Weekend Guide September 4-7

 

Welcome to September! School has started for us here in Rye Brook but this weekend is Labor Day.  It definitely doesn't feel right starting school and then having Labor Day Weekend.  As sad I am that summer is over, I love fall and everything that comes with it.  From the crispness in the morning air, pumpkin and apple picking, to falling leaves and Halloween.  One of the things I love most about living in the Northeast is the change in seasons.  Just when you start getting bored of being hot and your summer clothes, along comes fall with a nice change.  Enjoy the weekend and embrace the changes in your life. 

Home Depot Kids’ Workshop

Since it’s the first Saturday of the month that means it’s time for the free kids’ workshop at Home Depot.  This weekend’s workshop is creating a Football Toss Game from 9am-12pm.  Kids ages  5-12 will have the opportunity to come learn how to make a football toss game.  Children will be able “to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.  Kids Workshop activities are scheduled on a first come/first served basis. Please do not arrive before 9:00 a.m.”  While registration is not required, it helps them better plan craft kit quantities needed.”  

 

Renaissance Fair

Saturdays, Sundays & Labor Day from 10-7, August 1st-September 27th, head a little over an hour north west from Rye Brook up to Tuxedo Park NY to go back in time and enjoy the Renaissance Fair.  This fun faire is a “rollicking romp through Elizabethan England” and features dance, music, storytelling, arts, crafts, food, games and rides all set on the beautiful grounds of Tuxedo Park which have been transformed into a magical, medieval village.

Click here to learn more.

 

Playland

Always a fun activity for the whole family, don’t miss the last weekend to enjoy Playland in Rye NY!  This amusement park offers rides, food, entertainment and an arcade! What more could a kid want?!

This Sunday, September 6th, don’t miss SUPER HERO DAY!
SHOWS ARE FREE WITH PARK ADMISSION.  Showtimes are at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Kids will be able to participate in the “Meet & Greet between shows at 3:30 p.m. featuring Spider-Man, HULK, Captain America
& Black Widow.”

Park hours for this Friday and Saturday are 12-12am, and 12-11pm on Sunday and 12-10pm on Monday, their last open day of the season.  

Stay tuned for Playland's Scared by the Sound haunted attraction is back this October...with more thrills and chills! Weekends starting October 3.

 

Westchester Children’s Museum

While you’re at or near Playland, why not check out the all new children’s museum!  Admission price this summer is “Pay-What-You-Wish.” “The Westchester Children’s Museum, located on the Boardwalk at Playland in Rye, is open for the season. The museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for by-appointment groups.

Among the exhibits this year are:

  •     “Build Your Own Roller Coaster” - an interactive, hands-on experience that involves the creation of your own roller coaster from design phase to testing phase. Visitors will have a chance to make discoveries about force, energy, friction, and stability - all while having a great time. Sponsored by Con Edison.
  •     KEVA planks - an interactive experience comprised of thousands of small, uniform building planks yielding endless creation possibilities. Incorporating elements of art and architecture, the exhibit will challenge children, fuel creativity, and allow for collaborative interaction.

Make things fly - The fun begins when junior inventors use odd materials to create a flying object and then experiment with it in the museum’s fantastic wind tunnel.”

For more info, visit their website

Pleasantville Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday from May 23rd (8:30-1) through December 5, the Pleasantville Farmer’s Market is open for all to enjoy in Memorial Plaza, next to the train station. There will be “farm-fresh foods, prepared foods created with regionally sourced ingredients, as well as many other unique offerings. It's a great way to support local agriculture and eat healthy year-round.”

This Saturday there’s SO much going on!  From 10-12pm, check out the Annual Corn Roast.

“It’s Customer Appreciation Day at the Market! The Annual Corn Roast, sponsored by Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, is Saturday with a freshly shucked and roasted ear of corn for the first 450 customers to arrive at Mr Pono Wong's grill.”

And from 8:30-12:30pm don’t miss Le's Talk: Back-to-School Breakfast and Lunch.

