Ready, Set, Go!

 

The Rye YMCA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Rye Derby, along with Healthy Kids Day on Sunday, April 28.

 

Eamonn Coghlan, co-founder of the Derby and this year’s honorary chair, will travel from his home in Ireland. Coghlan is a three-time Olympian and is known as the “Chairman of the Boards” for his successes on the American Indoor Athletics Circuit, breaking the World Record for the indoor mile on three separate occasions. In 1983, he won the 5000-meter event at the World Championships in Helenski.

 

Runners can choose between a 5K race and a 5-mile USA Track & Field sanctioned race. Both races start at 10:15 a.m.; a 1-mile family fun run/walk begins at 12:15 p.m. Several world-class athletes as well as local runners are expected to participate in the race. Medals are given to race winners in respective age groups, and there is a cash purse for the top three winners in the 5-mile race.

 

Starting at 10:30 a.m., runners and families are invited to gather at the Rye Y for free activities, including active games, a jumping castle, live music, and a BBQ.

 

To register for races in advance at visit ryeymca.org or stop by the Member Services Desk. Registered participants receive a Derby T-shirt. The fee for the 5-mile and 5K race is $25, $30 the day of the race. The fun run/walk fee is $20. Proceeds contribute to teen programming, financial aid for families, and community outreach.

 

For more information, call 967-6363.

Don’t Miss

 

Celebrate Earth Day All Around Town!

 

Celebrate Earth Day Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join over a dozen local organizations which are holding activities designed to promote awareness  and showcase the natural beauty of our waterfront community.

 

“Nature’s Art: Geodes from the Collection of Robert R. Wiener,” runs from through May 24 at the Rye Arts Center. Enjoy a geologist’s talk and children’s workshop, April 20 at 3 p.m.

 

Explore “The Bamboo Forest: Mother Nature’s Maze” at Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

At the Rye Free Reading Room, enjoy Earth Day Preschool Story & Craft Time, listen to “Go Green” stories, and plant seeds to get your garden started.

 

Also, “Along the Coast: Lighthouses and Their Stories” author Kevin Woyce will explore the history of lighthouses, show how they were built and worked, and include stories of the brave men and women who tended them. Both events take place at 11 a.m.

 

The Rye Nature Center will feature an Andrew Goldsworthy-inspired sculpture by children. Come take a look at this work of art composed of natural materials collected from the woods of the Nature Center.

 

“UKIYO-Floating World,” an exhibit of sculptures by Tomoko Abe will open by the pond at Rye Town Park. A reception with activities will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The exhibit runs through May 5.

 

Children of all ages and their families can stop by the Rye Y for nature crafts from 1-3 p.m.

 

Walk Wainwright House’s “Seaside Labyrinth” April 20-21 from 12-4 p.m. Just follow the path and allow your mind to relax.

 

On the Village Green, Sustainable Rye will provide information on green practices in general and promoting the greenscaping themes of healthy lawns, composting and Leave Leaves Alone (LLA).

 

Also on the Green, meet with members of the City’s Conservation Commission and discover why wetlands are so important.

 

Midland Fair

 

Midland School invites you to a Hawaiian Paradise, April 20 from 10 am-3 pm. Splash in the water, bathe in the sun, and come have some tropical fun at the Midland Fair! Take a ride on the zip line, scale the rock wall, bounce and slide on the inflatable rides and win great prizes playing carnival style games. The fair takes place rain or shine.

For A Good Cause

 

Support Our Local Organizations

 

Celebrate the Carver Center’s 70-year history, April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Rye Town Hilton. Enjoy a live auction and dancing. For tickets, call 939-4464

 

Enjoy a light dinner, auction, and cocktails at the Westchester Children’s Museum’s Spring Benefit, May 10 at The Ritz Carlton, Westchester in White Plains. For tickets, visit discoverwcm.org/gala.

 

Join Friends of Rye Town Park for a casual spring celebration, May 18 from 6-9 p.m. under the pavilions in the park. Enjoy dinner, music, a silent auction, and raffle. The menu includes a raw bar, sliders, BBQ chicken, salads, grilled vegetables, fries, hot dogs with the works, and more. Cost is $85 per person (beer and wine included).

 

Rye Town Park has suffered significant tree damage and loss over the past few years due to storms. Proceeds from the event will go toward long-range planning for their care and replacement, as well as other on-going projects.

 

Purchase tickets by May 13; visit friendsofrtp.org. For more information, call 967-5419.

This Weekend

 

Lucy, Snoopy, and the Gang

 

The Parsons Street Players present “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” Friday and Saturday. Performances will be held Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Rye High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults, and free for seniors.

