Events

@ Behold! New Lebanon Station and Store

Paul Rix and Anna Duhon invite you to join them as they make their weekly batch of cheese. Explore life on a homestead and experience making farmer's cheese. The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 9:30 am. The bus will transport visitors to Paul and Anna's home for this workshop.

@ Behold! New Lebanon Station and Store

Elizabeth Crawford and Nathan Hoogs have been in business together for 17 years creating unique glass pieces. Join them at their studio, Hoogs and Crawford Modern Studio Glass in Canaan NY, where you will watch the two glass blowers make a hand crafted, free form, piece from start to finish! The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20 New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Behold! Station and Store

Ambling through fields and forests with Roger Boutard, you’ll learn to identify all the markings of a meal – from mushrooms to dandelions. You’ll never have to fear getting lost and going hungry again. The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Behold! Station and Store

Join the creative minds at the Mountain Road School as they lead families on a walk into the woods behind the school. Guides will encourage visitors to look at nature how a fairy would. You will gather sticks, leaves, bark, flowers, and more to make a unique house fit for fairies. This program is great for children of all ages! The bus for this programs boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Visitor Center

As you stroll along the roads designed by Frederic Church, contemplate his words and the words of his family and contemporaries and songs from their era. Artist and musician Brian Dewan does a dramatic reading of significant letters in Olana’s collection. This tour is between 1 hour and 1.5 hours in length and will travel no more than 1 mile. What better way to learn than through primary sources?

@ The Elm Tree Mill

When President Theodore Roosevelt lived in the White House, he insisted that his pancakes be prepared only from Elm Tree Mill buckwheat. A tour conducted by the family who now lives in the mill offers an unprecedented opportunity to look inside and back to the 18th century. Meet at Behold! New Lebanon station and general store and then board a bus to the event site.

@ Wagon House Education Center

Spend the morning on this 3.8-mile course traversing the historic carriage roads at Frederic Church’s Olana. This event is a collaboration with the Onteora Running Club and supports arts education in the Catskill School District. Please register online or on race day. Rain or shine. Free t-shirt to the first 75 people who register.

@ Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site with the assistance of the Kinderhook Runners Club is sponsoring a moderately difficult 4 mile scenic trail run on Saturday, September 17th at 9am. The free run is limited to 175 runners and pre-registration is required. The first 100 runners checking in on race day will receive a complimentary T-shirt. Visit www.nps.gov/mava for details and registration link.

@ Behold! Station and Store

Jerry Grant and Sharon Koomler share the history of letterpress printing and open their Victorian-style print shop for tours. They will demonstrate their craft on late 19th and mid-20th century presses. Ages 10 and older are welcome. The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Lasher Park, Germantown NY

The Germantown-Midwood paddle starts in Lasher park in North Germantown and goes four miles down the beautiful east shore of the North Germantown reach of the Hudson. Our turnaround point is Midwood, where we'll stop for lunch and experience an exciting presentation. Then we'll paddle back to Lasher Park.

@ Behold! Station and Store

Join Flying Deer Nature Center Director Josh Wood in the woods and meadows of New Lebanon and learn to identify animals by their tracks. Find out how to recognize animal signs, gaits and patterns and uncover a wealth of mysteries written in the landscape. The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Copake Iron Works, Taconic State Park

Join Friends of Taconic State Park for tours of the historic Copake Iron Works. Established in 1845 along Bash Bish Brook at the base of the Taconic Ridge, the Copake Iron Works, and 18 acres surrounding the area were listed on the State and National Register of Historic Sites in 2007. The Copake Iron Works Historic District comprises all of the buildings in the Iron Works area, the historic blast furnace, three workers’ houses, and the now-flooded ore pit, as well as the previously National Register-listed Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Included in the tours will be a museum, newly opened to the public, where on display are a series of iron artifacts, ranging from plow parts to chisels and unknown objects. Each item has been catalogued by members of the Historic Preservation Committee of Friends of Taconic State Park. In its heyday, a total of 5,000 tons of iron ore were wheeled into Copake Falls each year from surrounding towns such as Pawling and Amenia. The walking tours include stops at up to 25 points of interest in the Copake Iron Works precinct, where new, informative signs interpret the legacy of this historic and culturally significant site. Tours are given rain or shine, beginning at 2:00 PM and concluding at 4:00 PM.

@ Behold! Station and Store

What goes into a good sausage? Phoebe explains while offering a hands-on demonstration of fresh sausage making. Taste Phoebe’s delicious New Lebanon Baloney while learning how Phoebe was inspired by her childhood experience in Lebanon, Pennsylvania to create this new local delicacy. Take home a half pound of sausage for your labor! The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Hudson Boat Launch

Join Columbia Land Conservancy's Marissa Codey and Nick Zachos of the Hudson Sloop Club on a guided paddle up the Hudson River and into North Bay.

@ Clermont State Historic Site

On September 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. join historian Geoff Benton to explore the grounds of Clermont State Historic Site, not as the idyllic playground of the wealthy Livingston family but as the high water mark of the British invasion of the Hudson River Valley from the south. In 1777 the British army launched a three pronged attack on the Hudson River Valley to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies. One prong was famously stopped at Saratoga, another at Fort Stanwix and the third reached Clermont before turning back. The walk will take visitors to spots of significance to the 1777 attack and then into the house to see some of the family’s possessions saved from the inferno started by the rampaging red coats. Admission is $8 and includes refreshments after the walk. Please call for reservations (518)537-4240.

@ Olana State Historic Site - Visitor Center

These Sunday morning programs are designed for local families, heritage and art tourists, and regular visitors who like to make art. Projects take about 30 minutes and are fun for all ages. Everyone leaves with a work of art!

