Historic Fourth
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photo by BRYAN HAEFFELE |
Sure, when Independence Day rolls around, the fireworks displays usually get all the press-hogging glory. But you can’t forget about the daytime celebrations—the kind that bring us back to the holiday’s roots in the Revolutionary War (you know, before they had gas barbecue grills). Here’s where you can put on your red, white, and blues and take part in an old-timey celebration.
Muscoot Farm gets things started early, on July 3, with a celebration that includes old-fashioned games and ice-cream-making.
Muscoot Farm
Katonah | 914.864.7282 | muscootfarm.org
St. Paul’s Church tolls its historic bell—which was hidden in 1776 to keep the British from confiscating it—13 times to celebrate the original colonies.
St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site
Mount Vernon | 914.667.4116 | nps.gov/sapa
Van Cortlandt Manor gets your young soldiers in fighting trim, with military re-enactors teaching them how to drill and muster and reading the Declaration of Independence to get them fired up.
Van Cortlandt Manor
Croton-on-Hudson | 914.631.8200 | hudsonvalley.org
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside celebrates the day as they did in 1851, with traditional country dancing and “Town Ball” (baseball) played by 19th-century rules.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
Tarrytown | 914.631.8200 | hudsonvalley.org
Short Stack
In the ’80s, he was Ed Grimley. In the ’90s, he was Clifford. In the ’00s, he was Jiminy Glick. Who is comedian Martin Short today? Find out when he heads to the Ridgefield Playhouse on July 15. There, for his family-friendly performance, he’ll bring back some of his old characters—remember Ned Nederlander from The Three Amigos?—as well as introduce some new ones. The Benzinger Family Winery is a sponsor of the event, so there will be a free wine tasting in the lobby before the show starts.
Surreality Show
There’s something surreal about watching movies outdoors. There are no walls, no doors, and no sticky multiplex floors as the images just float in front of you. The Katonah Museum of Art takes that nebulous feeling one step further with its “Surrealist Outdoor Cinema” series. Planned in conjunction with the Double Solitaire exhibition, the series includes three other-wordly films: Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (July 14), Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (July 21), and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (July 28). Award-winning editor Andy Keir (True Blood) curated the series and will provide an intro to each film. Grounds open at 8:30 pm for picnics.
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Eyes on the Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes are awarded every year, and often bring a storm of controversy with them. (Remember when Next to Normal won the prize for drama without even being nominated?) As part of the Caramoor International Music Festival, Music from Copland House takes a look at the Pulitzer Prize for music—the winners and the also-ran finalists. The programs include works by Leonard Bernstein, John Cage, Charles Ives, Samuel Barber and, of course, Aaron Copland. There are two nights of performances, on July 22 and July 31, and panel discussions accompany each program.
