Around Town
Compiled by Janice Llanes Fabry
<<This Weekend>>
Trailer Treats
Rye Recreation’s second annual Food Truck Festival is all geared up for Saturday from 1-5. Last year, more than 2,000 residents and friends attended the inaugural event. There will be music and a great variety of everyone’s favorite food trucks, from Arthur Avenue Pizza and Walter’s Hot Dogs to Lobster Craft and Longford’s Ice Cream.
All in the Family Gallery
Celebrate the works of the talented members, instructors, and students of The Rye Arts Center at a reception on Saturday from 1-3. This free community favorite is a culmination of works by young and old, novice and accomplished.
For more information, visit ryeartscenter.org.
In Plein-Air Sight
Get tips on painting the great outdoors at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday at 1. Painter and illustrator Steve Pica will help participants capture the landscape’s light and open space.
Some experience is helpful. Bring your own painting materials.
It Don’t Mean a Thing, If You Ain’t Got That Swing
The Rye Free Reading Room is holding a screening of “The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra” on Saturday from 2-3. For 25 years, the crowd-pleasing group has continued to feed the fire of the big band era. Embrace this opportunity to hear their hard-swinging classics and watch dancers pay tribute to Lindy innovator Frankie Manning.
Page Turners Plus
Rye STEAMers in grades 1 and 2 are invited to the library’s new STEAM Lab on Saturday from 3-3:45. Kids will learn the history of the hot dog by reading Adrienne Sylver’s “Hot Diggity Dog” and will make a solar hot dog cooker.
The STEAM Rollers in grades 3 and 4 are invited from 4-4:45 to talk about “Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, and Slave” by Laban Carrick Hill. The story of the extraordinary artist who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s is a National Book Award nominee.
Children do not have to pre-read the books. For more details and to register, visit ryelibrary.org.
Nature as Muse
Head to Wainwright on Sunday from 1-4 for a writing workshop focused on nature’s inspiration led by editor/educator Michelle Levy. Participants will explore the holistic center’s spectacular grounds, including the walking labyrinth. Afterwards, there will be a 20-minute writing session, then a sharing circle. Additional workshops will be held July 22 and August 19 from 10-1.
The fee is $30 for members, $35 non-members, $40 at the door.
Sunday Stroll
The Jay Heritage Center’s 1838 Greek revival mansion is open to the public on Sundays all summer from 2-5. The Jay Estate is where Founding Father John Jay grew up. The historic 23-acre oasis boasts a magnificent view of Long Island Sound and provides visitors with a rare window into our past.
<<Arts & Entertainment>>
Greatest Hits
Wainwright House will present “From Classical Music to Broadway — Borodin to Kismet – A Fascinating Journey” June 28 from 3-4:30. Speaker Ed Pressman is a board member of Collegium at Westchester Community College and teaches American history, classical music, and musicals of Broadway. He will focus on how they reflect the American narrative. The program is free.
Twilight Concerts on the Sound
Nothing beats listening and swaying to music on a summer night. First up at Rye Town Park’s annual series is Twist of Fate June 27 from 7:30-9. Led by Adam and Dayna Reist, this local five-member band is built around the tropical sounds of the steel drums. The band’s playlist comes from all over the Reggae, Ska, Jamaican, and American Pop music scenes.
Next up is The Reddy Valentino Orchestra, July 5. The swing orchestra dates back to the 1930s at New York’s Hotel Edison. Well-known Rye resident, vocalist, and musician Scott Wenzel has been serving as bandleader since the late 1990s. The 15-member band features trumpets, trombones, and reeds. Space in the Pavilion will be set aside for dancing, which is encouraged.
On July 11, The Urban Coyotes Band takes to the Pavilion stage.
Patriotic Glory
Christ’s Church will host a special Star-Spangled organ recital Sunday, July 2 at 4. The mixed program will include famous tunes from the silver screen and the 1812 Overture, performed by church organist Ruaraidh Sutherland. The concert will conclude with a patriotic sing-a-long and a BBQ in the church gardens.
Admission is free of charge, but contributions in aid of the Christ’s Church Choir’s 2018 pilgrimage to England would be gratefully accepted.
Metropolitan Opera Mondays
The Rye Free Reading Room will screen Puccini’s “La Boheme” on July 10 from 12-3. The bittersweet story of high-spirited bohemians stars Luciano Pavarottti and Mirella Freni. Bring lunch and swoon over opera on the big screen.
Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” is scheduled for July 17, Wagner’s “Parsifal” for July 24, and Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” for July 31.