@ Hawthorne Valley Farm

Join us for the Let’s Moove 5K Walk & Run at Hawthorne Valley! The event features an off-road trail through fields and gently rolling hills, surrounded by a beautiful vista. The 5K is open to all ages.* All net proceeds will support need-based scholarships for place-based learning programs. *Due to the terrain, all strollers will be prohibited. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate.

@ Hand Hollow Conservation Area

Join fun-loving naturalist Bonner McAllester for a leisurely walk in Hand Hollow, the Columbia Land Conservancy’s magnificent property. Amble through meadows and forests, along the streams and ponds with beaver dams in this home to hundreds of birds including a heron nesting. Meet at the Behold! New Lebanon station and general store and board a bus to the event site.

@ Behold! Station ans Store

Isabel Krebs invites you to learn the art of basket weaving while enjoying the beautiful views of GlenDouglas Farm. Isabel will demonstrate how she makes farm baskets and encourage you to join in during a small workshop. The bus for this program boards at the Behold! Station and Store at 438 US Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125.

@ Visitor Center

Join Hartwick College Geology Professor, Robert Titus, on Olana’s East Lawn, to learn about the geological history of Olana. The hike will also explore the natural forces that shaped Frederic Church’s artist-designed landscape. With Titus as your guide, science meets storytelling. We will hike about 1.5 miles followed by healthy seasonal snacks.

@ Olana State Historic Site

What would it be like to step into a poem? This walking poetry reading in motion hopes to answer the voluble possibilities of such a question. Guided by Sam Truitt, Director of Station Hill Press and the co-editor of In|Filtration: An Anthology of Innovative Poetry from the Hudson River Valley.

@ Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon

Visit the North Family at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark. Mount Lebanon was the leading Shaker society in America from its founding in 1787 through its closing in 1947, and the North Family was its face to the wider World, composed of some of the most progressive and public Shakers in Shaker history. Explore the North Family in guided tours at 10:30AM and 2:30PM daily. At 12:30PM, immerse yourselves in the extraordinary lives of the North Family Shakers as we discuss how the Shakers viewed the end of life, remembrance and immortality while walking up through the forest to their Cemetery & Community Memorial. On Mondays, take a 12:30PM walk up to the Meetinghouse, where the Shakers held public services on Sundays. Then, on the walk back to the North Family, learn about persecution Shaker founder Ann Lee faced in the New Lebanon community during a 1783 visit. View exhibitions of Shaker objects from the Museum’s collections, dive into educational resources at our Visitor Center, and browse the Museum Store, located in the Wash House – featuring a wide selection of books and gifts, including an expanded selection of products from the Shakers of Sabbathday Lake, Maine, the last remaining active community.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Gracie’s food truck is a local institution and serves up made-from-scratch American classics. On Saturday of Labor Day weekend, Gracie's will be parked at Olana so you can purchase your picnic brunch, lunch, or dinner with an awesome view! Picnic revellers are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and a cooler.

@ Copake Falls, NY

Join this mushroom walk and learn with John Michelotti of Catskill Fungi, president of the Mid-Hudson Mycological Association, about the ecological functions of fungi, common edibles and medicinal mushrooms, as well as historic uses of fungi and present day innovations of the exceptional Kingdom Fungi! We will take a walk on an exceptional piece of private conserved land adjacent to the Taconic State Park in Copake Falls, and learn the principles of basic ID skills based on the specimens we find along our trail, using the best field guides John recommends. Registrants will be emailed directions of where to meet for the walk.

@ Cool Whisper Farm

The Oldtone Roots Music Festival 2017, September 7-10, 2017, Cool Whisper Farm, 1011 County Rt 21, North Hillsdale, NY, 12529. The Oldtone Roots Music Festival 2017 is produced by Kip Beacco, Matt Downing and Jim Wright, a trio of Roots musician dads. The festival features historical American Music from over 20 bands performed, shared, and taught in the traditional old-time music way. Producer Jim Wright says : “Our motto is participation is preservation”. Oldtone Productions has created a full participatory festival with performances, workshops, informal jam sessions and all-ages entertainment on the main stage, throughout the campground and in the workshop and dance tents. Local vendors and locally sourced food is a highlight of the festival experience. The lineup this year starts with nationally known bands Foghorn Stringband, The Revelers, Jesse Legé, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys and Karl Shifflet and the Big Country Show, and many regional and local bands. Oldtone Productions is known for well balanced and rich in talent lineups and the 2017 Festival is no exception. The music and dance at the festival includes Old-Time, Bluegrass, Cajun, Swing Jazz, and Folk, all robustly informed by their traditional origins. The roots community is a growing community of young and old musicians and dancers dedicated to learning and passing on these oral traditions, including large catalogs of communal songs, some hundreds of years old. Dancing styles include Cajun, Contra, Swing, and Square. Band and instrument contests are another participatory aspect of the festival. Modern roots musicians create original compositions as well, but do so honoring the old styles of lyrics and playing. These acoustic traditions harkens back to pre radio and television eras when families played music together as an evening activity, as well as at local gatherings, festivals and events. Roots music has been played in parlors, homes, granges, and battlefields all over America, and has distinct European and African origins. In “Living History American Roots Music” Paul Kleinwald writes; “American Roots Music is an acoustic music oral tradition that echoes the story of man and his relation to land and community through words, music, and dance.” Day tickets and camping passes are available at: www.oldtonemusicfestival.com

@ Olana State historic Site

Join Robert Titus, Ph.D, Hartwick College Geology Professor on Olana’s East Lawn, to learn about the geological history of Olana. The hike will also explore the natural forces that shaped Frederic Church’s artist-designed landscape. With Titus as your guide, science meets storytelling. We will hike about 1.5 miles followed by healthy seasonal snacks.

@ Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Use your navigation skills to participate in a letterbox challenge and learn more about the park and farm. Challenge includes problem solving and clues to find the letterbox hidden in the park. Challenge was designed by local high school interns working at the park.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join local Etsy artist of The Peach Tree, Amy DiLalla, for a special jewelry making class. Take a look at the stones in Church's collection, be inspired and create your own piece of jewelry to take home. A pop-up store by The Peach Tree will be on location. Abridged tour of the main house followed by art-making. Refreshments will be served.

@ Olana State historic Site

Spend the morning on this 3.8-mile course traversing the historic carriage roads at Frederic Church’s Olana. This event is a collaboration with the Onteora Running Club and supports arts education in the Catskill School District. Please register online or on race day. Rain or shine. Free t-shirt to the first 75 people who register.

@ Copake Iron Works, Taconic State Park

Join Friends of Taconic State Park for tours of the historic Copake Iron Works. Established in 1845 along Bash Bish Brook at the base of the Taconic Ridge, the Copake Iron Works, and 18 acres surrounding the area were listed on the State and National Register of Historic Sites in 2007. The Copake Iron Works Historic District comprises all of the buildings in the Iron Works area, the historic blast furnace, three workers’ houses, and the now-flooded ore pit, as well as the previously National Register-listed Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Included in the tours will be a museum, newly opened to the public, where on display are a series of iron artifacts, ranging from plow parts to chisels and unknown objects. Each item has been catalogued by members of the Historic Preservation Committee of Friends of Taconic State Park. In its heyday, a total of 5,000 tons of iron ore were wheeled into Copake Falls each year from surrounding towns such as Pawling and Amenia. The walking tours include stops at up to 25 points of interest in the Copake Iron Works precinct, where new, informative signs interpret the legacy of this historic and culturally significant site. Tours are given rain or shine, beginning at 2:00 PM and concluding at 4:00 PM.

@ Clermont State Historic Site -- Clermont Cottage

Noted scientists Drs. Robert and Johanna Titus will present a special talk about the geology of the Clermont State Historic Site, and will explore its journey from the distant past. Immediately following the lecture, Drs. Titus will lead a walk of Clermont’s grounds to point out specific geological formations. Drs. Titus have studied the bedrock and ice age geology of the Hudson Valley for many years. They have written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, along with several books about this subject. They are popular speakers and make dozens of presentations every year. They believe that much of the history, art and culture of the Hudson Valley had their origins in the region’s geological history.

@ Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon

Visit the North Family at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark. Mount Lebanon was the leading Shaker society in America from its founding in 1787 through its closing in 1947, and the North Family was its face to the wider World, composed of some of the most progressive and public Shakers in Shaker history. Explore the North Family in daily guided tours. New for 2017 is a walking tour exploring the lives and work of women at the North Family - the Shaker Sisterhood. View exhibitions of Shaker objects from the Museum’s collections, dive into educational resources at our Visitor Center, and browse the Museum Store, located in the Granary – featuring a wide selection of books and gifts, including an expanded selection of products from the Shakers of Sabbathday Lake, Maine, the last remaining active community.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Artists offer a unique lens with which to “read” an artist’s home & landscape. During this series artists use many mediums and “poetic license” to talk about Olana and the exhibition with concepts and connections that inspire them. This is not a traditional house tour! Artist-led tours are accompanied by TOP’s Director of Education and end with a glass of wine on the piazza near sunset.

@ Clermont State Historic Site -- Clermont Cottage

The 19th century was a time of great progress for food preservation, with the invention of paraffin wax and mason jars in the mid 1850s. As a result, lacto-fermentation and vinegar pickles became a major staple of people's diets and offered a great way to use the summer harvest into the winter months. Learn how to safely lacto-ferment and go home with your own mason jars of sauerkraut and pickles made from produce harvested from our own teaching garden!

@ Henry Hudson Riverfront Park

Explore the Hudson River's North Bay with Columbia Land Conservancy and Hudson Sloop Club!

@ Copake, New York

This popular annual cycling event is a must for both casual and experienced cyclists. A non-competitive ride through the picturesque country hills of the Roe Jan area towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY, along the Taconic Mountains bordering Massachusetts. Choose from 4 routes of 10, 25, 35 & 50 miles (from easy to challenging) on lightly traveled country roads & portions of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Registration is free; suggested donation or pledges to benefit the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association are encouraged. More information is available at www.roejanramble.org.

@ Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site with the assistance of the Kinderhook Runners Club is sponsoring a moderately difficult 4 mile scenic trail run on Saturday, September 23rd at 9am. The free run is limited to 150 runners and pre-registration is required. The first 100 runners checking in on race day will receive a complimentary T-shirt. Visit www.nps.gov/mava for details and registration link.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Olana and Ancram Opera House collaborate to produce a theater performance specifically created to take place in the landscape of the historic site. The dramatic work draws inspiration from Frederic Church’s paintings, letters, family life and the celebrated landscape and is presented as an immersive theater experience in which performer and audience journey together into Church's art.

@ Olana State historic Site

In honor of Olana's 50th Anniversary, we offer carriage rides on the 19th century carriage roads. A stunning carriage and draft team saunter Frederic Church’s gravel roads bringing travelers to majestic views and stellar landscapes while viewing the sky, the Hudson River, and the Catskill Mountains. Meet the carriage 10 minutes before start time at the Olana Visitor Center entrance. (Tours are subject to change due to extreme weather.)

