Your Best Bets: What to Do This Weekend (and Beyond)

Savor an Italian wine and food dinner; attend the Pete Seeger festival; LOL at a night of stand-up comedy; enjoy the cherry blossoms without having to go to D.C.; take a twilight hike; and more

Good morning! Today is Thursday, April 28, and you are reading today’s section of Examiner+, a digital newsmagazine serving Westchester, Putnam, and the surrounding Hudson Valley.

Patrice’s Picks: This Week’s Three Best Bets

1. Emilio Restaurant: April Wine Dinner (4/28)

Dine on an Italian feast of four courses, each paired with a wine from the region at Emilio Restaurant in Harrison. This month’s theme is “Giro di Italia — Tour of Italy.” The regional recipes will provide a sampling of northern and southern specialties. Let Emilio’s take your taste buds for a trip. Seating is at 7 p.m. Cost per person: $88, including wine, taxes, and gratuities. Reservations are required by phone: 914.835.3100.
Emilio Ristorante
1 Colonial Place
Harrison
www.emilioristorante.com/events/our-winter-wine-dinner

2. Sixth Annual Pete Seeger Festival (5/1)

Music, crafts, and refreshments are all part of the Sixth Annual Pete Seeger Festival in Tompkins Corners on May 1. The day begins at 2 p.m. and provides music and fun for three hours all for free for the whole family. Scheduled performers include David and Jacob Bernz, Betty and the Baby Boomers, Reggie Harris, the Neverlee Brothers, Rick Nestler, and The Trouble Sisters (Melissa Ortquist, Laurie Siegel, and Karen Brooks), and Sarah Underhill. Donations will be shared among the organizations Seeger created, including the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Beacon Sloop Club, and the River Pool at Beacon.
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center
729 Peekskill Hollow Road
Putnam Valley
For more info, visit our music content partner, HearItThere.com by clicking here.

3. Stars of Late Night Comedy (5/4)

Join comedians of Late Night Comedy for an evening of laughter at the Bedford Playhouse beginning at 8 p.m. Take a night out to see your usual late-night TV favorites live on stage. The evening stars Ray Ellin, Erin Jackson, Brian Scott McFadden, and Dan Naturman.  Tickets: $45 Regular, $60 Premium.
Bedford Playhouse
633 Old Post Rd
Bedford
bedfordplayhouse.org/stars-of-late-night-comedy

Events + Culture Calendar

Friday, April 29

• The Amadáns Debut at Moriarty’s Bar & Restaurant (Yonkers): Catch some of the best of NYC’s Irish Bands in Yonkers on April 29 at Moriarty’s Bar and Restaurant in Yonkers beginning at 9 p.m. The Amadáns are a combo of some of NYC’s best Irish Bands. Musicians hail from Shilelagh Law, The Prodigals, A Band of Rogues, The McLean Ave Band, and the Broadway hit Riverdance.
  Moriarty’s Bar and Restaurant
  986 McLean Ave
  Yonkers
  For more info click here.

Saturday, April 30

• 5th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale (Peekskill): Usher in Spring in Peekskill along the Riverfront where the Peekskill Rotary Club has planted 100 cherry blossom trees. Walk among the blooming trees as you plan your own garden for spring and join in the plant sale. The Festival and parking are free. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.at Peekskill Riverfront Green Park. The day’s events also include a raffle and auction.
  Peekskill Riverfront Green Park
  1 Robin Dr
  Peekskill
  For more info click here.

Monday, May 2

• Octagon House Tour (Irvington): Have you heard about the Octagon House, which is a National Landmark, right in Irvington, or passed it and wished you could see inside? Well, tours have opened for the season! The Armour-Stiner Octagon House takes you back in time to 1872 when the house was in its full glory. Tour the house and grounds which includes an octagon birdhouse to match. Explore the gardens, greenhouse, main house, and more with a guide who brings history alive. Tours begin at 10 a.m. and the final tour begins at 4 p.m. Tickets range from $27 to $29 and must be purchased in advance.
  Armour-Stiner Octagon House
  45 W Clinton Ave
  Irvington
  For more info click here.

Tuesday, May 3

• Twilight Hike with Mike at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve (Pleasantville): Much of nature comes alive at twilight. Walk the Rockefeller State Park Preserve with Mike Miernik, who knows the local flora and fauna, and see twilight like never before. Hear a coyote howl, gray tree frogs croak, and swallows make their evening calls. Please bring a headlamp or flashlight with a red light setting. Meet in the Visitor’s Center courtyard. This is a night hike after the park has officially closed. Latecomers will not be allowed to join after the group has departed. In the event of rain, the hike will be canceled; you will be notified via email at least 2 hours in advance. Space is limited to 15. Reservations are needed. Cost: $3 plus Eventbrite fees.
  Rockefeller State Park Preserve
  125 Phelps Way
  Pleasantville
  For more info click here.

A media specialist in the education and not-for-profit sectors, Patrice Athanasidy has written in the Hudson Valley for over 25 years. A Bronx native, she loves exploring all the Hudson Valley has to offer from parks to theaters to historic places. Athanasidy is an adjunct professor of communication at Manhattan College and also an alumna. Now a resident of Westchester County, she is a wife and mom of three grown children and has written columns about living family life on the autistic spectrum.

We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s section of Examiner+. What did you think? We love honest feedback. Tell us: examinerplus@theexaminernews.com

For hyperlocal news coverage of Westchester and Putnam from our four community newspapers, visit our sister site, www.theexaminernews.com

Robert Schork

Robert Schork is Examiner Media’s Digital Editorial Director.

Visit Robert’s full author bio here.