The Biggest Playdate/Sale/Fundraiser Happens This Weekend: Ree-Play 2016

When you shop the Ree-Play sale, one of the biggest sales of kids clothing and toys in Beacon that is happening this weekend from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1 from 9am to 1pm, you are directly donating to the park structures you see around town at Memorial Park, Riverfront Park, and the Green Street Park. This weekend marks the twelfth year for the sale, which in the last three years alone has brought in $30,000. All proceeds go directly to the children of Beacon in the forms of new park structures for Beacon playgrounds, children's programming in Beacon through the Beacon Recreation Department, the Howland Public Library, and the Beacon Art & Education Fund which pays for the third-grade Calico Ball.

Last year, Wee Play used donations raised through the Ree-Play Sale to buy three shade structures, two benches and a new ride-on toy for Memorial Park.

Making this large sale happen takes forty volunteers to help sort donated items, price them, display them, and run the sale itself. Thousands of donated items are delivered daily until the final cutoff hour. During the sale day, while children are playing in the fields of the Settlement Camp and testing all of the prospective toys, high chairs, castles, and clothing that can be purchased, volunteers run a bake sale that has also been provided for by community members donating cupcakes, bread and brownies.

Raquel Verdesi has been working the Ree-Play Sale for ten of the twelve years it has been running, and the project is very special to her. "Part of the magic of the sale," says Verdesi, "is that we take what others no longer want, sell it to raise money for the community, and then give the leftover books to our local school, and the other items to charities." This year, unused clothing, books and toys that are not in the best condition will be saved for the clothing and shoe bin at Sargent Elementary School, one of four elementary schools in the Beacon School District, which will sell the items for "pennies on the pound," keeping the items out of the landfill and raising money for an intended recycling program at that school.

Keep browsing here in our article for items you'll find at the sale, because these will sell fast! Toys that normally go for $25 at a consignment store could be marked as low as $4, so make room in your car.

Some of what you will find has never been used, and may be just what your child wanted - for only $3.

Large and small items are at the Ree-Play Sale, including high chairs, walking toys, kitchens, and workbench tables.

Plan ahead for the big party or wedding. Clothing has been sorted by age group, and designer clothing from Janie and Jack, the Gap, and other coveted brands has been set aside to make it easy to find.

While it may be easier to shop without your kids, this is one venue where kids will most likely know their friends and play outside while you dive into clothing bins to stock up on seasonal clothing, refresh your bookshelf or treat them to new toys.

Have fun! Show us pictures of what you got by posting to our Facebook wall!

The Coolest Cooler Ever - And Only One Chance to Buy It At Beacon Flea

Of course we had to beeline it to the season opening of Beacon Flea last Sunday, and boy, did it live up to our hopes of finding treasures - and creative genius! What we caught glimpses of via Beacon Flea's Instagram last year became reality with the appearance of custom-made furniture from local favorites like Keith Decent of Sixth Borough Studios and reMADE (formerly known as The Hudson Valley Maker and Artisan Cooperative).

This year there is a new guy on the scene: Robert Powchik, of Powchik Woodworking in Peekskill. Robert had been a vendor at the fair a few years back, and then took the year off from Beacon while he thought about opening a shop on Etsy, or getting any other kind of online presence. Meanwhile, he'd been building and designing away, and brought several of his creations to Beacon Flea and mesmerized anyone walking by, from a woodland throne to benches to this ... the "coolest cooler ever" as we dubbed it in our Instagram last week. And we weren't alone in developing an instant obsession with it!

Lately in Beacon, artisans have been showing off really neat bottle openers at their homes, made by their artisan family members. Like the family duo Pergamena and Outlast Goods. Well, Outlast made a wall-mounted wooden bottle opener for Pergamena, and it's just about the greatest looking thing ever in the kitchen.

Robert has made a standing cooler on wheels (pictured above) with a built-in bottle opener with magnetic powers to catch your falling cap. Yes, that is a standard-issue Igloo cooler nestled snugly into the wooden surround, which has a drain extension out of the wood, finished off with a metal faucet to drain the melted ice and other liquid from the cooler.