A great way to “pick up suggestions for what food to prepare and pack for children during the school year. Local, delicious, and nutritious.”

And just for the kids, from 9:30-11, Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk will hold a special 9:30am interactive performance.

 

Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum is a hidden gem just up the road from us in nearby Greenwich, CT.  After you’ve checked out the museum, head across the street to a super fun playground the kids are sure to love!

Today, Friday, from 2:30-2:45, check out the Marine Tank Animal Feeding.  Free with admission and no reservation required!

And on Sunday from 9-11:30 families can enjoy the First Sunday Bird Walk at Greenwich Point Park. This is a free program. “For complimentary Park entry, enter between 8:30 and 9:30 am and inform the front gate personnel that you are attending the First Sunday Bird Walk. Meet near the southern concession stand by the flagpole for a leisurely walk around the Point to view wild birds in their habitats. Bring binoculars. No reservations required. For information, call 203-413-6756, Monday - Friday or email cynthiae@brucemuseum.org.”

The museum will be closed on Monday, Labor Day.

 

Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones museum is an amazing place for the kids.  Located about 20 minutes north of Rye Brook, in Norwalk, CT, it’s perfect for the whole family! Check them out here, then head on over for a fun filled day of learning and hands-on activities the kids will adore!  The museum is open on the 4th but closing early!

Check out, Mega Making, Stepping Stone’s newest exhibit experience, which was “designed by Stepping Stones to celebrate creativity in our children! They will be the future engineers, designers, inventors, artists, teachers, scientists and the ones shaping the world - maybe in as little as 10 years from now!”

“The Mega Making exhibit experience is organized into five main areas: Art, Textiles, Construction/Woodworking, Tinkering and Book Nook/Future Ideas. Using real materials and real tools, young makers can explore art, textiles, construction and woodworking, tinkering and gadgets and a variety of materials, techniques and projects!”  There will be staff members to help get kids started, “whether it’s working a needle and thread for the first time, practicing using wrenches and screwdrivers, tinkering with batteries and buzzers or picking out the perfect artist medium. Something for all ages, best for 5 and older. Children and their adults will surely enjoy a unique experience together!”

Great news, the museum is open Labor Day!

 

Stamford Nature Center

The Stamford Nature Center is another fabulous destination just up the Merritt!

On Sunday from 10-2pm, don’t miss the Sunday Farmers Market!  There will be SNC’s own farm-fresh eggs from the chickens on Heckscher Farm, maple syrup made in the SNC’s own Maple Sugar House, and wool from their sheep. There will be weekly farm-related family activities with the "Market Madness" program led by one of the environmental educators.

*SM&NC Sunday Market Admission Only: FREE.

Please note free entry to the Farm Market does not include: Galleries, Heckscher Farm, Nature's Playground, hiking trails or participation in the Market Madness program.

 

 

 

Maritime Aquarium

There is always SO much going on at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT.

On Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-3pm, check out the Toy Boat-Making Workshop for a fund 20 minute boat-building project!  “Build and decorate a toy sailboat to take home as a special keepsake of your Maritime Aquarium visit. Cost: $5 per child (in addition to Aquarium admission).”

Ongoing exhibits worth checking out include the butterflies in the Flutter Zone (ending Labor Day), the Dragon exhibit (also ending Labor Day), the always curious and adorable Meerkats and the Jiggle A Jelly Jellyfish exhibition.

Did you know that the aquarium offers Shark Dives on “most Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays
at 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. The Maritime Aquarium's dive team spends some quality time among the sand tiger sharks, lemon shark and other creatures of the 110,000-gallon "Ocean Beyond the Sound" exhibit. Thanks to a cool communication link, you can even talk with the divers while they're in the exhibit with the sharks! They'll tell you that sharks should be respected ... but not feared.  Free with Aquarium admission. Please Note: the audio system that lets you hear the divers talk also carries the sounds of the divers' SCUBA respiration. Some young children may find this loud and unnatural.”

The aquarium is definitely worth a trip up the Merritt or 95!

 

Click here to learn more about Maritime.

