When daisies yellow and violets blue, lady-smocks all silver-white, paint the meadows with delight, the cuckoo then, on every tree, mocks married men, for thus sings he: "Cuckoo!"  -William Shakespeare

August:

For some family fun and country music, visit Ulster County Fair August 3-8.  Sunday, August 8 learn about wild plant cultivation and collection at Mohonk Preserve's guided Wild Plants hike. Hunter Mountain hosts German Alps Festival on August 14 & 15 with good time music and dance and plenty of beer.  Festival of the Voice will charm Phoenicia August 13-15 with gospel, opera, and local childrens' favorite Uncle Rock.  Also, that weekend, Grahamsville's 138th Little World's Fair offers tractor pulls, draft horse shows and funnel cakes. On August 21 the Ellenville/Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce presents the Wild Blueberry Festival.  Also that weekend Hudson Valley Ribfest features everything barbecue at the Ulster County Fairgrounds. The Artists' Soapbox Derby careens down Broadway in Kingston that Sunday as well. 

Labor Day Weekend:

Saturday morning start off with a guided hike at the Mohonk Preserve and learn about the history and practice of Gunks Rock Climbing and ecology and people of the Shawangunks.  Crafts abound at Ulster County Fairgrounds along with food and wine.  Saturday evening enjoy free jazz performances in Kingston.  Starting at 5:00 enjoy guitar, saxophone, piano, and late night salsa. Also on Saturday, Ellenville's own Shadowland Theatre presents a theatre noir farce that mixes three love stories, Cold War paranoia and a nuclear espionage plot. On Sunday, Hooley on the Hudson offers Irish culture, bagpipes, food, music, and step dancing in downtown Kingston.  Head to the Emerald Forest after spending a day in Elizabethan England at the New York Renaissance Fair. 

September:

Sat., Sept. 4 experience fly fishing, nature photography, forest ecology and more at the Catskill Mountain Eco-Heritage Festival at Ashokan Center. Local favorites Jay & Molly lead an evening concert and square dance.  Starting weekends in September, local organic Westwind Orchards will have pick-your own apples, berries and pumpkins, and October 2nd-3rd they host 2 local bands, and potluck brunch. Ellenville hosts Hudson Valey Reggae Fest September 18, 10:00am-9:00 pm.  For some good ol' Ag fun, check out the free Cauliflower Festival on Saturday, September 25 offering a tractor parade, crafts, music, clogging and of course, Cauliflower!  Want to learn how to eat locally? Sun., Sept. 26, New Paltz Local Food Festival combines fun and educational activities about food and beverages grown or produced right here in the Hudson Valley. 

This fall:

From Oct 2010 through Jun 2011, one weekend/month, you can become certified as a sustainable builder.  Learn to apply sustainable concepts to design, development, construction, and management at SUNY Ulster and stay with us.  

Come to the Heights and relax.  Breathe deep, take in the blue skies and  the 60-foot pine trees around you.  Let the tension melt away.  During morning and early evening hours, the pool deck at the Emerald Forest Bungalows is shaded and very inviting for yoga practice.  Our resident certified yoga instructor can lead you in private or semi-private classes to suit your needs.  Stretching and gentle movement are a perfect way to start the day.  For seasoned practitioners, we offer a more rigorous flowing practice to challenge strength, balance and flexibility.  We can design a weekend program for any level of practice. 

She claims it was her first cast that brought that large mouth bass outta the pond.  Really, it was Josh Steinhart who had come upstate with fish on the brain, but he got nary a bite Friday evening or Saturday morning.  Whatever sent them back to the pond Saturday afternoon, no one will ever know, but it was Jessie Jacobs who caught the best fish of the summer.  Ain't it a beauty?