@ Olana State Historic Site

Master storyteller Tom Lee has spent the winter writing and tracking the adventurous travels of Frederic Church to craft an original story to tell inside the main house at Olana. Lee uses art, objects and stories to help young people (and grown-ups!) fall in love with museums. He integrates traditional stories, myths, and legends from countries and cultures around the world to expand and collapse history.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Master storyteller Tom Lee is a professional storyteller with twenty years’ experience performing traditional stories, folktales and myths for adults and for children in museums and libraries. This special tour is what happens when your questions about Olana get layered with myths, stories and more questions. You will learn many truths- but you might be surprised how you get there.

@ Olana State Historic Site

This series explores the trade, customs, and recipes of essential Latin American ingredients and natural resources including rum, sugar, coffee & chocolate. New York State Curator Amanda Massie and Valerie Balint, Olana's former Interim Director of Collections & Research, set the historical stage for an evening of tasty treats prepared by a local chef and bittersweet tales.

@ Greenport Conservation Area

Join us on a stroll back in time, as we visit a portion of the Greenport Conservation Area that was once the site of a former brickyard more than 75 years ago. Hear about the local brick-making history and how it shaped the land we see today.

@ Taconic State Park (Copake Falls)

The Copake Iron Works historic site is one of the most intact examples of 19th century industrial ironmaking in the northeast. The site is home to more remaining buildings and structures– including the centerpiece Copake Blast Furnace with its water jacket hearth – than most other iron works of its era. Established by 19th century industrialist Lemuel Pomeroy in 1845 at the base of the Taconic Ridge in Copake Falls, New York, the ironworks operated from 1845 until 1903. Components of this extraordinarily intact 19th century industrial complex include the rare blast furnace, the blowing engine house, a machine shop museum with original equipment and artifacts, an original condition ironworkers’ residence, a Carpenter-Gothic style office building, and the elegant residence of Isaac Chesbrough, one of the first ironmasters for the site. For more information visit www.friendsoftsp.org. Museum displays a large number of artifacts from the charcoal fired Copake Ironworks that operated from 1845 to 1903. The Museum and guided tours are free. A three-mile loop trail circumnavigating the Copake Iron Works Historic District and Bash Bish Falls State Park is open year round. Extensive signage on the trail tells the story of this nationally registered historic site.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join us for Olana’s bimonthly program designed for individuals with early stages Alzheimer’s & Dementia and their family or caregivers. This program invites all participants to take part in conversation and create art around specific Olana-related themes. Once a month the program will be outside in Frederic Church’s artist-designed landscape; participants will be driven on the historic carriage roads in an electric carriage. The other program of each month will take place inside the Persian-style Main House. Participants are welcome to join us at 3:30 for tea and cake in the Visitor Center before the program begins. Please make advanced reservations as this program is limited to 10 people.

@ Clermont State Historic Site--Clermont Cottage

ow did Victorians extend their summer harvest into the cold winter months? Let us show you how to safely ferment garden-fresh produce you can take home. Part of our Harvesting History Family Workshop Series- Join Leslie Reed (Clermont’s Garden Educator) in educational and fun nature- and garden-based activities open to ages 8 to 108!

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join us for a tour of Olana’s geological landscape with Hartwick College Geology Professor, Robert Titus. This program will start from Olana’s Visitor Center. Participants will learn about the geological history of Olana and the forces that shaped the 19th-century Hudson River School artist Frederic Church’s artist-designed landscape. Experience Olana’s landscape with new eyes—the eyes of geologist who sees where science meets storytelling and time travel is possible. We will hike about 1.5 miles with rests, followed by apples and ice water. Wear smart shoes and sunscreen.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Spend the morning on this 3.8-mile course traversing the historic carriage roads at Frederic Church’s Olana. This event is a collaboration with the Onteora Running Club and supports arts education in the Catskill School District and at The Olana Partnership. Please register online or on race day. Rain or shine. Free t-shirt to the first 75 people who register.

@ Lake Taghkanic State Park

Join CLC staff, for an early evening paddle at Lake Taghkanic State Park.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Topics include art and design, the native woodlands and meadows, the farm, the constructed lake, Church’s original painting studio, architectural elements, viewshed protection, and Olana’s ongoing preservation story. Options for our Walking Tour, or our Electric Carriage Tour! Historic Landscape Tours are available Friday - Sunday & Tuesday

@ Copake, New York

This popular annual cycling event is a must for both casual and experienced cyclists. A non-competitive ride through the picturesque country hills of the Roe Jan area towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY, along the Taconic Mountains bordering Massachusetts. Choose from 5 routes of 10, 8, 25, 35 & 50 miles (from easy to challenging) on lightly traveled country roads & portions of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Registration is free; suggested donation or pledges to benefit the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association are encouraged. More information is available at www.roejanramble.org.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Artists offer a unique lens with which to “read” an artist’s home & landscape. This season TOP partners with the Institute for Arab and Islamic Art in NYC to bring a dynamic mix of contemporary artists to Olana to layer their perceptions of Middle Eastern influences in Church’s home of American landscape painting. During this series, artists use many disciplines and “poetic license” to talk about Olana and the exhibition, Costumes & Customs with concepts and connections that are unique to the guide. This is not a traditional house tour! Artist-led tours are accompanied by TOP’s Director of Education and end with a glass of wine and a snack on the piazza near sunset.