Do you need to tip the cooler? No problem! Robert installed the dish rack bar on the left side, which doubles as a bar to easily lift and tip the cooler. All of this is completed by a decorative horseshoe mount on top - or any other decoration you would like completing your cooler lid when closed. The wood has been treated to weather the outdoors, so you can use it without putting it away. Here's the best part (well, the wooden cooler is the best part in and of itself) - you can bring Robert your own plastic cooler and he'll build your wood cooler around that and knock about $25-$30 off the total sales price of the coolest cooler ever, which retails at $200.

This needs to be in your backyard. Need an excuse? Father's Day. But here's the kicker - finding Robert is tricky, as he has no website, so show up at the Beacon Flea to place your order! The Beacon Flea is located behind the gas station next to the Post Office at 6 Henry Street. It's an easy walk, or there is plenty of parking.

Makers like Robert and Keith are filling the lot at Beacon Flea. While Keith may not be there this year because he's in a new retail shop on Main Street (unless he changes his mind...), other collectors are selling their vintage finds, and some of them are putting their own personal stamp on the pieces. Among the treasures awaiting you, this small door with wrought-iron hooks, selling for $40 - or your best offer.

Meanwhile, collectors of the classics will leave satisfied. This vintage drum-set is on the do-not-touch list and is going for $300.

 

Action figures, from Wrestle Mania dudes to Barbie to Snow White are all here, plus boxes of sorted stuff like Matchbox cars, records, and anything you need. It will show up at Beacon Flea, which is open every Sunday from 8am-3pm. But as with a lot of markets, the only way you can buy it is to show up, making every find super special.

Take pictures of your finds and tag us on Instagram with #alittlebeacon! Can't wait to see what you pick up!

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 4-24-16

Happy Sunday! Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead this Spring.  As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do!

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• The Howland Cultural Center: Many events have been added for the remainder of April and dates in May, such as their May exhibit celebrating National Asian-American Month and a playreading in July - Murder At Prisonwell Manor.
• Meet The Candidates: A Q&A session with the candidates running for the Beacon City School District.
• Constellation 2016 Sessions: Tours begin on May 7 with Melissa McGill. The land art project Constellation continues to light every night at sunset and launches its second season of sunset boat tours.

All of these dates are in the Events Guide, organized by Month. Take a look for a big-picture view of your month ahead!

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• Come & Paint: Fundraising for the Seniors program at The Salvation Army on Main Street on April 30, May 21, and June 18.

Check our Adult Classes Guide for more updates.

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• Get Frosted Cupcakery: Get Frosted Cupcakery has Sparkling Strawberry cupcakes that have...sparkles!
• Barb's Butchery: Now has two new chicken sausages: a Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sausage, and a new Chicken Curry Sausage.

You can always check our Restaurant Guide for the latest openings and promotions!

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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

It's Back! Beacon Farmers' Market Returns With New Access to Food and Programs

Go ahead, call it a comeback! The long-running Beacon Farmers' Market, located down at the docks by Beacon's Metro-North Station just on the other side of the stairs or track as you head down to the train, is back from its extended winter and spring break. Many of our favorite vendors are returning, selling crafted items, vegetables, and prepared food, but a bushel of new elements (a food truck? live music, anyone?) takes the market to another level. Even the footprint has grown, making use of the driveway and grassy area south of the market’s traditional spot on the docks. Head down to the Metro-North station off of Red Flynn Drive to witness the Beacon Farmers' Market's next chapter. The fun resumes tomorrow, April 24, from 10am-3pm, and every Sunday.

Finding Common Ground 

The market had been year-round for years, but has been on hold since Thanksgiving while the city searched for a new market manager. The result may have been hiding in plain sight: Now running the show is Common Ground Farm, who has participated in the Beacon market since at least 2008. The farm is based just a few miles up Route 9D at Stony Kill Farm in Wappingers Falls, and has been active throughout Beacon for a long time by way of the Green Teen program and Common Greens mobile markets, donations to the Kids R Kids food program and several food pantries, a partnership with Beacon City School District, and events like the Firefly Feast. 