<<Talks, Workshops, & Just for Fun>>
A Snapshot of Shots Heard Round the World
On November 22, 1963, Abraham Zapruder accidently captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on film. On June 27 at 7, The Osborn hosts Alexandra Zapruder, his granddaughter and author of “Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film”. The 486-frame film is the permanent eyewitness to one of the 20th century’s most tragic events.
The event is free and open to the public. RSVP by calling 925-8218 or emailing RSVP@The Osborn.org.
Clean and Green
Love nature? Volunteer at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary on July 1 at 10 to help with invasive plant removal, trail work, beach cleanup, and more. Get some exercise while giving back to the earth.
Brainstorm
Writers are invited to share their works-in-progress and discuss topics at the Rye Free Reading Room on July 1 from 11-12:30. The welcoming and supportive environment is open to both novices and experienced writers, who would like to share their joys and challenges.
Summer Reads
The Rye library’s Thursday Afternoon Book Group will discuss “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett on July 6 from 1:15-2:30. The bestselling author tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives.
The Friday Book Café will discuss Melanie Benjamin’s “The Swans of Fifth Avenue” on July 7 from 9:30-11. The New York Times bestseller explores the scandalous friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and socialite Babe Paley.
For more information, visit ryelibrary.org.
The Inside Track
Learn how to think like a tracker at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary July 8 at 1. Investigate nearby fields and forests with professionals and uncover animal tracks and clues.
Participants must be at least 12 years old.
Writer’s Circle
The Rye Arts Center is offering an adult writing workshop that will satisfy everyone’s “inner writer” and awaken the creative process, July 11-13 from 10-12. Participants will receive personal feedback on character development, settings, and plots. All genres welcome.
The cost is $115 for all three days. Register at ryeartscenter.org.
Harmony with Nature
Wainwright House is offering a workshop on Vastu, the yoga of one’s environment, on July 11 from 6:30-8. Specialist Marianne Denniston will explore energetic techniques and show participants how to create environments in alignment with the rhythms of the universe.
The cost is $25 for members, $30 non-members, $35 at the door. For more information, visit wainwright.org or call 967-6080.
<<Family Ties>>
School’s Out!
Take the kids to the Rye library with brown bag lunches and enjoy a family movie. Disney’s “Moana,” set in ancient Polynesia, is playing June 26 from 1:30-3:15 and “The Lego Batman Movie,” an animated Gotham City caper, will be shown on June 27 from 1:30-3:05.
Drinks and snacks will be provided. Call 967-0480 for more information.
The Amazing Race and Other Fun Projects
Families with children entering kindergarten through fifth grade in September can join the Rye library’s fun competition on July 6 from 6-8. Teams will race around a Dewey Decimal System world by completing ten tasks.
On July 13 from 6-7, families may join local artist/writer Terry Taylor to create a bird feeder out of polymer clay. The author’s craft books provide children with lively stories, as well as simple instructions.
Pre-registration is required at ryelibrary.org.
Storytime Al Fresco
Bring the kids, from infants to preschoolers, to Rye Town Park on July 11 from 9:30-10:15 and every Tuesday throughout the summer, courtesy of the Rye Free Reading Room. Enjoy sunshine, stories, and engaging activities by the seaside.
The park will charge a reduced parking fee of $2.
<<Teen Time>>
Creating Cocoons
Learn to capture the beauty of butterflies in a shadowbox. Artist Lavinia Wiggins will provide instructions and supply the materials. Participants may bring small 2” x 5” photos to personalize their boxes.
For more information, visit ryelibrary.org.
<<Children’s Corner>>
What Color Is Your Parachute?
Ages 9 and up are invited to STEAM workshops at the Rye library on June 28 and 29 from 2-3. On June 28, instructor Irum Khan will show participants how to design and create a kaleidoscope with magical patterns that fracture light. The next day, she will teach the principles of aerospace engineering and air resistance through the design and creation of a parachute.
Both programs are sponsored by the Auxiliary Board of the Rye Free Reading Room and the Woman’s Club of Rye/Children’s Philanthropy.
Space is limited. To pre-register, visit ryelibrary.org.
Hydroponics 101
Children in grades 3-5 can register for a three-part workshop July 1, 15, and 22 from 2-3:30 at the Rye Free Reading Room. Led by an educator from the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Westchester County, the series will cover the history of hydroponics, seeds, germination, and nutrients essential for plant growth.
At the end of the program, children will take home their own herb or flowering plants. Register at ryelibrary.org.
Wearable Art
Ages 6-12 can make their own T-shirts at The Rye Arts Center on July 18 from 3:30-5:30. Using found objects and plants, students can expose them under the sunlight to create cool blueprints or “cyanotypes.” They’ll go home with one-of-a-kind wearable art.
The fee is $50. All supplies included.
