Westchester's guide to drop-in arts and crafts for kids.
February 1, 2013
Westchester’s kids love arts and crafts. And we love art studios that let us walk-in and create a masterpiece! The following art studios will let you do just that. A few places recommend a phone call or reservation, but most have times that you can just show up and be creative. So, dress your kids in old clothes (you might want to do the same) and pick your passion, from painting pottery to tie dying, you and your kids can get crafty!
Many of the following art studios also offer classes, camps and birthday parties. I have only provided information on when you can walk-in and play, without enrolling in a class.
A Maze in Pottery, Inc. in Briarcliff Manor welcomes walk-ins without a registration (unless you’re a party of 5 or more) during their regular business hours of Tuesday and Wednesday 10am – 6pm, Thursday and Friday 10am – 8 pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm (closed on Mondays.) Pay the cost of the pottery you choose (piggy banks, mugs, garden plaques, pitchers, plates and more) plus a studio fee of $8 for the first hour and $4 for each additional hour. Paints are all non-toxic, lead free and food safe. Pottery prices are $5 -$80. There is no studio fee on Tuesdays for kids (ages 4 and under) from 11am – 3pm. The first and last Sunday of every month families can paint all day for a studio fee of $15. Check their website for more specials. A Maze in Pottery: 75 N. State Road, Briarcliff Manor; 914-502-0088 [...]
Tickets to this stunning (and spooky!) Halloween event go on sale today.
September 4, 2012
Every year I plan to go to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, and every year I try to buy my tickets a couple of weeks before Halloween. By then, all of the least desirable times are available — or it’s sold out. (It always sells out.) Tickets go on sale September 4.
If you’re not familiar with the Blaze, it’s when Historic Hudson Valley, a nonprofit group that celebrates the history, architecture, and landscape of the Hudson Valley, sets out 4,000 illuminated hand-carved jack o’lanterns in a stunning “land art” installation. Visitors are invited to walk through a historic 18th century riverscape with lit-up pumpkins all around. Martha Stewart calls it a “Halloween extravaganza.” But it’s also just a lovely fall festival, an excuse to throw on a fleece and take a moonlit walk. [...]
Croton's public Hudson River beach beckons.
June 27, 2012
There are mountains surrounding the sandy cove I’m sitting in. Sailboats bob peacefully in the water. My 2-year-old is digging at my feet.
Last week, I grew tired of the pool and looking for a change of pace, we headed to Croton Point Park‘s public beach. It was hot and a Saturday, so I wasn’t sure if it was the right move. Would the beach be so packed that we couldn’t squeeze our towels in somewhere?
Turned out, it was empty. We arrived at 11am, just as the beach opens, and we were one of only a few families there. When we left two hours later, only a handful more had come. There were crowds of picnickers on the grass and fields surrounding the beach, but the sandy crescent was delightfully quiet. [...]
Head to Croton this weekend for a folk music fest + family fun.
June 12, 2012
Here’s a fun idea for this Father’s Day weekend: Spend a day at the Clearwater Festival in Croton-on-Hudson. On June 16 and 17, Croton Point Park will be transformed into a large folk music and environmental festival featuring Bela Fleck, Ani DiFranco, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Osborune, among more than two dozen other singer/songwriters.
Kids under 12 are free, and there is a ton of stuff for them to do: Take them to Discovery Tent for a look at Hudson River fish life. A puppet show by Arm-of-the-Sea-Theater (shown below) will inspire even the youngest of environmentalists into action. At Story Grove, lively storytellers will spin tales under a shady tree. Kids can sing, clap, stomp and shout at the Circle of Song exhibit, all the while learning how to juggle from clowns and jesters goofing off in the Juggling Area. Don’t miss the Working Waterfront. Here, families can paddle kayaks.
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