 

Weekends at Stone Barns Center

Weekends at Stone Barns Center are wonderful!  
Experience what's happening on the farm, meet the farmers and greet the season.  On a Saturday or Sunday visit Stone Barns to participate in a variety of seasonal, hands-on activities and even better, now drop-in tours are included with your one-day admission ticket!  Tickets sell out so be sure to get yours ahead of time!

Prices are as follows; 
adult (ages 16+) $20, youth (ages 2-15) $10.  Children under 2 & members: FREE. Click here to become a member and learn more! Or here to purchase tickets. 

 

CORNucopia

From 10-5 on September 5-7th at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepyhollow, NY, “Feast on a bounty of corn-centric delicacies and take part in a bevy of hands-on, corn-related activities at the Lower Hudson Valley's only corn festival.

Play games like Konk a Crow and Ring a Cob in the CORNival area. Compete in corn shucking races and learn how to make a corn husk doll. Enjoy both historic and modern cooking demonstrations (using corn as the main ingredient, of course), and discover the irresistible charm of English country dancing in the barn. Traverse a kid-sized mini maize maze and design a one-of-a-kind scarecrow. Tour the 18th-century Manor House and Mill, and watch how corn is ground on a quern stone. Enjoy live folk music. 

Other maize-inspired food selections include cornbread, corn salsa and chips, and corn chili, plus sweet corn ice cream from the Blue Pig and draft beers and draft root beer from Captain Lawrence Brewery.”

Prices are as follows,  $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for children 3-17 and free for children under 3 and members.

There are way too many fun activities to list but you can check them out here!

 

Greenburgh Nature Center

The GNC always has a fun array of activities for families to enjoy each weekend! 

Ongoing: Red Fox at Hickory Lane by Kathleen M. Hollenbeck. “This self-guided Story Walk runs Sunday, June 28 through Sunday, September 27. Stop by the Manor House (Closed Fridays) for a free CPK kid's meal bookmark and to enter a free raffle for a $20 CPK gift certificate, while supplies last.”

On Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th at 11:30am, check out “Teaching Trails- Guided Trail Experience through our woodland forest. Discover who left that track, which tree makes the best animal home, or who uses that fallen tree for protection. Program runs approximately 45 minutes. FREE!”

And on Sunday at 2pm, don’t miss the Nature Storytime-“Let your imagination run wild with this fun, nature-themed storytime. Hear a story, meet a live animal, and have fun with a nature activity. Recommended for ages 3-6. Members $5/person, Non-Members $8/person.”

The GNC is closed on Monday, Labor Day.

 

Muscoot Farm

Sunday, check out the yummy and fresh Farmer’s Market from 10-3.  “With over 20 vendors our market has it all.  From honey to cheese and fresh vegetables to meats you will surely leave with something tasty.  Most vendors accept cash only.”

Also on Sunday, September 6th from 1-3pm, check out the Weather Folklore Program.  “Learn all about how the farmer’s of old predicated the weather, we will also be creating a small weather station you can take home.”

Muscoot is open on Labor Day and is offering a Bird Walk at 7:30 a.m. led by Anne Swaim.  This program is free of charge and meets in the parking lot.

 

Hudson River Museum

The Hudson River Museum, in Yonkers, boasts an amazing Planetarium, six galleries, and a mansion!

This weekend don’t miss “One World, One Sky
Big Bird's Adventure”
at 12:30 pm for children ages 5 and older.  “On a trip from Sesame Street to the moon, Big Bird and Elmo with friend Hu Hu Zhu discover that planets are different from one another but people on Earth are often the same - they love to fly kites! Children can’t fly a kite on the moon because there is no wind but on Earth they can! More learning, too, about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the sun, and the moon.”

In addition, this weekend HRM has Art Projects for the kids (making costume capes) on Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm and Science Projects on Saturday from 1-4.  The Science project explores “Harvest Moon.  Learn moon phases and get a moon-observing booklet.”

Also, this is the last weekend kids can build fairy houses on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4!

For more info, click here.