 

Art of Collage 

 

Ages 7-9 are invited to use objects and papers to explore the possibilities of collage, Saturday from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Rye Arts Center. The cost is $15; members receive a discount.

 

Senior Home-Care Talk

 

Learn about trends in remote care and assistive technology that enable the elderly to continue living in their homes, rather than moving to an assisted living facility, Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Rye library. Participants include TellaBoomer Telecare Services, Osborn Home Care, and Rye Senior Advocacy Committee.

 

The program is sponsored by SPRYE. For more information, visit sprye.org or call 481-5706.

 

Season Finale

 

The Westchester Chamber Music Society presents the American String Quartet, Sunday at 4 p.m. at Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester. The acclaimed group is the quartet-in-residence at the Manhattan School of Music as well as the Aspen Music Festival. The program, featuring works by Haydn, Dvorak, and Beethoven, promises to be a special afternoon. Following the concert, a reception will be held to meet the artists.

 

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the door. Admission is free for students. Congregation Emanu-El is located at 2125 Westchester Avenue East. 

Talks and Workshops

 

Library Book Clubs

 

The Rye Free Reading Room book groups have announced the selections for their next meetings. The Current Events Group will meet April 23 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss “Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution” by Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick.

 

Delve into the classic “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf, May 2 at 1:15 p.m. with the Thursday Afternoon Book Group.

 

At the Friday Book Café, discuss “Caleb’s Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks, May 3 at 9:30 a.m.

 

United We Stand

 

The Jay Heritage Center will host YWCA’s signature annual event, “The Stand Against Racism,” April 25 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The event features a diverse panel of community leaders who will address the root causes of racism in an effort to encourage conversations across all cultures in Westchester County. This nationwide movement brings people together across communities for one common goal: the elimination of racism.

 

Listen to enlightening discussions on the issues of human rights, freedom, dignity, and social justice in America today. 

 

John Jay, one of America’s founding fathers, worked tirelessly to end slavery years before abolition was reached in the United States. He passed his legacy on to his descendants, particularly his son, Peter Augustus Jay, who followed in his father’s footsteps and presided over the Manumission Society. 

 

Located on an inspiring property that was once the boyhood home of our nation’s first Chief Justice, the Jay Heritage Center serves as an ideal setting for consideration of these issues.

 

This event is free. A complimentary light breakfast will be served. To sign-up, email jayhc@earthlink.net or call 698-9275.

 

An Omni-Faith Music Experience

 

Take part in BlisSing, which is inspired by the ancient tradition of kirtan, or call and response chanting, April 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Wainwright House. Eileen O’Hare and Cat Guthrie will lead the program. Guthrie is a professional musician who has performed all over the country for over 30 years. O’Hare is a legacy carrier in Peruvian Shamanism and a priestess in the Andean Spiritual Tradition.

 

A Novel Approach to the Past

 

Meet author and former Rye resident Suzanne McNear, who will talk about her new work of fiction at the Rye library, April 30 at 7 p.m. “Knock Knock” displays the same quirky, ironic sensibility that brought praise for her story collection, “Drought.” The new book, a full-length fictional work in the form of a memoir, carries the reader through the upheavals of the 60s and 70s — the impact of Betty Friedan, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the Vietnam War — in a style that is comic, painful, and true.

 

Books are available for purchase and signing. For more information, call 231-3161 or visit www.ryelibrary.org.

 

Computer Basics

 

The Rye library will offer a two-session workshop on Computer Basics and Surfing the Internet, May 2 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The class covers using the mouse, keyboarding, activating computer programs, and producing and printing a simple letter. No previous computer experience is necessary, and participants are expected to attend both sessions.

Arts & Entertainment

 

Pop-Tastic

 

Manhattanville College’s elite pop vocal group, The Quintessentials, will perform April 24 at 8 p.m. in the Berman Students’ Center Theatre.

 

The group has been delighting audiences with their energetic close-harmony renditions of American popular standards since 2001. Their play list includes a medley of Harold Arlen tunes and John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

 

Admission is free. For more information, call 323-5260.

 

Senior Scenes

 

Celebrate the artistic achievements of the members of The Art Studio at The Osborn. The creative work of experienced and brand-new artists in oil, pastel, and watercolor is on display at the Rye library through April 29.

 

Our Glorious Country

 

“America: Coast to Coast,” a collection of photographs showcasing landscapes, architecture, and nature from photographer Scott Dengrove’s travels all across the United States, will be on display at the Rye library from May 3-29. An opening reception will be held, May 4 from 1-4 p.m.

 

The photographs in the show, including some taken right here in Rye, show that while it is easy to find beauty everywhere you look across the country, each locale has something unique to offer.