@ Greenport Conservation Area

Join us at our Greenport Conservation Area to enjoy the Harvest Moon and watch for hawks and other migrating birds heading to their southern wintering grounds.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Tuesday, September 25 – Pathways to Prevention, Holiday Nutrition Tips Nature and health are intrinsically linked and the partnership between TOP and CMH brings innovative education programs to Olana to aid you in your wellness. Join Columbia Memorial Health’s Nutritionist & Dietician gives you tips for eating healthy with holiday season approaching and will give you an easy and nutritious recipe to make at home. Participants will experience a 20-minute talk, followed by a short walk with the expert on Olana’s carriage roads. Snacks will be served.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Master storyteller Tom Lee has spent the winter writing and tracking the adventurous travels of Frederic Church through the Middle East to prepare stories for inside the main house at Olana. Lee uses art, objects, history and interactivity to help young people (and grown-ups!) fall in love with museums. This is a program designed to introduce youth to the magic of a historic house museum.

@ Olana State Historic Site

The Question Tour inverts the traditional house tour model and seeks to layer historic fact with audience perceptions. What happens when your questions about Olana get layered with personal experience, myths, stories and more questions? Deep inspired observation and learning! Master storyteller and museum educator Tom Lee has twenty years’ experience performing in museums and libraries; and his tours are the perfect blend of entertainment and information.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Explore Olana’s activities and Thomas Cole’s home and studios during their Community Day and trek between the two high above the Hudson on the pedestrian path of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Exploring both museums and walking between Olana and TCNHS will certainly be a fun and a unique Hudson River Valley afternoon. The NYS Bridge Authority and specifically the Rip Van Winkle Bridge is celebrating an initiative to transform the Bridge with viewing platforms of the stunning Hudson River Valley and connect pedestrian pathways between The Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill and Olana State Historic Site in Greenport. Join in – rain or shine. More details to follow.

@ Hudson Waterfront Park Kayak Launch

We will leave the Hudson Kayak Launch and paddle up to the North Bay, getting a river front view of the Greenport Conservation Area.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join Olana’s Master Gardener, Mary Hughes, to walk through The Mingled Flower Garden. She will offer tips and tricks of caring for your own garden and reference historical information about Olana’s Mingled Garden. She will share information regarding the species, issues of light, climate, and soil. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Art Omi

Join ecologists Claudia and Conrad Vispo from the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program on a leisurely walk through Art Omi Sculpture & Architecture Park. You will get to see a variety of early fall wildflowers and their insect visitors, and learn their names and lore.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Let your sense of smell be your guide. Take a moment to slow down, and tune into the natural world. Join artist Alexis Elton for a series of aromatic plants experienced during a participatory scent-walk specific to the landscape and history of Olana’s artist-designed carriage roads. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Olana State Historic Site

Spend the morning on this 3.8-mile course traversing the historic carriage roads at Frederic Church’s Olana. This event is a collaboration with the Onteora Running Club and supports arts education in the Catskill School District and at The Olana Partnership. Please register online or on race day. Rain or shine. Free t-shirt to the first 75 people who register. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Greenport Conservation Area

Join us as we look for hawks migrating south for the fall. We will have a spotting scope available to get a better view.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Experience Olana’s Main House through the eyes of an architect. The Olana Partnership introduces a new series which invites contemporary architects to interpret Olana. Susan Wides, Director and Curator of Steven Holl’s ‘T’ Space, Rhinebeck has curated the series to include some of the world’s leading voices. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Copake, New York

This popular annual cycling event is a must for both casual and experienced cyclists. A non-competitive ride through the picturesque country hills of the Roe Jan area towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY, along the Taconic Mountains bordering Massachusetts. Choose from 5 routes of 10, 8, 25, 35 & 50 miles (from easy to challenging) on lightly traveled country roads & portions of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Registration is free; suggested donation to benefit the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association is encouraged. More information is available at www.roejanramble.org.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Master storyteller Tom Lee tells a stunning Syrian folktale in the landscape and inside the Main House at Olana. Lee uses art, objects, history and interactivity to help young people (and grown-ups!) fall in love with the Church's adventures. This is a program designed to introduce youth to the magic of a historic house museum. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Greenport Conservation Area

This event has been canceled and replaced with Columbia Land Consevancy's Forest Therapy Walk. Join us for an hour long hike around the Greenport Conservation Area culminating in a session of yoga with SuperSoul Yoga, suitable for all levels.

@ Greenport Conservation Area

On this ramble led by Jill Jakimetz at Greenport Conservation Area we will slow down, relax, unplug, and tune in. We will meet at the main parking area, share introductions, then go through a series of gentle invitations to open our senses and connect with the natural world. These invitations may include wandering, sitting, standing, and just noticing. There will be opportunities for sharing as well as for solitude. We will travel up to one mile. You may be surprised how fast time moves when we settle into our bodies in the natural world. Forest therapy is based on shinrin yoku, forest bathing, a restorative practice standard to preventative medical care in Japan for the past 30 years. Deepening our connection within the natural world opens us to nature’s healing medicine. Scientific research reminds us that opening our senses to the natural world supports our immune system, increases blood flow to the brain leading to clearer and creative thinking, lowers stress hormones and blood pressure, while increasing activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, helping us to “rest and digest.”

