Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, June 12-13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This event features plenty of hands-on opportunities for all family members. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to take part in historic tasks and crafts. Make your own candles, sew a medicine bag and fill it with dried botanicals, operate the blacksmith’s bellows, and take part in spinning, weaving, coopering, tinsmithing, hewing wood, quilting, open-hearth cooking, butter churning, cheese-making, and more. Food and beverages are available, or bring a picnic lunch. Admission: $12; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17. Free for members and children under 5. 914-271-8981.

July 4

Independence Day 1800
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Festivities begin with the roar of the cannon and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. All are invited to join the Independence Day Parade through the manor along with its costumed residents. Stirring patriotic speeches and songs follow the parade, and military re-enactors invite one and all to drill and muster. Children and adults can experience military camp life through hands-on activities. Food and beverages are available, or visitors can bring a picnic lunch. Admission: $12; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17. Free for members and children under 5. 914-271-8981.

 

July 4

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, 89 West Sunnyside Lane, Tarrytown, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plan for a full day of live entertainment including dramatic presentations, rousing speeches, period music, and traditional country dancing for everyone. Play “Town Ball” (19th-century baseball) with our costumed guides. Enjoy house tours and ice cream demonstrations throughout the day. Bring a picnic or buy food in the Courtyard Café. Admission: $12; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17. Free for members and children under 5. 914-591-8763.

 

July 7-31

Children ages 9-11 can have fun while experiencing the daily life of the 18th and 19th-century. Summerweek, a day camp that uses the resources of Historic Hudson Valley’s sites to re-create America’s early days, is a program for active kids with curious minds and vivid imaginations. Experienced classroom teachers, along with costumed interpreters, lead students in an exploration of daily colonial life, both work and play. 9:30-3:30 daily. Details and registration: Danielle Fontaine at 914-631-8200 ext 643. Fee: $300, discounts for multiple weeks and members.

 

July 26-30

Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, 9:30-3:30.Children ages 11-13 can experience this one-of-a-kind day camp where campers will examine the impact of the Croton and Hudson Rivers in our history and culture and our ecological impact on the rivers through time. Campers will spend half of the day immersed in 19th century history, then step into the 21st century with the staff of Clearwater and examine the river today and how we, as Hudson River stewards, can affect its future and our own. Details and registration: Danielle Fontaine at 914-631-8200 ext 643. Fee: $300, discounts for multiple weeks and members.

 

August 1

River Day
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, noon to 6 p.m.Take a boat ride and celebrate our relationship to the river in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hands-on activities include fishing, hearth cooking, and brick making, plus modern boatbuilding with several organizations. Visitors can enjoy on-water opportunities, music, picnic food, and storytelling. River Day is sponsored by Fujifilm. Admission: $12; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17. Free for members and children under 5. 914-271-8981.

 

August 5, 12, 19, 26

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, 89 West Sunnyside Lane, Tarrytown. Parents and children are invited to take a specially tailored tour of the home of Washington Irving, presented with a child’s eye view of the 19th century in a highly engaging, educational program. Enjoy tales of Sunnyside’s young residents, an interactive scavenger hunt, hands-on activities, and displays of period toys. A new craft activity is offered each week. Admission: $12; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17. Free for members and children under 5. 914-591-8763.