Page 64 - Westchester Magazine - January 2011

ARTSLEISURE &NIGHTLIFE
WHAT'S KEPT CULTURE VULTURES ENTERTAINED FOR THE PAST DECADE.
1
THE BAYOU
Mount Vernon
(914) 668-2634 bayourestaurantny.com
You don’t have to be born
on a bayou to have a good time there. No other restaurant in Westchester can get us dancing like we’re in the Big Easy. Every weekend, the joint is filled with the sounds of blues, bluegrass, zydeco, and good old rock 'n'
roll, spanning the musical gamut from authentic acts straight from New Orleans to Italian tributes to the Rolling Stones. And what goes better with N'awlins sounds than hush puppies, mudbugs, and BBQ 'gator?
BRAZEN FOX
White Plains
(914) 358-5911; thebrazenfox.com
A decade ago, who would’ve thought that White Plains would become so in? Credit Brazen
Fox as one of the hotspots that revived downtown WP nightlife. The bar gets the crowds going
by putting music first—there’s a stage front and center to show- case local, fun, bar bands. But, if that’s not your scene, there are
three levels of space (and some outdoor seating, too) for you to move on to.
BRONX RIVER PARKWAY BICYCLE SUNDAYS
White Plains to Yonkers
It’s easy to see why Bicycle Sundays have been so popular since 1974 (before fixed-gear bikes became a trendy must-have). More than 13 miles of the prime highway is cordoned off for bikers, skaters, and even strollers, allowing for plenty of open-air coasting on easy turf. It’s much more fun to enjoy the scenery when you’re not stuck in traffic.
CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Katonah
(914) 232-5035; caramoor.org
For some, summer is set off by beach visits, barbecues, or camp carpools. For us, summer doesn’t officially begin until Caramoor’s International Music Festival gets underway. It can’t get much better than that: world-class acts—think Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and Audra McDonald—perform outdoors in
the take-your-breath-away beauty of Caramoor’s Venetian Theater. And, in 2009, we got even luckier with Caramoor’s introduction of
a one-weekend Fall Festival—one last hurrah right when the scenery is at its most inspiring and the weather is at its most comfortable.
THE CASTLE ON THE HUDSON (1) Tarrytown
(914) 631-1980 castleonthehudson.com
Who cares if it’s an authentic castle or not? The AAA four- diamond hotel has everything you could need for a romantic getaway—secluded turrets, marble baths, four-poster beds, a four-star restaurant, and views of the Hudson River.
CLAY ART CENTER
Port Chester
(914) 937-2047; clayartcenter.org
We loved it dearly before it added to its size, with a new 650-square-foot gallery dedicated to showcasing works by the lead- ing clay artists in the field. Now, we adore it even more.
CLEARWATER GREAT HUDSON RIVER REVIVAL Croton-on-Hudson
(845) 418-3596 clearwater.org/festival
Our own mini-Woodstock— without the clogged Portosans and brown acid. Instead, we’ve
got the roaring river. And envi- ronmental activism. And folk’s elder statesman, Pete Seeger,
who founded the festival, which planted roots in Croton Point Park in 1978. Today, the festival has grown so that almost every inch of the park teems with activities and performers: storytellers, dance troupes, craft artists, green-living vendors, puppet shows, jugglers, and clowns—plus two stages of music performances, which fea- ture some of the top acts in the business. And it works; thanks to funds raised through the festival, Clearwater has been credited
with leading the way in passing environmental laws, making our Hudson clean again.
DONALD M. KENDALL SCULPTURE GARDEN PepsiCo HQ, Purchase
62 / JANUARY 2011 / WWW.WESTCHESTERMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO ON OPPOSITE PAGE BY JOHN FORTUNATO
Copland House at Merestead
Mount Kisco
(914) 788-4659; coplandhouse.org
Copland House had us at, well, Copland’s house. But now we’ve got Copland House at Merestead, which burst onto
the county’s cultural landscape in 2009 with claims that it would establish a new center for American music and the arts. Lofty goals—but we don’t doubt they all will be achieved. The historic (but previously little-used) Merestead Estate in Mount Kisco is now home to a slate of performances from both emerging and established performers. Last year, for example, you could have seen cabaret superstar Andrea Marcovicci— and her protégé, Jennifer Sheehan.