Page 68 - Westchester 2022 Relocation & Moving Guide

Spins Hudson, Peekskill
FAMILY
A Whole Lot of
Wholesome Fun!
Indoors, outdoors — wherever you want to be — families flock to Westchester and the Hudson Valley and find there’s something for every family member to love.
58
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE
If you’ve got an active, outdoorsy family, try a hike at Croton Gorge Park in Croton or Anthony’s Nose in Peekskill for killer views, tour Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers and snag beautiful family photos, check out the dinosaur garden at Lasdon Park in Katonah and the butterfly arbor at The Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale, walk/run/bike/ scooter the paved paths at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla and then picnic on the green afterward, or pay a visit to Boundless Adventures in Purchase and thrill on the zipline and ropes courses.
Farther north, the Hudson Valley offers endless outdoor fun including apple and pumpkin picking at favorite spots like Barton Orchards (Poughquag), Lawrence Farms Orchards (Newburgh), and Weed Orchards (Marlboro), or a whole day of enjoyment at Bear Mountain State Park, which offers play fields, lake and river fishing access, the Trailside Museum and Zoo, many trails, and an outdoor ice- skating rink. For a baseball fix, root for the
Hudson Valley Renegades at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls and the New York Boulders at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona.
Culture-hungry families can choose from a number of child-friendly museums, including the Katonah Museum of Art, the planetarium at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, and the made-for- kids Westchester Children’s Museum in Rye or Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in Poughkeepsie. A host of other programming with kid appeal can be found at Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck and The White Plains Performing Arts Center in White Plains, while the Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains is a favorite place for music lessons. During the summer, families thrill to listen to a West Point Band concert and savor great views at the Trophy Point Amphitheatre in West Point, and enjoy picnics and performances at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison.
When it’s time for all-out fun, hit Spins Hudson in Peekskill for ropes courses, laser tag, and arcade games; Grand Prix New York in Mount Kisco for go-kart racing and a ninja course; Rye Playland in Rye for thrilling rides and water slides; bowling mecca Spins Bowl in Carmel, Mount Kisco, Poughkeepsie, and Wappingers Falls to work on your strikes and spares; Golf Lounge 18, the new indoor golf mecca at The Westchester in White Plains; and at Ridge Hill in Yonkers, you can play putt-putt at Monster Mini Golf or try indoor skydiving at iFly. If you want to do an overnight fun splurge, take the family to the newly opened Legoland Resort in Goshen for Lego-themed rides, games, and other attractions.
7 GREAT
FAMILY EVENTS
Be sure to make time for these annual events that the whole family can enjoy.
Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx
River Parkway
On select Sundays from May through October, Westchester County shuts down a 13.1-mile loop of the Bronx River Parkway for joggers, cyclists, and walkers.
Hudson Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival
More than 100 balloons take to the skies at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck each year in July.
Pleasantville Music Festival
This world-class backyard bash attracts national and local music acts, myriad food vendors, and a kid’s play area to Pleasantville every July.
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
A spectacular day for young book lovers, this early fall annual festival brings local authors and illustrators to Chappaqua for a live event celebrating the love of reading.
Warwick Applefest
Celebrate apples (obviously!) and other local foods and crafts at this family-friendly festival each October in Warwick.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
The Blaze showcases more than 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins on the grounds of Croton-on-Hudson’s Van Cortlandt Manor every year from September to November.
Westchester’s Winter Wonderland
Celebrate the holidays with rides, games, food, a circus, holiday lights, and visits with Santa at this annual festival at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla.
© COURTESY OF WARWICK APPLEFEST
© LARESSA GJONAJ