Common Ground's mission has always been geared toward education and food justice, but taking over the Beacon Farmers' Market wasn't originally part of the plan. Decision-makers - within Common Ground as well as with the City of Beacon - felt that there was a lot to be gained by taking advantage of the farm's organizational support and infrastructure, according to Sarah Simon, the newly named Farmers' Market Manager who's in her second season working at Common Ground. "As a nonprofit, we can bring a different mission to the market; it's an opportunity to give access."  Sarah said. The enthusiasm within the community is already there. "Beacon should have a big farmers' market."

Education and Access 

Food insecurity is relatively high in Beacon, with many kids qualifying for reduced-price or free lunches, and seniors are also often in need. A bevy of programs at the Beacon Farmers' Market seek to help out. The most important change along these lines is the market-wide acceptance of food benefits such as SNAP, EBT, and WIC. People who use these programs can swipe a card at the market to receive tokens to redeem with vendors for fruit, vegetables, meat, and other un-prepared foods, but also seeds and seedlings for plants! Sarah, the market manager, is literally just waiting for the USDA iPad to arrive in May, and this program will be ready for action. 

New York State's Fresh Connect program will kick in an additional 40%: For every $5 redeemed in SNAP benefits, the state will provide $2 on top of that to spend with farmers at the market. Additionally, Common Ground identifies people who might benefit from the "Green for Greens" program: $4 "bucks" that can be redeemed for fruit and vegetables at the market or at other sites listed on the back of the bucks. This access helps those in need get the freshest produce, of course, but it also benefits family farmers in the Hudson Valley! 

Education-oriented groups will be frequent friendly faces at the market, with a mandate to give an experience in addition to staffing a table and handing out flyers. Bija, a recent addition to Beacon's education and Pre-K programming scene, is partnering with a farm to talk with kids about responsible meat production and consumption. On May 15, market-goers will get to see a summer program showcase from a variety of organizations, such as Hudson Valley Seed, Hudson Hills Montessori, Bija, and more. Regarding higher education for the grown-ups, Sarah says, "I would love to see what the market can become as a community forum."

Food...Want...Now!

Most vendors from last year are returning, for a total of 34 vendors booked, with a weekly rotation of 26 vendors at tables. Main Street fave Drink More Good will be back with a whole product line, and so will former market manager Dana Devine O’Malley, showcasing her Five Hens Baked Goods - hand pies, whoopie pies, cookies, and signature marshmallows in creative flavors. Common Ground and Fishkill Farms have been market mainstays for a decade or more. Joining these anchors this year is Obercreek Farm, bookending the season, as well as Starling Yards, a farm in Red Hook that grows specialty vegetables. If they’re good enough for Blue Hill, they’re probably pretty good.

Beacon-based landscape designers One Nature will sell native plants, perennials and edibles from their nursery. Some will alternate weeks; others will have specific seasons at the market. An olive oil producer will be at the market every other week, because most people don’t need to buy it on a weekly basis. Obercreek Farm will be at the market at the sometimes-chilly beginning and end of the growing season, offering robust greens from their extensive greenhouse network. 

This article is made possible in part by support from Poughkeepsie Nissan.
The new 2016 Nissan Titan XD makes for easy hauls to and from market!

For the carnivores, there will be several meat producers, and four outposts for your egg pickup. Two of the meat vendors are participants in Glynwood’s prestigious farm incubator: Back Paddock will offer beef and shiitake mushrooms, while Grass + Grit will bring pastured pork, lamb, goat and poultry to market. 

If you'd rather pick up food to eat on the spot, you'll enjoy another new feature of the market: the regular presence of a food truck. John Lekic, owner and creative force behind Hudson Valley fave L’Express, will be selling lunch made from local products at the market.

And what meal would be complete without a little tipple? Market regulars will recognize Adair Winery’s booth, but adult beverage selections will be rounded out this year with Hudson Valley producers of hard cider, mead, and spirits.

Bring Your Dancing Shoes 

It wouldn’t be a Beacon event without some music, too. The market has teamed with Beacon Music Factory to present music every week, from 12 noon to 2pm, in a wide variety of styles. The idea is to have “a music show that happens in the market, a show (emphasis on the word "show"), as opposed to just background music,” Sarah says. Fundraising efforts are under way to pay musicians. 