 

Michael’s

Most Saturdays, from 10-12pm, Michael’s offers a fun crafting opportunity for kids to participate in while their parents shop! This Saturday’s project sounds like a blast for kids, it’s creating a “KIDS CLUB® Football Windsock,” perfect as we enter Football season!

For just $2, kids can spend 30 minutes at this drop-in program, have fun, express their creativity, and take home a completed project.  Supplies include.  For more information click here.

 

Crafts at Lakeshore

Lakeshore will also be holding a fun, free crafting workshop this Saturday from 11-3pm for kids ages 3 & up.  Their project also sounds like lots of fun, creating a “My Desk Nameplate Easel.” Perfect for Back to School!  Click here to learn more.

Westmoreland Sanctuary

On Saturday, September 5th at 12pm head to the sanctuary in Mt. Kisco and “Learn more about the many ways animals use their sense of smell and put your own nose to the test. Discover some of the smells in nature and follow along a sent trail to see how some animals mark out their territory. All ages welcome. Free for members / $5 for non-members.”

And on Sunday at 2pm check out “Paths in the Woods-Come out and enjoy a nice walk out to lost pond before the weather starts to turn cold. Ages 7- Adult. Free for members / $5 for non-members.”

 

Farmer’s Market in Rye

All summer long, Rye hosts a great farmer’s market in the back parking lot behind Encore, Chase bank and Blue Mercury on Sundays from 8:30-2pm.  

NY State Fair

Every year, nearly one million people experience the NY State Fair.  It’s a 12-day celebration  ending September 7th up in Syracuse NY.  There promises to be “delicious food, eye-opening exhibits, captivating entertainment and outrageous fun.  The Fair showcases thousands of animals, hundreds of commercial attractions, scores of exciting midway rides and dozens of big-name entertainers.”  So if you feel like taking a drive, hit the road and head north to 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse, New York 13209.

 

Movies

The weather is forecast to be beautiful this weekend, but sometimes you just need to be indoors and veg and what better place to do so than at the movies, the perfect indoor destination!  Relatively new, the “Fantastic Four” rated PG-13.  Also still new in theaters and sure to be a hit with the little ones, Shaun the Sheep Movie rated PG!  This animated movie from our friends across the pond looks absolutely adorable!!Still new, “Pixels” rated PG-13.  In regular and 3-D format.  Also out, “Ant Man” rated PG-13.  Perhaps a little more kid friendly, Minions is still in theaters!  My kids loved it and it’s out in regular and 3-D versions.

Check out showtimes here!

 

Other good weekend ideas include baseball games!! Check out the Met's and Yankee's schedules! If you feel like staying closer to home for a more intimate baseball experience, head over the bridge and watch the Rockland Boulders play tonight! 

Or maybe the Bronx Zoo?

The NY Botanical Gardens are a beautiful nearby destination!  

 

Or how about fruit picking? Silverman’s Farm is a great nearby option in Easton, CT where you can pick your own fruit…depending on what’s ripe.  Check it out!! At Outhouse Orchards the “crop is looking plentiful and will soon be ripe! Apple Picking begins on September 5th.”  The cornmaze and pumpkin patch will be open until Halloween.  Barton Orchards is also a great spot to go apple and pumpkin picking!

And Bowlmor bowling alley is now open in White Plains!

The beaches in Rye and Greenwich are a close, easy option that the whole family will love!

What about mini golfing? Nearby spots to play this fun game include Saxon Woods and Playland

Finally, a fun activity to cool down on these hot end of summer days, sprinkler park! There’s a great one located in Mamaroneck, at Harbor Island Park.  And while you’re there, you can check out the beach, the playground and all the yummy restaurants on Mamaroneck Ave! 

Remember, it’s always a good idea to call ahead to ensure a scheduled activity is still running.  Email me at ryebrook@hamlethub.com and let me know if we missed any super fun, family friendly events and/or if you would like to advertise with us!

Photo Credit: Kelly Schwark

 

 

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Submitted by Darien, CT

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