@ Clermont State Historic Site--Clermont Cottage

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so come by Clermont Cottage to learn how to make jelly using the natural pectin found in apples! We will flavor our jelly with fresh mint from the garden for a delicious dye-free mint Jelly. Each participant will go home with a jar of jelly. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Composer Bob Lukomski explores the sounds of Olana and its surrounding environment using technology to create a musical conversation in response to Frederic Church’s historic landscape. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join Stephanie Fischer for our monthly gentle morning yoga practice, in the beauty of Frederic Church's expansive Hudson River views. Yoga of the Earth's practice is inspired by the nature surrounding us and focuses on creating an atmosphere that encourages awareness and connection with the natural world. Open to all levels, including beginners. We will be practicing on blankets to enhance our connection to the Earth. Some blankets may be provided, but please feel free to bring your own blanket and/or props if you wish. We do not recommend mats for this class. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Olana State Historic Site

Frederic Church designed carriage roads to maximize views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The organizing aesthetic for these vistas was a romantic ideal of the sublime and the "language of Nature.” Contemplation of these views was meant to provide inspiration and comfort – in poet William Wordsworth's words, "spots of time...[where] our minds/ Are nourished and invisibly repaired.” This tour, led by poet Celia Bland and art historian Susan Merriam, faculty at Bard College, will put the gorgeous panoramas glimpsed from Olana's carriage roads in dialogue with some of the unexpected perspectives of contemporary and Romantic poetry. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area Site in Taconic State Park

Join Friends of Taconic State Park for tours of the historic Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area Site featuring a visitor center, museum and extensively interpreted Iron Works Heritage Trail. Established in 1845 along Bash Bish Brook at the base of the Taconic Ridge, the Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area Site and 18 acres surrounding the site are listed on the State and National Register of Historic Sites. In addition to guided tours of the museum and visitor center, the self-guided walking tour includes stops at up to 25 points of interest on the Copake Iron Works Heritage Trail. Tours are given rain or shine.

@ Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site and the Kinderhook Runners Club are sponsoring a moderately difficult 4 mile scenic trail run on Saturday, September 28th with 8:00am check-in. The race start at 9:00am. The free run is limited to 250 runners and pre-registration is required. The first 100 runners will receive a complimentary T-shirt. Visit www.kinderhookrunnersclub.com for details and registration link.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Experience Olana’s Main House through the eyes of an architect. The Olana Partnership introduces a new series which invites contemporary architects to interpret Olana. Susan Wides, Director and Curator of Steven Holl’s ‘T’ Space, Rhinebeck has curated the series to include some of the world’s leading voices. For more information and tickets visit OLANA.org

@ OLANA

Get your binoculars ready for this Labor Day Weekend Bird Walk! Join the Alan Devoe Bird Club on an exploration through Olana’s artist-designed landscape while keeping eyes and ears open for local birds. Learn more about local bird species, habitats, and behaviors with Dr. William Cook, Professor Emeritus at Columbia-Greene Community College and the Curator of C-GCC's Natural History Museum.

@ OLANA

Explore Olana’s artist-designed landscape through the perspective of pollinators! Learn about how honeybees and humans can prepare for cold and flu season through a guided outdoor walk and workshop. During this program, beekeepers Chris and Lisa Layman will lead a guided outdoor walk and a short demo about making honey throat spray. Chris and Lisa run Fox Farm Apiary, a honeybee rescue and sanctuary in the Hudson Valley. In partnership with Olana, Fox Farm maintains an apiary onsite at Olana’s farm complex. This program covers approximately 1/4 mile and will be conducted outside.

@ Clermont State Historic Site/Clermont Cottage

Are you guilty of adding hot sauce to literally EVERYTHING? Do you wish to experiment with bold flavors and spice up your condiment collection? Then this workshop is for you! You will have the opportunity to start your sauce from scratch, using local peppers ranging from mild to super-hot and flavor powerhouses like garlic, onion, and fruit for balance. To heat things up even more, we’ll create our own branding for the sauces, including clever names and illustrated labels.

@ Copake, New York

This popular annual cycling event is a must for both casual and experienced cyclists. A non-competitive ride through the picturesque country hills of the Roe Jan area towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY, along the Taconic Mountains bordering Massachusetts. Choose from 6 routes of 10, 18, 25, 35, 50 and 62.5 miles (from easy to challenging) on lightly traveled country roads & portions of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Registration is free; suggested donation to benefit the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association is encouraged. More information is available at www.roejanramble.org.

@ OLANA

During this program, local environmentalists and ecological stewards will lead walking tours of Olana, engaging participants in the work of their organizations and providing new insights into Olana’s 250-acres. By connecting their ecological expertise with Olana’s physical landscape, each visiting environmentalist will provide a deeper understanding of Olana as not only an artist-designed landscape, but a resource for immersive explorations in our environment and appreciation of the natural world. Tracey Testo, program coordinator at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, will lead this program, exploring Olana through the lens of agroforestry and examining the history of our forested landscape. The Cornell Cooperative Extension supports ecological sustainability and social well-being in New York State by putting knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality, ecological sustainability, and social well-being.

@ OLANA

Time travel back to Olana’s ice age past! Join geologist Robert Titus for a walking tour showcasing Olana’s artist-designed landscape through science and storytelling. During this program, participants will learn more about the geological history of Olana and the forces that shaped Frederic Church’s masterpiece.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Overlooking the Hudson River, with 250 acres of artist-designed landscape and sweeping views of the Catskills, Olana is the perfect place to get artistic inspiration! Join us on Saturday, September 25 for the Olana Plein Air Festival. During this day-long festival open to artists of all skill levels, participants are invited to bring their own supplies and materials to paint outdoors throughout Olana. Registrants will receive a special plein air painting map, gift bag (while supplies last), and early access to set up their easels overlooking Olana’s famous views. This event is held in partnership with Drawing America. Interested in diving deeper into your art making practice? Register for one of eight artist-led workshops held throughout the day at designated socially distanced locations. Workshops will be led by a range of professional practicing artists including Eileen Murphy, Mario Robinson, Eudes Correia, William Low, and Jean Mackay. General Registration $25, Workshop Registration $45; Youth under 16 free with adult. Scholarships available. To register and learn more, visit https://drawingamerica.com/olana-plein-air-festival/