The Beacon love fest is evident everywhere: Hudson Valley native Daniel Wiese came up with striking new promotional designs - on a donation basis. “It reflects Beacon more than traditional farmers' market branding,” Sarah says. (Think olde-timey tomatoes and pumpkins clip art. Would that really feel like our town?) Daniel is working on the market's website, too. It's currently under construction, but fans can sign up there to receive a weekly newsletter that features vendor lineups. You'll recognize Daniel's work on another participating partner, Zero to Go, who is hosting a zero-waste initiative down at the market.

Hungry yet? The Beacon Farmers' Market is open from 10am-3pm every Sunday. If eating and walking is your thing, then head on down to the market on a Sunday.  

Yet if you're ready for brunch, A Little Beacon Blog's got a guide for that, and an entire Restaurant Guide at your fingertips as you eat your way through the day. Several of the farms you'll shop from at the Beacon Farmers' Market also work with restaurants up on top of the hill in downtown Beacon, so you'll get to enjoy the fruits of their labor in both places! Take a picture of your bounty and tag us in Instagram! #alittlebeacon

Kids Get More Gardening at South Avenue Elementary with New Fence

Really, it's just so cool. When you think about public schooling, the first things that may come to mind are red tape, dysfunction, and Common Core confusion, thanks to repeated news coverage on those dramatic topics. But what is really happening inside of a lot of public schools are programs and initiatives that people have started, that get past that red tape, to work with whatever state and federal regulations that exist for the moment. Like the gardening program run by Hudson Valley Seed at each of the four elementary schools in Beacon, three elementary schools in Newburgh, and one elementary school in Garrison. This week at South Avenue Elementary School in Beacon, Hudson Valley Seed expanded the garden to add a gathering space for classes in the garden, a pollinator patch with flowers, and more growing space for vegetables. All of this with the help of a team from United Way. And you won't believe what kids get to do during their school days with this garden, which is explored in this article, in pictures!

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

About the Gardening Program for Beacon's Elementary Schools

Hudson Valley Seed educates children using school gardens, empowering students through curriculum-integrated lessons focused on healthy eating, food literacy, outdoor learning, and academic success.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

Elementary schools in Beacon go from Pre-K to 6th Grade. In Hudson Valley Seed's program, 1st and 2nd Graders get weekly garden time, out in the garden during Spring and Fall, and in the classroom in Winter. Kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades also visit the garden and get indoor garden time three to six times throughout the school year.  During garden time, kids taste and learn about the vegetable of the month, and the cafeteria serves it a few different ways throughout the month. The month culminates with a school-wide taste-test in the cafeteria, which allows students to vote on whether they like the dish or not. Parents are even sent home a recipe to try in their own kitchens. In March for St. Paddy's Day, parents got a flyer with a recipe for cabbage soup.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

Vegetables grown in the gardens outside of the schools are woven into classroom curriculum. Like this worksheet, showing a monster vegetable made up of a tomato, turnip, cabbage, squash, kale, and string beans. Kids can name the creature and define its personality.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

The New Garden at South Avenue Elementary School

At the beginning of Spring, after school each day for about a week, work began on the expanded garden. First was the delivery of mulch.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Next was plotting out the new beds and area for the fencing. Just days before, the new fence posts were in the bed of a parked truck of a Hudson Valley Seeder, and were stolen. A plea for help went out on a Facebook group that many in the Beacon community belong to, and after several people offered to donate to replace the fence posts, the stolen posts mysteriously reappeared. #soweirdbutgreat

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Little did that thief know that a huge group of volunteers from the United Way and the local community was scheduled to come to install the fence posts. Thanks to the thief's change of heart, a lot of work commenced and the fencing was finished in a day. It was beginning to feel like a story pulled from the pages of a Nancy Drew Mystery.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Voila! New fencing is up, and the new garden is ready for adventures, imaginations and learning!

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

To see all of the gardens at Beacon's elementary schools, visit Hudson Valley Seed's website. There are volunteer opportunities that you can sign up for to water the gardens, and other ways to get involved.

