Arts and leisure digest - part 1

Arboretum to host plant sales Montgomery — The Friends of the Orange County Arboretum will host their annual fundraising plant sales at the Orange County Arboretum in the Kosuga Greenhouse on May 14 and May 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The May 14 “Plant and Shrub Sale” will also offer a large assortment of planting material to beautify the landscape. Customers will also have the added bonus of being able to “Design Your Own Planter.” Bring in a favorite pot or container and the talented volunteers will arrange and plant purchases at no extra charge. And the public shouldn’t pass up the May 21 “Greenhouse Blowout Sale” because it’s the last chance for plant bargains galore. The Orange County Arboretum is located in Thomas Bull Memorial Park and is most easily accessed from the Grove St. entrance off State Route 416, in Montgomery. For more information about special events and programs, donations, membership or volunteer opportunities at the Orange County Arboretum, visit www.orangecountyarboretum.org. Jubilate hosts a concert on May 15 to celebrate its fifth season Warwick - Jubilate, the Hudson Valley’s youth choir, will hold its spring concert, “More Than I Can Be,” on Sunday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at Christ Church, 50 South St. in Warwick. This marks the end of the choir’s fifth concert season and is also a farewell to eight graduating high school seniors. A champagne reception will follow the performance. Tickets ($10 for adults, $5 for students) are available by calling 845-986-9964, and at the door. Jubilate members hail from Blooming Grove, Central Valley, Chester, Florida, Goshen, Hewitt, N.J., Highland Mills, Monroe, Pine Island, Sugar Loaf, Tuxedo Park and Warwick. Jubilate (pronounced yoo-bih-LAH-tey) is directed by David Crone with assistant director/accompanist Steven Wing, both teachers at Monroe-Woodbury. For more information visit the choir’s Web site JubilateWarwick.com. Sugar Loaf Spring Festival is May 21 and 22 Sugar Loaf — The Sugar Loaf Spring Festival will be held May 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature over 60 food and craft vendors, resident artisans and musicians. There will also be a petting zoo, pony rides and “personal trains.” Sponsored by the Sugar Loaf Chamber of Commerce, the schedule includes: Music: Bertoni’s Sculpture Garden Music Concert Saturday, May 21 Noon to 1:40 p.m. Evan Teatum and Lesley (acoustic rock) 2 to 3:40 p.m. Cynthia Summers (folk rock contemporary) 4to 6 p.m. Little Sparrow (bluegrass, roots, rock) Sunday, May 22, 2011 Noon to 1:40 p.m. Small Town Sheiks (acoustic roots/blues) 2 to 3:40 p.m. Michael Purcell Band (jazz fusion) 4 to 6 p.m. Mighty Girl (rock) To learn more, e-mail to: sugarloafnewyork@gmail.com or call 469-9181. Authors’ Circle to present David Grann on May 14 at Tuxedo Park Library Tuxedo Park — The Authors’ Circle at Tuxedo Park Library will present David Grann, author of “The Lost City of Z,” on Saturday, May 14, at 4 p.m. Grann is a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker. He has written about everything from New York City’s antiquated water tunnels to the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, from the hunt for the giant squid to the mysterious death of the world’s greatest Sherlock Holmes expert. His stories have appeared in several Best American writing anthologies, and he has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Wall St. Journal and The New Republic. Books will be available for purchase and autographs after the program. To register call the library at 351-2207. Sale of wildflowers and heirloom veggies set for nature museum Cornwall — The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum will host a wildflower and heirloom vegetable sale on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the museum’s Outdoor Discovery Center There will be a large selection of native wildflowers that are beautiful and assist wildlife in many ways. Also for purchase will be heirloom vegetable seedlings which are a variety of garden delights that are not genetically engineered. Visitors will learn about composting with red worms and can take some home, and meet gardeners from the area, ask questions and get some gardening tips. The event includes two presentations: at 9:30 a.m., Hummingbirds in Your Garden and at 11 a.m., How to Get Started with Worm Composting. For more information visit www.hhnaturemuseum.org or call 534-5506, ext. 204. 'Cabaret’ auditions May 16 and 17 MONROE — Creative Theatre-Muddy Water Players will hold open auditions on May 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. for their upcoming production of the musical, “Cabaret”, at The Playhouse at Museum Village, Route 17M in Monroe. The production is under the direction of Terri Brockmann with Brian Flint as musical director. Performances will be from Sept. 16 to Oct. 2. A prepared vocal selection is needed. Bring sheet music to audition with piano accompanist. More information can be found on the company’s web site, www.ctmwp.org. Interested participants can call 294-9465 for more information. Trace your family’s military history on May 14 New Windsor — As part of New York Heritage Weekend, The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor will hold a workshop on Saturday May 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. to help people find the ways and means to research their family’s military history and then preserve those memories once they find the information. Michelle Phillips, paper conservator from NYSOPRHP Resource Center, will talk about how to care for the paper collection one may have at home. Christopher Zarr, education specialist for the National Archives, will help teach people how to find their ancestor’s records. and how to keep that information preserved for years to come. To learn more, call 561-1765. Hudson Valley Fair lowers admission price to $6 FISHKILL — The Hudson Valley Fair in Dutchess County has reduced its admission price to $6 and the fair will feature fireworks each Saturday night. Fireworks will be provided by Legion Fireworks of Wappingers Falls. The fair will feature more than 100 rides, games, free entertainment and attractions. Entertainment includes The Lance Gifford Magic and Illusion Show, the Great American Frontier Show featuring an award-winning horseback rider and the Wolves of the World Show. The Animals that Built America Show, a free petting zoo and the Old West Theatre’s vaudeville-show with dogs as the stars are also highlights of the fair. Rides and games will be provided by Wade Shows, the world’s largest traveling amusement company. The Hudson Valley Fair will be held on the weekends of May 13, 14 and 15 and May 20, 21 and 22, at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, on Route 9D, just north of I-84. Fair hours are Fridays 5 p.m. to midnight and Saturdays and Sundays 12 noon to midnight. Admission is $6 and buy-one-get-one free admission coupons are available at www.HudsonValleyFair.com. For a schedule of events, directions and information, call 631-920-2738.