 

Wandering Watercolors           

 

The Harrison Council for the Arts’ new watercolor exhibit, “Wings and Water: Transitional Nature Studies” by Christine Morgan Teter, runs through May 3 at the Harrison Public Library. Award-winning artist Teter creates her watercolors by choosing subject matter that is both easily recognizable and radiates peacefulness, at times letting the medium “wander” on its own. 

 

Hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sundays from 1-5 p.m.

Just for Fun

 

Old-School Poker Night

 

Attention Rye gentlemen! Join the Rye Historical Society for spirits, snacks, and spoils (card-playing optional) in Rye’s oldest tavern, where George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, and the Marquis de Lafayette once dined, April 26 at 8 p.m. at the Square House.

 

“After dinner through frequent light showers we proceeded to the Tavern of a Mrs. Haviland of Rye who keeps a very neat and decent inn,” wrote Washington in 1789.

 

Admission is $60 donation (chips included). Proceeds from the evening go towards improvements to the Knapp House (c. 1667), Westchester’s oldest home.

 

RSVP to poker.ryehistoricalsociety@gmail.com or call 967-7588.

Kids’ Corner

On the Big Screen

 

Ages 5 and up can watch “Rise of the Guardians” (PG), April 26 at 3:30 p.m. at the Rye library. When the evil spirit Pitch launches an assault on Earth, the Immortal Guardians team up to protect the innocence of children all around the world.

 

Sweet Sounds of Music

 

The Chorister Program of Christ’s Church is hosting an open house for children in grades 2-5 in the choir room of Christ’s Church, April 25 from 4:30-6 p.m. Members of the community are invited to explore the unique opportunity of being in the Chorister program.   

 

Membership is open to children of all faiths and backgrounds and no previous experience in required. Participants have the chance to attend annual choir camps, undertake sporting events, sing with other choirs, travel nationally and internationally (tours are planned for 2015 and 2018), as well as take part in professional CD recordings.

 

For more information, call 967-1749, ext. 229. 

 

Meet the Instruments

 

Are you interested in playing in the school band or orchestra next year? Don’t miss this chance to meet the instruments up close with hands-on opportunities, May 5 from 2-4 p.m. at the Rye Arts Center. The program is geared for children in third grade.

Teen & Tween Times

 

Game Time!

 

Play Wii and X-BOX games on the library’s big screen on the first and third Fridays of each month from 3-4:30 p.m. Whether you’re a sports, action, or karaoke fan, the library has lots to choose from. Teens can also bring their own appropriate, non-mature content games. Snacks are provided.

 

Portrait Painting

 

At an in-depth workshop at the Rye Arts Center, learn mixing techniques and color theory, April 27 from 2-4 p.m. The class is open to beginners, but basic color mixing and drawing skills are a plus. Great for ages 13 and up. Fee is $35.

Family Ties

 

Exploring the Earth

 

Take a look inside the earth and see what Rye is really made of at the Rye Nature Center quarry, April 27 at 3 p.m. Cost is $5 for members, $8 non-members.

 

Animal Show

 

Fathers can drop in with their kids to this fun animal-filled adventure, May 4 from 9:15-10 a.m. at the Rye Nature Center.

The Great Outdoors

 

Under The Osborn’s Canopy

 

In celebration of Arbor Day, The Osborn will host a guided tree walk April 26 at 11 a.m. The Osborn campus is an arboretum, with more than 1,000 trees and 100 species. Michael Penziner, a longtime volunteer at the New York Botanical Gardens and Rye Nature Center, will lead the way.

 

Enjoy coffee and baked goods before the walk at 10:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP by calling 800-737-5310 or emailing RSVP@theosborn.org 

 

I Love My Park Day

 

Volunteers are needed for invasive plant removal, path maintenance, and more, at the Jay Heritage Center May 4 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bring your own gloves. The center will provide tools, T–shirts, and refreshments. This is a great opportunity for Rye newcomers to get involved in civic projects. Ideal for gardeners or high school students looking to contribute community service hours. Call 698-9275.

 

Stop and Smell the Flowers

 

Take a guided spring flower walk on the Meeting House grounds and the adjoining Bird property May 4 at 4 p.m. Naturalist Alison Beall will lead the program.

 

Beall will discuss the structure and botanical characteristics of the trees and wildflowers in bloom and their folklore. The walk will also include cultivated flowers and shrubs planted by the Bird family many decades ago. 

 

As volunteers clear overgrown areas, more and more of the Bird family’s plantings are revealed. Each year brings new discoveries.

 

The walk begins outside the Meeting House, 624 Milton Road. This free program is sponsored by the Committee to Save the Bird Homestead. For more information, call 967-0099.