Beacon Considers After-School Program - Will It Get Approved?

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Beacon is booming with class options for kids, both after school and during the day from private businesses run by creative types, but there is no official after-school program from the City of Beacon. Until, perhaps, now. Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price has been listening to residents' requests for such a program, and has put together a proposal on behalf of the City of Beacon Recreation Department for a self-sustaining, "enrichment-based" after-school program for grades K-5, which he plans to present to City Council during an April 25th City Council meeting. His proposed programming would include Homework Enrichment time, rounded out with themed days like Ninja Class, Cooking School, Yoga, Artists and Musicians

However, Price needs to show the council strong indication that parents will buy into the program before he is granted city money to get funding and staff to kick off the program. "This program is a big deal. It gives me goosebumps," says Price. Residents are being encouraged by Price and by Beacon's Interim Superintendent, Ann Marie Quartironi, to answer a four-question survey about the program so that Price can have the data to analyze the level of interest he is working with. Parents are also encouraged to email support to their council representative (if you don't know what Ward you live in and who represents you, you can click here for an interactive map, and then here for a list of council members and email addresses).

Track Record of City Funding

Price's recent track record of using city funds to start a program was proven successful last summer when he received city funding to re-open Beacon's public pool, after years of it being dry and forgotten, overgrown by weeds at the Settlement Camp on 9D (aka Wolcott Avenue). Season passes sold out last year, and often the pool was so well-attended that capacity maxed out and people waited on the lawn outside the pool in order to get in. So far, 100 of the 200 season passes to the pool have been sold, with day passes available, which help the public pool remain self-sustained.

Is Beacon Catching Up to Other Cities and Towns?

Fishkill has a successful after-school program that works with one of the four elementary schools in Beacon, Glenham Elementary. The health club All Sport has been promoting its new after-school program with busing for kids in the Wappingers District. For Beacon parents who need busing and full-day coverage while at work or commuting, the only option is to have children bused from their respective elementary schools to a daycare center in the area. For parents who work from home or have flexible schedules, the work day pauses at 3pm so that children can be picked up and taken home or to afternoon classes in other programs, like at Tri-Arts, Beacon Craft Workshop, the Howland Public Library or even to Fishkill's Recreation Center (for a list of kids classes, please see A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide).

What Will the After-School Program Look Like?

Photo Credit: Clarice Allee

Both Price and Quartironi have expressed a desire to take advantage of the creative talents who live in Beacon, who already offer programs to kids. Each of the three elementary schools (South Avenue, J.V. Forrestal and Sargent) would have a program within their building that is run by the Beacon Recreation Department, so that no busing would be necessary. Glenham's program with Fishkill's Recreation Department would not change. It is undecided at this time if it will include kids who are "Busers," which defines kids who need to wait in designated areas of their school for their bus to take them home or to another after-school program, and often have long wait times for their bus. There will be snack time, homework encouragement time (not a formal tutoring session at this time), and then programming that could involve recess time, arts and crafts, ninja-based activities, cooking, etc.

There will be a fee of $13-$15 per day and care would run until 6pm. Parents can select which days they sign up for, and do not need to commit to five days a week. It is undecided at this time if the days that a family picks can be changed as needed.

If approved, the after-school program would start in the 2016-2017 school year. "With a program like this, everyone wins," says Price. "It helps the Recreation Department get more programs and staff to run and promote those programs." Price estimates that he needs more than 105 families to participate.

If you are interested in seeing this program happen, three actions are encouraged:

1. Take the super-short survey online here.
2. Email your Ward representative, emails for whom can be found here, and if you don't know what Ward you live in, just click here, and zoom in on your house and click on it.
3. Attend the City Council meeting on April 25, where Council Members will be looking to see how many people would actually financially buy into this program.

RELATED GUIDE: Summer Day Camp Guide for Ages 3-17 for Beacon and Hudson Valley Kids

RELATED GUIDE: Kids Classes Guide for Beacon and Hudson Valley Kids

Alright, Beaconite...You Like a Subaru. Poughkeepsie Nissan Has Those Too! (Sponsored)

Alright, Beaconite ... you like a Subaru. And those boxy cars, like the Honda Element, the Kia Soul, and a good Jeep. We get it - they have a lot of room in the back for hauling away finds from the Beacon Flea, or a good yard sale, or even for picking up a bale of seedless hay from Sunny Gardens on 9D.

