#ThingsToDoInTheHudsonValley – Sharon's Iconic Travel Photography Blog

What outdoor activity would appeal to kids and garden enthusiasts alike? The Fairy House Hunt at Locust Grove Estate would appeal to both groups.

Location

The location of this estate is Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, New York. You can access it by its own turn off via a traffic light on Route 9. The gift shop charges a fee to enter. They provide you with a map to locate the fairy houses.

Estate History

The last residents of Locust Grove, the Young family created a foundation to ensure this site would be open to the public after they lived in it for many years. A famous resident prior to the Young family was Samuel Morse, a painter and inventor of the telegraph and the Morse Code. The museum on site has reproductions of his telegraphs and paintings. Locust Grove was Samuel Morse’s summer home.

The walk

The walk to view the Fairy houses is not too long and it is fairly flat. Other hiking trails on the property are longer and can be steep. The fairy houses are not located on the longer steep trails, but near the garden areas on the property.

Fairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate – Harney and Sons Tea, a locally made favourite

The Gift Shop

The gift shop at Locust Grove sells miniature fairy dolls of various ethnicities/ cultures besides other items.

When

This event appears to run through the end of June. You can see this on weekends up to June 30th between the hours of 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, according to their website. For more information click on the link below.

https://www.lgny.org/june

Access their Facebook page through this link:

https://www.facebook.com/LocustGroveEstate

Live your life in your own fairy tale. Visit Locust Grove for the Fairy House Hunt.

What is one can’t miss event in August in the Hudson Valley? Which event is family friendly and requires a little creative ingenuity? It is the Artist’s Soapbox Derby in Kingston, New York.

This event goes on every August in Kingston, NY. An exception was last year because of COVID. The events starts at the ASK Gallery on lower Broadway in downtown Kingston and ends near the end of the street at the bottom of the hill. This year it kicked off around 1:00 with a band marching down the street. When the event was ready, the first cars started down the street one at a time.

A very intense driver- The One Week Wooden One

The Artists’ Soapbox Derby is not about speed, but creativity. There are many different categories cars are judged on. Besides winning a unique trophy, participants won cash and/or gift certificates to businesses.

I think she had an issue with crowd noise on the way down. I know the feeling.

Star Wars Millennium Falcon from the back being tailed by a drone.

A very impressive Ghost Busters Ecto 1. I understand this will be part of the Halloween parade.

Energy – Kingston Kids with a DJ- the last car

This band started the event and provided entertainment leading up to the awards.

Spectators voted for People’s Choice and the organisers voted in the other categories.

Best Kids- Adult in charge of Energy- Kingston Kids

Best Adult Category- Star Wars Millennium Falcon

Ghost Busters won the People’s Choice Award and Best in Show

This event draws a crowd, so if you go next year make sure you arrive early to get a parking space and a good location street-side to view. There are variety of restaurants on the streets around this event in this area of Kingston. The event ends within a stone’s throw to the marinas on the Rondout Creek. The creek empties into the Hudson River. Some people arrive by boat to view this event, and there is a nice walking path next to the creek. In addition, there is a farmer’s market going on during this event behind where the judging took place.

Put this on your calendar for next year. You will not regret it. Are you creative? Build a car to enter into the next event. Stay safe and stay creative!

For more information: https://kingstonartistsoapboxderby.com/about-the-event/. or https://www.facebook.com/KingstonArtistSoapBoxDerby/