@ Clermont State Historic Site

Taking inspiration from the architecture and landscape of the Clermont estate, members of The Orchestra Now perform a free community concert of baroque and classical works by Bach, Mozart, and others, that celebrates life along the Hudson. Introduced by Pieter Estersohn, president of Friends of Clermont. Seating for this event is limited. Please RSVP to ensure a reserved seat; seating will be provided Rameau Dardanus Suite J.S. Bach "Little" Fugue in G minor Haydn a selection from the Sun String Quartets Mozart Serenade No. 11

@ Multiple Locations in Village of Kinderhook

Historic Kinderhook Village: A Walking & Bicycling Tour is a self-guided tour to 31 historic sites throughout the Village of Kinderhook and nearby focusing on local architecture and history. The tour may be taken during Hudson River Valley Ramble or at any time of the year.A printed brochure is available in the Village Square, at the Village of Kinderhook tourism-information display at Samascott's Garden Market, and online at www.villageofkinderhook.org.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join Olana’s resident beekeeper and pollinator-advocate Chris Layman for this deeper look inside keeping bees and maintaining a healthy hive. During this workshop, participants will take a closer look at Olana’s hives to learn about the ins and outs of caring for their own bees at home. Discover what’s happening in the hive throughout the year, what is needed to keep bees healthily and sustainably, and how you can contribute to pollinator health in other ways. During the program, participants will get close to an active observation hive and should bring their own suit or bee veil if possible; limited bee veils will be made available during the program.

@ Clermont State Historic Site, Clermont Cottage

Join us at our first ever summer mocktail party where we’ll be making, mixing, and tasting “everything but the booze”. That’s right, we’ll be exploring the juicy world of “shrubs” (a.k.a. drinking vinegars, a.k.a. super tasty, preserved fruit syrups). Shrubs came about in the 1680s when smugglers were trying to avoid paying import taxes for goods shipped from Europe. These smugglers would sometimes sink barrels of spirits offshore to be retrieved later. Since the salty sea water would often leak in and ruin the flavor of the alcohol, they began to add fruit to the barrels to mask the taste. Shrubs have made a recent comeback in mainstream mixology, and we’re ready to celebrate it, as we give summer a proper send-off! While these sweet, fruity concoctions may seem more like a homemade soda on the rocks, you’ll be able to take some shrub home with you, along with drink recipes that you can *ahem* alter to your liking. Recommended for ages 8+. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Time travel back to Olana’s ice age past! Join geologist Robert Titus for a walking tour showcasing Olana’s artist-designed landscape through science and storytelling. During this program, participants will learn more about the geological history of Olana and the forces that shaped Frederic Church’s masterpiece.

@ Cheviot Park

A kayak/canoe tour of Germantown, NY led by Town Historian, Tom Shannon. Stops at the end of the old Cheviot dock, the ruins of an old ice house, and many other points of historical interest along the way.

@ 305 Mountain View Rd, Copake, NY 12516

Join us for the 10th anniversary of the Roe Jan Ramble Bike Tour! It's free to all participants and is sponsored by the towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY on the border of Massachusetts. There are six routes to choose from (10, 18, 25, 35, 50 miles & 100km/62.5 miles) on quiet country roads in some of the most beautiful scenery of the Hudson Valley & Taconic foothills you've ever seen. While the ride is free, we encourage donations for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Funds raised will be used to connect the trail from Copake Falls, NY to Hillsdale, NY and continue north.

@ Clermont State Historic Site

Join Cultured Forest for an hour of guided Fall Forest Bathing at Clermont State Historic Site. Forest Bathing is based on a Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku that involves connecting with nature by “Bathing in the Forest Atmosphere”. Studies show time in nature lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity and reduces stress. In this activity, you will indulge with fellow nature lovers in relaxing mindfulness and self-care in a guided outdoor class. Plan to see some of the most peaceful areas of the park, while learning activities that allow you to better connect with yourself and the outdoors. Leave feeling centered and more at peace. Learn how to bring Mindfulness in Nature into your personal Wellness routine. We are excited to end this session with a tea ceremony. This will require about a mile of hiking with some stairs and walking up and down steep inclines and over rocks. Please be sure to wear comfortable shoes with tread that can walk over rocks and grass. There will not be a bathroom break during the session, but restrooms are available at the park. Attendees must be 8 years or older. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is $5. Meet in Main Parking Lot.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Detailed Times/Hours: This program will meet outside the Olana Wagon House Education Center.

Get your binoculars ready for this Labor Day Weekend Bird Walk! Join the Alan Devoe Bird Club on an exploration through Olana’s artist-designed landscape while keeping eyes and ears open for local birds. Learn more about local bird species, habitats, and behaviors with Dr. William Cook, Professor Emeritus at Columbia-Greene Community College and the Curator of C-GCC’s Natural History Museum.

@ Historic Square of the Village of Kinderhook - Geotourist app

This is a self-guided, Geotourist app tour of Kinderhook's historic Village Square and surrounds. The focus of the tour is on the cultural and community character that Kinderhook's village square and a few sites beyond the square illuminate. Those taking the tour will learn about why Kinderhook looks the way it does; who the area's first inhabitants were; Kinderhook's history of cultural diversity; the origins of the name Kinderhook; the importance of town squares and village greens to community life; the development of the post office, hotels, and automobile tourism; and much more that will surprise those who take this delightful tour.