So guess what? Poughkeepsie Nissan, just up Route 9, redesigned their logo for a reason and included these words in it: "The BIG Store." That's because in addition to all of the new and used Nissans you can choose from on the lot, they have an even bigger lot of pre-owned cars, the collection of which includes Subarus, Hondas, and Kias. And even BMWs!

I know you need a new or different car pretty soon. So this is what you're going to do:

1. Take the scenic (and possibly faster) route up 9D past Stony Kill Farms, past the bright pink Nesting Doll store, past the Randolph School, and then take a right. 
2. You'll veer left without even touching Route 9, and take the back road to Poughkeepsie Nissan.
3. Park.
4. Walk into the showroom. Before you go in there, however, look behind you because you'll see the giant lot of great-looking pre-owned cars in the lot next door. Many of them have a Lifetime Powertrain Warranty, which makes buying a pre-owned vehicle feel more secure.
5. Also, take note of the Service Center right next to the showroom. They work on all kinds of vehicles, foreign and domestic, and can take care of your car needs.
6. Any of the sales people can help you, but if you get Nick, he'll take you on a test drive on a route of back roads that he made up. It will go toward Bowdoin Park, and you'll see some river and some reeds, and be able to test out the turning radius and brakes in your possible new car.
7. When you get back, the negotiating is up to you, but Poughkeepsie Nissan works with a lot of banks and credit unions, and everyone has a 100% guaranteed credit approval.

Send us a picture of what you drive home with!

Poughkeepsie Nissan is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created for them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like this, that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor Spotlight or Community Partner, please click here for more information.

Summer Day Camp Options for 2016 for Beacon Families in the Hudson Valley

 

It's here! A Little Beacon Blog's Summer Day Camp Guide! The choices are amazing, and the decisions are not easy. You will need to get out a few calendars for this - your calendar, the grandparent's calendar or anyone who is helping to shepherd the kids around during different weeks of camp locations and times. Our guide is organized by Age, Times, Dates, Prices, Early/Late Options, and everything you need in one place to see what you want to do.

Maybe your phone has already been blowing up with texts from friends: "What weeks are you doing????" Camp with friends can make things easier, yet making new friends does eventually happen, despite that first day of "Who will play with me?" terror.

So, start your calendars, because we've got LEGO Star Wars, Farm Camps (two different ones!), Art Camps, Fashion Camp, High Activity Camp, Field Trip Camps, Gymnastics Camp, Film Camp, and Theater Camp. This Guide is updated every year. Like all of our Guides, it's live-action, meaning, it never gets old. We update it constantly.

Good Luck!

Click here for the full Summer Day Camp Guide >

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides

Happy Sunday! Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead this Spring.  As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do!

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• Kingston Food Truck Festival: Friday, April 22
• Earth Day Clean Up: Friday, April 22 at Long Dock Park in Beacon
• Newburgh Urban Farming Fair: Saturday, April 30 at Safe Harbors of the Hudson in Newburgh
• Beacon Independent Film Festival: September 16-18
• Beacon Tree & Menorah Lighting: Two separate dates this year, December 10th & 24th respectively
• Artist Members Of The Howland: Latest art exhibit at The Howland Cultural Center going on now through April 29th

All of these dates are in the Events Guide, organized by Month. Take a look for a big-picture view of your month ahead!

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• Kids Brunch: Learn how to make pancakes with John Cummings at The Beacon Pantry on Sunday, June 12.

Check our Kids Classes Guide regularly for more updates.

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• Sailing Class: New "Sailing" section added, with a class offered by the Beacon Sloop Club.
• The Beacon Pantry: More classes added all through June, including Classic French Sauces, Too Hot To Cook, and Allergy Friendly Fiesta.

Check our Adult Classes Guide for more updates.

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• Get Frosted Cupcakery: Brought back their white chocolate baguette on Fridays only!

