth right in Poughkeepsie and beyond.

Louder than a Bomb is showing at 8 and 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Tickets cost $10. The Cunneen-Hackett Theatre Building is located at 12 Vassar Street in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 486-4571 or visit www.cunneen-hackett.org. To learn more about the Sleuth Pro Film Series, the Sleuth Pro Art Studio or to donate, contact Neil Johnson at (845) 705-9995 or sleuthprolyrics@hotmail.com. Information about the film can be found at www.louderthanabombfilm.com.

Huguenot Street in New Paltz, Washington’s HQ in Newburgh offer Heritage Weekend discounts

When you live in the Hudson Valley, you can find direct links to the past. I get complacent that “history happened here” and often tend to take it for granted. Sometimes I forget that some of the stone houses that I drive by all the time in New Paltz are 300 years old, or that George Washington actually spent time in Newburgh. And I don’t think that I ever even thought about the people behind the name of Montgomery Place. New York Heritage Weekend, May 19 and 20, is a great way to introduce or reconnect us to some historic treasures right here, as well as throughout New York State. This weekend will appeal to a lot of families because it’s such a great time of year to go exploring, both indoors and out, and it’s easy on the budget: Some historic sites are discounting or waiving tour fees, as well as hosting special events.

Quick: What’s the oldest street in America with its original houses? Huguenot Street in New Paltz. There’s lots more to learn here during opening weekend. In honor of New York Heritage Weekend, Historic Huguenot Street is offering two-for-the-price-of-one deluxe guided tours on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours are offered at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Just mention New York Heritage Weekend to take advantage of the discount. The offices for Historic Huguenot Street are located at 88 Huguenot Street in New Paltz.

George Washington spent just over 16 months commanding troops from his headquarters at 84 Liberty Street in Newburgh. Learn more about life here during the 1780s with a tour of the authentically furnished house. Montgomery Place, located on Annandale Road in Red Hook, is hosting free tours from 11 a.m. to the last tour at 3 p.m. Bring a picnic; the grounds themselves are worth visiting on their own.

For more information about any of these places, about New York Heritage Weekend or to discover many other Hudson Valley historic sites celebrating this weekend, call (518) 473-3835 or visit www.heritageweekend.org.

Magic show with Domino the Great this Saturday in Kingston

Before I heard about the comedy magician Domino the Great, I thought that magicians just played to audiences of all ages. But Domino is a professional children’s entertainer and magician, and his shows are specifically designed for children. It’s what he does. He knows how to engage them with humor, fun and riveting tricks in a style that kids love – especially kids aged 5 years and up. Make a plan to take your family to the Kingston Library’s Super Saturday performance of Domino the Great. The show is free and takes place on Saturday, May 19 at 10:30 a.m.

The Kingston Library is located at 55 Franklin Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 331-0507, extension 7, or visit www.kingstonlibrary.org. To learn more about the magician, visit www.dominothegreat.com.

Pet shows this Saturday in High Falls and Rhinebeck

When I heard about this weekend’s pet events, I started thinking about dog shows, which reminded me of the dog show mockumentary Best in Show, which made me laugh out loud remembering Harlan Pepper and his hysterical nut list recitation: “Peanut. Hazelnut. Cashew nut. Macadamia nut…” Luckily for us, these events are open to more than just dogs. So pack up your kids and your fur kids (or feathered or otherwise) and check out these two shows, both on Saturday, May 19.

The High Falls Pet Show is open to all restrainable pets and offers 12 areas of competition, including “Pet/Owner Lookalike,” “Most Unusual Pet” and a “Kids Only” category. The entry fee is $4 per pet. The Pet Show takes place in High Falls at the High Falls Community Church yard, on Mohonk Road near the firehouse. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and the special competitions run from 11 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m.

If you’re looking for a larger event or want to make it a double-header, head over to the Hudson Valley Pet Palooza at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, located at 6550 Spring Brook Avenue in Rhinebeck. Held annually since 2009, Pet Palooza raises money for Partnership for Animals Needing Transition (PANT), Bernese Mountain Dog Rescue, the Catskill Animal Sanctuary and Lucky Orphan Horse Rescue. Admission is $10 and children under 12 are free. Leashed animals are welcome. A rabies clinic and microchipping are available on-site, as well as a petting zoo, dog agility and acrobatic demonstrations, an animal communicator, live music, food, vendors and free face-painting.

