Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

December GoList: Best Things To Do in Westchester for the Holidays

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 9:00am

With Thanksgiving so late this year, holiday events that usually take place in late November have gotten bumped into December, leaving less time to do so many great things! The abundance of festivities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled our top picks to help you navigate the month.

So far, we've told you where to go for holiday tree- and menorah-lighting celebrations, where to catch a live holiday performance, and where to have breakfast (and brunch) and other encounters with Santa. Beyond these, our Event Calendar is positively bursting with activities for kids every day of the week. And when a break from holiday mayhem is needed, we’ve got you covered there, too. Feeling the pinch? Leverage our list of FREE holiday activities throughout the month.

Read on for our top picks for December. For even more great options, be sure to peruse our Holiday Fun Guide, full of yet more ideas to help you get the most out of the holidays with kids. Also, sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on all kinds of fun—holiday and otherwise!

25+ Awesome Santa Activities for Kids in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 11/22/2019 - 1:42pm

Santa greets visitors at Holiday on Huguenot Street in New Paltz. Courtesy of the event

For those who celebrate Christmas, the holiday season is hardly complete without a trip to visit Santa—so we've rounded up more than 25 Santa activities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. From traditional mall photo ops to meals with Santa, train rides with Santa, painting with Santa—even skydiving Santa—we've got the goods on where to see the man with the bag. Incredibly, most of these events are FREE.

As a reminder, any event that requires or recommends advance reservations (especially if it's FREE!) should be pounced on, as these often sell out weeks in advance. Some might be gone by the time you finish reading this sentence.

But there's more! Also refer to our list of Santa breakfasts, tree lightings, and other holiday activities for even more opportunities for Santa encounters. And to optimize the season, check out our Must-Do Holiday Experiences for Westchester Kids and where to see performances of The Nutcracker and other holiday shows. Our Event Calendar is also loaded with events—many of which are FREE—and more are being added daily!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Thanksgiving Parade, Polar Express, Turkey Talk

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 11/20/2019 - 10:00am

Hop aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad's Polar Express this weekend. Photo courtesy of the railway

Assorted fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including several ways to get a jumpstart on Thanksgiving festivities.

For starters, there's the Annual Valenti Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the largest Thanksgiving parades in the state. In a similar vein, celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by creating wampum beads and viewing exhibits, or immerse your family in our early settlers' lifestyle at Living Off the Land. Families can also honor the bird of the month by learning more about it at Turkey Day. For a departure from the holiday, snag a seat at the performance by Arch 8, a multi-genre production with a message.

These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan ahead, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Nature Fun, STEAMFest, Supercross

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 11/13/2019 - 11:00am

Learn all about insects at the Greenburgh Nature Center on Saturday, November 16. Photo courtesy of the center

All kinds of fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including multiple family-oriented shows, numerous intriguing nature programs, and, of course, ways to get in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Consider this the calm before the storm, because the holiday hullaballoo will be starting soon!

Bring the family to work with clay, catch a sensory-friendly performance by Dan Zanes, get your American Girl doll ready for Thanksgiving, learn about creepy-crawlies at Bugging Out, or explore the different stations at the annual STEAMFest.

These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan the rest of the month, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Chocolate Fest, Holiday Bazaar

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 10/30/2019 - 9:00am

Spend a sweet Saturday at Red Hook's Chocolate Festival, with tastings, hayrides, live music, and loads more. Photo courtesy of the Red Hook Chamber of Commerce

The first weekend of November brings an assortment of family activities to Westchester and the Hudson Valley, from fall fun to winter and holiday–themed events.

Adventurers can test their resourcefulness at Fall Shelter Building, and curious minds might enjoy pondering the different options animals face when preparing to survive the winter. Other options this weekend are to experience life of the Lenape—the early settlers of New York—or go old-school and make calling cards for your American Girl doll. Just when you thought the chocolate binge was over, enter the Red Hook Chocolate Festival (and an excuse to wait a few days to start the post-Halloween diet).

These are just the first few of our top picks for the weekend. Read on for more, then browse through our Event Calendar for more options. And our hot-off-the-press November GoList is a great resource to plan the whole month.

Still planning for Halloween? Rain in the forecast doesn't have to put a damper on the fun—check out indoor options like Monster Mash at FunFuzion in New Rochelle and the Halloween Party at Lil Chameleon in Tuckahoe. You can also hit up the mall for some trick-or-treating—both The Westchester and the Galleria at White Plains will welcome kids to go store to store for treats.

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November GoList: Best Things To Do with Westchester Kids this Month

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 10:00am

November is a month of transition, as celebrations of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays merge—and Westchester and the Hudson Valley are rich with seasonal family activities. There's still time to squeeze in visit to local Halloween haunts like the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, which runs through the end of November; then, before you can say gobble-gobble, it’s time for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and Skydiving Santa.

In between are numerous performances, STEAM-related programs, and other assorted fun. Below are our picks for the best things to do in November, but remember that our Event Calendar has many more fun and enriching activities of all kinds. Savor the season and enjoy it all!

New Play Space in Westchester Offers Fun for Little Ones and Caregivers

Submitted by Susan Miele on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 12:22pm

Tig & Peach is a thoughtfully designed indoor play space for young children, parents, and caregivers.

Looking for an indoor play space for young children in lower Westchester? You're in luck—a new destination for classes, free play, retail, and parties for the 6-and-under set has just arrived in Pelham: Tig & Peach. We paid a visit and were dazzled by the use of the space.

Read on for the lowdown on Tig & Peach, which opened in September. And be sure to subscribe to our newsletters and follow us on Facebook to stay in the know about other news for Westchester and Hudson Valley families!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Fall Fests, Halloween Train Show, Hastings Spooktacular

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 10/16/2019 - 12:15pm

Head to the Heritage of West Nyack Fall Festival on Sunday for living-history demos, a magic show, pumpkins, and much more. Photo courtesy of the festival

Halloween fun is on the rise in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this weekend with the addition of the Hastings Spooktacular Weekend, plus the continuation of all the other big Halloween events throughout the month. Adding to the holiday hullaballoo is the return of the annual Lasdon Park Halloween Train Show, featuring added Halloween attractions including a pumpkin maze.

Numerous alternatives to the Halloween craze are also on tap. Among the fall festivals taking place this weekend, the standout is the two-day New York Sheep and Wool Festival, which features exciting workshops and live entertainment specifically for kids, as well as such eccentricities as llama acts. Or experience the cultural arts with a performance by the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia. A couple of STEM programs take place on Sunday, including Westchester Children's Museum's Chem-Palooza.

Read on for our top weekend picks, but know that there are many more options to choose from on our Event Calendar (it was hard to pick only a handful to showcase!). Our October GoList is another great resource to plan the rest of the month.