You can always check our Restaurant Guide for the latest openings and promotions!

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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

April at All Sport is Spring Challenges, Barre Fusion, Tai Chi Classes, and Swimming (Sponsored)

April is moving fast through All Sport! Here's the good news: It's Buddy Month! So you get to bring a friend who has been considering joining. Meanwhile, April is an important time for new class signups, including Swimming (registration is going on now, so reserve your spot). You want the kids swimming by summer so that you all can enjoy All Sport's Outdoor Park and Pool, with the poolside food and drink bar!

A Little Beacon Blog keeps tabs on all of the super important dates you want to know about at All Sport. Highlights include:

• SGT Spring Challenge: April 18 to June 26
• Les Mills Launch: April 18 to 23
• Eat Fat, Get Thin: April 21
• Comedy Night At All Sport: April 23 
• Open House for Summer Camp: Camp Fit is open for you to explore on Saturday April 23rd, 11:00-2:00 pm Details>

Definitely look through their classes for adults, which include Barre Fusion, Zumba, and even Tai Chi.

Have you been to a birthday party at All Sport? Booking one is easier and more affordable than you think. We got the scoop for you.
 
Click here for All Sport's easy calendar on A Little Beacon Blog!

The Biggest Chocolate Chip Cookie on Main Street: All You Knead Bakery

This one goes out to all you RSS readers out there, one of whom I had the pleasure of meeting last week during what may have become his winning streak at Wednesday Night Trivia at Newburgh Brewery.

Meeting him reminded me that I used to blog lovely photos like this to A Little Beacon Blog, before Instagram even existed, and then became a major source of information for insiders to share with their friends. Many pictures like this are sent straight to A Little Beacon Blog's Instagram feed, and it's not fair to you, dear RSS reader, who keeps tabs on what's published here on the blog via headlines at your preferred readers.

So know this: Even if you miss the blips at Instagram, the best ones may surface here, as published via my iPhone just like I did in the old days. And I will revisit them and link back for even easier reference for you.

So where is the largest chocolate chip cookie on Main Street? At All You Knead, in the middle on Main Street, across from Get Frosted Cupcakery. And of special note to you butter lovers: Both bakeries bake with butter.

Lottery for Long Dock Kayak Storage Starts Now! A Sure Sign of Spring!

The kayak pavilion at Long Dock Park prior to rental season.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Spring has been showing its frostier side around the Hudson Valley recently, but steamy hot days will be here before we know it. What better way to cool off than heading to the Hudson River, and what better way to enjoy the crisp waters than in a kayak or canoe? If you have your own river-faring vessel like a kayak, you have a shot to store it right at Long Dock Park in Beacon!

That’s right, the 7th annual lottery for kayak/canoe storage at Scenic Hudson’s pavilion at Long Dock is happening. Now through Friday, April 22, 2016, hopeful paddlers can enter the lottery by filling out a form here at Scenic Hudson’s website. People whose entries are drawn from the lottery will be notified by Friday, April 29. The storage pavilion's season runs from May 7 to October 31, and use of the storage costs $175. If you have any other questions, call Laura Sumner at (845) 473-4440, ext. 247, or email her at lsumner@scenichudson.org

The area that we now know and love as Long Dock wasn't always so welcoming, however. For many decades, it was a bit of a wasteland. A history of industrial use and general neglect left a lot for Scenic Hudson to turn around. But turn it around they have, after some serious cleanup and soil remediation work, not to mention the incredible landscaping with Hudson Valley native plant species. The park has even won prestigious national awards for its design and - in true Beacon fashion - environmentally friendly aspects! Thousands of people now visit Long Dock every year to spot wildlife (including bald eagles!) and enjoy the expansive river views. Check A Little Beacon Blog's Annual Events Guide for when Scenic Hudson conducts their riverside cleanups, and sign up for our newsletter that tells you what is going on each weekend so that you don't miss it!

If you haven't tried kayaking or canoeing, you can still get hooked on paddling. Longtime Beacon shop Mountain Tops Outfitters rents watercraft by the hour or day, and they even run kayak tours from Long Dock to Denning's Point and Bannerman Island during the summer. Who knows - you might enjoy it so much that you'll be a 2017 lottery hopeful!