For more information about the High Falls Pet Show, call (845) 399-8981 or visit www.highfallscivic.org. To learn more about the Hudson Valley Pet Palooza, call (845) 229-7739 or visit www.hudsonvalleypetpalooza.com.

Erica Chase-Salerno lives, loves and laughs in New Paltz with her husband Mike and their two children: the inspirations behind hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.

This Way of Life (directed by Thomas Burstyn) tells the story of a horse-loving Maori family in a remote part of New Zealand.

It’s hard to beat Hollywood movie fare when you’re feeling burnt out and looking for a little light, escapist entertainment. But at other times, many of us want something to see that exercises more than two or three brain cells, and even has some meaning in the real world. That’s when docs really rock.

Most weeks, it’s tough to find a good documentary in A Theatre Near You. So if you love this genre as much as I do, you owe it to yourself not to miss UpDocs. It’s a wonderful gift that our friends at Upstate Films are bestowing upon the mid-Hudson cultural scene for the full week of May 18 through 24, with a number of the featured films to be screened in both Rhinebeck and Woodstock.

The selection of documentaries to be shown at UpDocs spans the globe and penetrates some of America’s quirkier corners. One cited as a favorite by Upstate Films staff members – and a title that they’ve been trying to bring to these shores for over a year now – is This Way of Life (directed by Thomas Burstyn, 2009), a gorgeous portrait of a horse-loving Maori family in a remote part of New Zealand. If you were knocked out by the scenery in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings flicks, or you’re at all interested in the ways in which families weather challenging times and instill strong values in their children, then this movie is for you. It will screen at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 18 in Woodstock and at 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 20 in Rhinebeck.

Elsewhere in the South Pacific, you may have heard of the efforts of Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldive Islands, to get the United Nations to help his low-lying country, which will be the first in the world to be entirely submerged as sea levels rise with global climate change. The Island President (Jon Shenk, 2011) tells the story of the Maldives’ struggle for survival as one atoll after another vanishes beneath the waves. It screens on Friday, May 18 at 4:30 in Rhinebeck and on Saturday, May 19 at 5:30 in Woodstock.

The title Five Cameras (2011) is a literal reference to what it took for a young Palestinian man named Emad Burnat to film his documentary, beginning with the day when his first son was born in 2005 and his village in the West Bank was simultaneously attacked by Israeli forces. For the next five years he brought his camera to every demonstration against the evictions, wall-building and Israeli settlements being erected at the fringes of their small community. Each time a camera was destroyed – usually by being tossed to the ground or shot with a bullet – he got a new one. Now that’s cinema vérité. It will be shown on Monday, May 21 at 5:45 in Rhinebeck and Tuesday, May 22 at 7:30 in Woodstock.

Another view of the strife-torn Mideast comes from sergeant Nathan Harris, an American soldier whose leg was shattered in Afghanistan. The story of his harrowing experiences both on the battle lines and in readjusting to the home front is told in Hell and Back Again (Danfung Dennis, 2011), which won last year’s Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Iraq veteran Derek McGee will speak at the screening in Rhinebeck on Sunday, May 20 at 5:45 p.m.

Two Bantu families, refugees from the war in Somalia, encountered different kinds of difficulties when they relocated to the US. Rain in a Dry Land (Anne Makepeace, 2006) documents the culture shock of their first two years here, as they find jobs, pay bills and navigate the mysteries of the American supermarket. Director Makepeace will introduce her film in person on Tuesday, May 22 at 8 p.m. in Rhinebeck.

A film that should appeal to fans of maverick documentarian Errol Morris’ homages to America’s enclaves of weirdness is Darwin by Swiss director Nick Brandestini (2011). Nestled in inhospitable Death Valley near a top-secret weapons station and the burnt remnants of the ranch where Charles Manson was arrested, Darwin, California’s 35 denizens carve a life for themselves in a town with few jobs, no organized religion, no government and little water. While some residents bury weapons caches, hoard food supplies and tend survival gardens in preparation for the Apocalypse predicted by their postmistress, others have comfortable homes amid vast desert vistas and talk of the comfort that they find in an end-of-the-road kind of life. See Darwin in Rhinebeck on Saturday, May 19 at 6:45 p.m. or Thursday, May 24 at 6 p.m., or in Woodstock on Sunday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m.