@ Clermont State Historic Site

Take a guided walk around the mansion and restored gardens with one of Clermont’s knowledgeable staff. Enjoy a Labor Day weekend wander and learn about the natural and architectural history of the site!

@ Olana State Historic Site

During this workshop guided by herbalist, educator and founder of Herban Cura, Antonia Estela Pérez, participants will learn about several medicinal and food plants growing in Olana and how we can build mutually regenerative relationships. During this walk through Olana’s artist-designed landscape, Antonia will discuss basic frameworks for how to begin building relationships with the plants. Participants will turn to the plants to learn some of the stories of the land, how they got there, and the messages the plants have to share with us all about the history of settler colonialism and displacement.

@ Greenport Conservation Area

Detailed Times/Hours: Open every day from dawn to dusk

Join geologist Robert Titus for some journeys into the past at the Greenport Conservation Area. This is a spot on the globe that has been here for four and one half billion years. About 450 million years ago, this was an abyss at the bottom of a marine trench. All around was the cold darkness of a deep-sea bottom. About 14,000 years ago this was the bottom of a cold, shallow ice age lake. How do geologists know these things? Come along with us and find out. Walk the Greenport Conservation Area and see it as you have never seen it before. This round-trip walk will be an hour and a half. Rain date Sat. Sept 30.

@ Ernest R. Lasher Jr. Memorial Park

Germantown Historian Tom Shannon will lead a paddle from Lasher Park in Germantown across the Hudson into the Ramshorn Creek. Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer will then lead the group on a hike through the Ramshorn Livingston Sanctuary. The paddle is about 5 miles round trip and the hike will be about two miles long. The event begins and ends at Lasher Park. There will be a break for lunch.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Join Olana’s beekeeper Chris Layman to celebrate National Honey Month during this special pollinator walk. Chris will discuss how Frederic Church’s artist-designed landscape provides abundant nutrition for bees and will highlight key plants that help these special pollinators sustain themselves throughout the year. Participants will learn more about how Chris keeps Olana’s honey bees healthy along with the nutrition-rich flora that inhabit the landscape. This program will culminate with a honey tasting and an opportunity to purchase Fox Farm honey to add to your own pantry or picnic lunch.

@ Olana State Historic Site

Detailed Times/Hours: The Skywalk Festival takes place in the park on the west side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on Saturday, September 16 from 10am-4pm.

Inspired by your time at Olana or looking for family-friendly fun? Join educators at this special artmaking program at Olana State Historic Site in celebration of the 7th Annual Hudson River Skywalk Festival. Participate in free, drop-in art activities in the Wagon House Education Center throughout the afternoon. Learn more about Frederic Church’s artist-designed home and studio on the Hudson through drawing, painting, and collage. This drop-in artmaking program is part of the Hudson River Skywalk Festival and open to all ages and skill levels; all materials provided. FREE. No advanced registration required. The Skywalk Festival takes place in the park on the west side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on Saturday, September 16 from 10am-4pm. View and purchase art from local artists and listen to music in one of the most beautiful locations along the Hudson River. The Hudson River Skywalk connects Olana State Historic Site and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site.

@ 305 Mountain View Rd, Copake, NY 12516

Detailed Times/Hours: We offer 6 routes that vary based on distance and difficulty. Longest routes depart 8 AM, with shorter routes departing every hour thereafter. Details and registration at www.roejanramble.org

Join us for the 11th anniversary of the Roe Jan Ramble Bike Tour! It's free to all participants and is sponsored by the towns of Copake, Hillsdale and Ancram, NY on the border of Massachusetts. There are six routes to choose from (10, 18, 25, 35, 50 miles & 100km/62.5 miles) on quiet country roads in some of the most beautiful scenery of the Hudson Valley & Taconic foothills you've ever seen. While the ride is free, we encourage donations to support the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in Taconic State Park.

@ Clermont State Historic Site Visitor Center

Tours of the Mansion will be available

@ Olana State Historic Site

Detailed Times/Hours: Tuesday, September 26-Thursday, September 28 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Ever wonder how artists like Frederic Church captured detail, contrast, and perspective? Participants ages 55+ are invited to sketch Church’s artist-designed landscape and scenic views learning basic artistic principles in the process. During each three hour program led by teaching artist Shawn del Joyce, participants will be provided with basic sketching materials, watch a short live demo, and experiment with sketching their own view of Olana’s famous landscape. This three session course is part of an inclusive, anti-ageist, and participatory series of creative skill building programs at Olana. The course is specifically designed to provide older adults an opportunity to explore their artistic side, socialize with peers, and learn more about Olana, a resource for creativity in their own backyard. This class is perfect for those with mobility impairments or specific accessibility needs and will take place at easily accessible sites at Olana. Shawn Dell Joyce began teaching plein air classes in 2000 and continues weekly to this day. She founded a plein air school with an arts and agricultural mission based on the historic Hudson River School, called the Wallkill River School of Art. It still exists today as a nonprofit arts organization with a mission of bringing cultural tourism to the Hudson Valley region through plein air painting workshops and events on local farms, historic sites, and open spaces. Her work is included in museum collections in the Georges Pompidou Museum in France and the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

@ Clermont State Historic Site Visitor Center

Detailed Times/Hours: Event runs from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Welcome the Spooky Season with a Crafty Kids arts and crafts day! Enjoy a snack as you make Halloween crafts or let your imagination run wild with our tables of craft supplies! Light instruction is offered, creativity is encouraged. This is a program for children; all children must be accompanied by an adult and all adults must be accompanied by a child.