Record Store Day is Saturday April 16, 2016! Where You Will Find Crates to Buy Records, and Why Folks Love Records

For your Beacon trivia, this E.T. is the main storefront display for local record store favorite, Audioccult.

Beginning with a group of independent record stores wanting to celebrate and get the word out about vinyl records back in 2007, Record Store Day was created to show everyone that vinyl records can still be enjoyed. The first Record Store Day was on April 19, 2008, and has turned into a global phenomenon. It is a day that rabid vinyl collectors look forward to - some even camp out for it!

This year, Record Store Day is on Saturday, April 16, and you do not have a travel far to take advantage of all the RSD exclusives. Audioccult, located on Beacon's Main Street across from Key Food and next door to vintage shop American Gypsy (and host of this E.T. pictured here), will be celebrating their one-year anniversary (first opened on April 11, 2015, and covered by A Little Beacon Blog here!) and their doors will open at 9 am.  There will be live music at 1 pm with a performance from Zack Campone.

Here is a list of participating stores in our area:

Audioccult (Beacon, NY)
Sound Shack (Newburgh, NY - you won't find new releases aren't here, as they are into the vintage)
Halfmoon Records (Cold Spring, NY)
Darkside Records & Gallery (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Jack's Rhythms (New Paltz, NY)
Rhino Records (New Paltz, NY)
Rock Fantasy (Middletown, NY)
The Kiam Records Shop (Nyack, NY)
Wright Gallery Records (Kingston, NY)

To see "The List" of this year's exclusives, visit www.recordstoreday.com and check out our Events Guide for more happenings coming up!

For the Love of Records

When A Little Beacon Blog's publisher, Katie, first learned about Record Store Day last year, thanks to Sound Shack's promotion of it days before they left their Beacon location for the Newburgh Emproium, Katie's interest in why people love listening to records was piqued. What is it about records that has people so passionate? Do we all need to be buying record players now? It seems so! We asked around and heard from different folks about why they love listening to records. Here is what they had to say:

Photo Credit: The Fleshtones

Ken Fox, a local Beaconite and bass player for The Fleshtones (he also moonlights as an occasional handyman here in Beacon - he's really good!), loves records so much, that he very strategically tiled his kitchen floor in album covers. Says Ken about his love of records, and the difference between records and CD:

"The difference between vinyl and CDs is emotional as well as technical. Certainly LPs sound better, crackles and all. But it's the emotional ties that go with memories of peering through record store windows at new releases, the thrill of gate-fold sleeves and the occasional poster or insert. The way choice LPs feel when tucked under your arm on the way to a party. CDs could never match that."

Photo Credit: The Fleshtones

Special for Record Store Day, The Fleshtones are releasing "End Of My Neighborhood,” composed and sung by The Fleshtones guitarist Keith Streng. Says their Facebook page: "He certainly lets us know he is more than concerned about the re-development of his neighborhood and the concurrent loss, not only of all the things that made the ‘Northside’ of Williamsburg such a cool place to live, but of its human scale as well."

The 45’s sleeve shown here was designed by Herve Peroncini of the Italian band The Peawees. The photos are by Jacopo Benessi before a Fleshtones show in La Spezia, Italy. The songs were recorded with longtime friend of The Fleshtones, Florent Barbier, at Cold Cut Productions Studios. This release is exclusive to Record Store Day 2016.

Photo Credit: airbnb host.

Karen Meyer, founder and massage therapist at River Therapeutic Massage on Route 52, is so fond of records, a record player influenced her pick of airbnb's on an upcoming trip to Nashville for a family reunion. Says Karen:

"I grew up listening to records and still miss the sound of the needle on vinyl. We have a fairly large collection (combined) of albums, but they've been in boxes since before we moved up here in '93 :(
I will be visiting Nashville with my mom for a family reunion this August. We were lucky to get the same airbnb that we stayed in during our last visit - and it has records and a record player. I am looking forward to spinning some country western tunes while I'm there. Patsy Cline, anyone?"




Do you love listening to records? We would love to know why! Tell us in the Comments below.