HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Jewish Food Festival coming to Albany on Sunday April 3rd!

I wanted to share this information about the Jewish Food Festival coming to Albany. Sounds yummy! The Jewish Food Festival will feature unlimited samples of traditional and modern gourmet foods (kosher style) prepared by area restaurants, caterers and synagogue member. There will also be live cooking demonstrations, and live Klezmer music. Joanne Caras, editor of the Holocaust Survivors Cookbook will also be there to discuss her book. When, Sunday, April 3rd. Noon – 4:00 p.m at Congregation Gates of Heaven, 852 Ashmore Avenue, Schenectady, NY. For vendor information for the Albany Jewish Food Festival click here. 

ADMISSION:   $15 per adult; children under 17 are free.  Admission includes unlimited food at the event including Matzo ball soup, falafel, Israeli salads, kugels, knishes, pastrami, Cous Cous, and more. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT MINDY HOLLAND OR SUE KIMBALL AT CONGREGATION GATES OF HEAVEN AT 518-374-8173.

 

Cool Places for Kids Birthday Parties in the Hudson Valley

 

   

The Hudson Valley has a lot of great spaces to host kids birthday parties. I find hosting a birthday party outside the house takes away some of my party planning stress. 

Here is a list of places I've partied at:

The Little Gym, Kingston--It's a simple birthday program, but a surefire kid pleaser really no matter how old your child is. The gym room is bright and spacious and very safe.Parties last 90 minutes. The first 1 hour is spent in the gym doing activities and/or structured free play depending on what you want. There is a balance beam, parallel bars, large wheel shaped cushions, a gigantic mat, rings, parachute play, and an inflatable trampoline--(the most anticipated event as seen in the top photo!). Afterwords there is pizza and juice for the kids. (If you want enough pizza to feed the adults too, just order it through them and pay for the extra pies). Approx. $200 covers 12 kids plus membership fees. (Additional guests are $12 each). Birthday girl or boy gets a cute Little Gym t-shirt too. You bring your own cake and goody bags, and anything else you want. They pack the gifts away and tie balloons on the goody bags for you. The staff are all very energetic. The Little Gym also offers camps and Parent Survival Nights.Check out their website for more info here The Little Gym (845) 382-1020.

Skate Time 209 Roller Rink & Skateboard Park, Accord--I have been to this roller rink, but never had a party here. I'm hoping someone I know will host a party here. They have a beautiful rink and skateboard park. Skatetime 209, (845) 626-7971.

Henry Hudson Planetarium, Albany.--This was a bit of a wild-card. It is an-hour away, and I was a bit nervous as I remember having major planetarium-phobia as a kid. All the kids had a great time. Henry Hudson Planetarium. (518) 434-0405. 

Excel Gymnastics--Saugerties. It is a fun place to host a birthday party, especially if you have a budding gymnast. It has more of a rugged professional gymnastics feel with chalk available near a lot of the apparatus. There is a cool foam pit, a huge bouncy trampoline. The only con is that they can have two parties simultaneously so if you prefer a totally private party for your group, it may not be a good fit. You bring your own food. Exel Gymnastics (845) 336-0706.

Local Firehouses---I was once invited to a birthday party at a local firehouse.  The mom who hosted it was a volunteer EMT, but according to her anybody can rent the hall for a party for a fee. (I think it was around $200). Probably not all firehouses can offer this, but worth looking into.

McDonald's--I went to a fun party at the McDonald's in Kingston on Albany Avenue. The kids had a blast on the equipment and a staff member brought a Ronald McDonald cake. If you are on a budget, this is a good deal. $7 per child.

The Childrens School of Yoga, Monroe--I attended one of their classes, but haven't been to one of their birthday parties (yet!). It could be a good choice if your child loves yoga or you want something a bit mellow. Check out Childrens School of Yoga website for more info. 

What are other great birthday venues in the Hudson Valley?

Albany Airport--Easy Parking & Friendly Service

In January I flew to Orlando from Albany on Southwest Airlines. I had a great deal of stress preparing for this trip, as it would be the first flight for my children. The last time my husband and I flew anywhere was April 2001, pre-9/11, so we sort of felt like newbies too. The hardest part of the whole trip was waking up sleeping children at 5 am to get to the airport for a 7:50 am flight! Since Albany airport is a small airport you don't have to deal with long lines at the security gate. Security was very tight, but as the line was very short, it wasn't as stressful as I imagined it would be for a sleep-deprived family of four. The Southwest Airlines representatives were very friendly and accommodating. The flight arrived in Orlando about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I would definitely recommend Albany airport for people traveling with children who don't want to deal with the chaos of JFK or Newark. Parking was also very easy. Now they have a new economy parking lot too, just $5/day.

Leaving from Orlando was more stressful. We had to be at the airport 2 hours prior, and my 6 year-old had to go through extra screening due to her bulky Mickey Mouse sweatshirt. Next time, I will dress the family in leggings and flip-flops no matter what the season. The flight home was uneventful and we arrived back in Albany on-time. We brought all our carry-ons on board instead of checking them in so that cut down on waiting around time too. To learn more about Albany Airport visit their website. Photo is courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

Bruegger's Bagels: Tasty bagels & baby friendly--Latham, NY

I ended up going to Bruegger's Bagel Bakery, a very bright and spacious bagel place in a square strip mall area in Latham, NY because I missed the turn for Panera Bread. I had to run a few errands in Latham today. It was just as well, as I was more in a bagel mood than a salad mood, and I'm always looking for new places to blog about. I had honey grain bagel, and my husband had an Asiago Parmesan softwitch with tuna salad. I forgot to take photos of the actual bagels.They were on the small side so I didn't feel that guilty having one for lunch. They were hot and very soft though. I also noticed a few babies in high-chairs, and a diaper-changing tray in the bathroom. Very baby friendly! Bruegger's has franchises all over the country. This was my first one. Forgot to mention, the French Toast coffee was pretty good too.  Bruegger's Bagels, 594 New Loudon Road, Latham, NY. (518) 785-4961.