Two films set in the American South are also on the agenda. General Orders No. 9 (Robert Persons, 2009) is set on the outskirts of ever-growing Atlanta, Georgia. A poetic elegy for a disappeared landscape, the film gets at the essential components of our communities that live off the land by consuming it. It will show on Friday, May 18 at 9:15 in Rhinebeck and Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. in Woodstock. Kati with an I (Robert Greene, 2010) is a gradually unfolding portrait of a high school senior living in rural Alabama who has a traumatic secret. Director Greene will speak at the screenings on Saturday, May 19 at 4 p.m. in Rhinebeck and Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 in Woodstock.

There are lots more documentaries on the schedule – too many to detail them all. There’s a biopic about Harry Belafonte; an exposé of the ugly realities behind the pink façade of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; the story of Kevin Clash, the hand and voice behind Sesame Street’s Elmo; docs about the locavore movement, the Icelandic rock band Inni, what Hurricane Irene did to Schoharie and the plight of the wild rabbits who used to find refuge in the No Man’s Land between the two courses of the Berlin Wall. And Tobe Carey’s Sweet Violets will screen in Woodstock for the first time.

Somewhere amongst all these titles (and more), there’s at least one documentary that will stick in your mind forever. Check out the rest of the schedule at http://http://upstatefilms.org/film-series/updocs, and make sure that you come on out! You definitely won’t be able to catch these remarkable films at your local multiplex.

Much media hoopla will be made of next weekend’s “Annular Solar Eclipse” on May 20. Should you travel to California or Texas to see it?

Don’t bother. An annular eclipse is when the Moon crosses over the Sun’s face, but is too far away to cover it completely. The result is a ring or annulus of sunlight. It’s really a type of partial solar eclipse, which makes it too dangerous to look at.

It’s not totality. Night doesn’t fall. None of the amazing totality phenoms unfold. And, again, you’d need eye protection.

Here on the East Coast, we won’t even get a teensy partial eclipse. The Sun sets before any kind of eclipse begins. If you want totality – the greatest spectacle of nature – consider joining us in Australia early this November. That’s the premier solar event of a lifetime. If you care to wait around for a solar totality to come here, the next one is on May 1, 2079.

So they’re rare – but not the very rarest solar event. Just three weeks from now, we get a bona fide ultra-rare occurrence: the transit of Venus. That will be seen from here, starting at 6:21 p.m. on June 5. Our sister planet will visibly cross the Sun’s face, and all you need is proper eye protection. You need to have that all set up ahead of time – that is, unless you’ll be going to one of the many “transit events” held around the world; they’ll supply the correct safe filters. Mohonk Mountain House is having one, for example.

We’ll talk about the transit the next couple of weeks. For now, here’s what you need to purchase: Either send away for “eclipse glasses” – a couple of dollars tops, sold online at dozens of websites. Or, much better, get welders’ goggles, shade number 12, locally. These are optimal because they’re of excellent optical quality, so the image is perfect.

Last week, we researched this at Astronomy magazine and spoke with experts. Shade number 14 is fine when the Sun is overhead. But when the Sun is less than halfway up the sky, and is thus slightly less brilliant – like during this transit – welders’ goggles shade 12 are the very best. You can stare safely at the Sun forever, using them.

They’re good to have. The Sun’s storm activity is increasing as we approach its solar max next year, and through those welders’ goggles you can see all sunspots that are the size of Earth or larger.

Around here, the best places to purchase #12 are in Kingston at Cryo Weld, (845) 336-8680, and Noble Gas solutions, (845) 338-5061. You only need the replacement filter. But the entire goggle isn’t expensive, and then you can keep it on your head and not have to hold it.

The very best “instrument” for viewing the transit is through binoculars that have been prepped with this filter. Listen carefully, because you can’t fool around if you value your eyesight. The filter must be attached at the far end of the binocular, blocking the sunlight before it even enters the big lens. Don’t place it right where you look into the binocular. It must be attached with duct tape in an absolutely foolproof way. If it comes loose while you’re looking at the Sun, you can be blinded.

So do that only if you can do it so that it’s solid and can’t come loose. Vision is too precious. Use binoculars with 40mm or smaller lenses: That’s the second number in its specs, as in 7 x 35. If you’re not sure, don’t use the binoculars; simply look through the filter with the eye alone. Venus will then be quite small, but should be visible.

Get ready for the transit. No one alive today will ever see another.