Thursday April 25, 2024 
Grafton Lakes State Park Needs Volunteers for Winter Fest Event
Grafton Lakes State Park and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park are looking for volunteers to assist with the Winter Festival event on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Events like these are not possible without the dedication of volunteers who love the park. The event is free of charge and will take place from 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
Love to be outdoors? Assist local clubs with the polar plunge, fitting snowshoes for kids, helping people fill out snowmobile waivers, and much more. Prefer more of a front row seat? Assist with greeting visitors, registration, giving out brochures, etc!
To sign up to volunteer visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a4daea72da4fb6-volunteering1#/ or check out our Facebook page. The park will offer two free snowshoe rentals and meal tickets for your donated time.
Join our crew of dedicated volunteers who make events like these happen!
Grafton Lakes State Park is located off of Route 2, twelve miles east of Troy, New York. Please use the park’s main entrance on Grafton Lakes State Park Way for this event. There is no entrance fee for this event. For more information, please call the park at 518-279-1155. A full schedule of events will be available in early January on the park’s website (parks.ny.gov).
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 78 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov connect with us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram.
Take the Plunge! Registration is open for Polar Plunge at Grafton Lakes State Park
Registrations is now open for the Polar Plunge at Grafton Lakes State Park. The Winter Fest is in its 38th year with events occurring all day on Saturday, January 21st, 2023. The plunge happens promptly at 11:30am with check-in beginning at 11:00am at the center of Long Pond beach.
Participants will take turns jumping into the frigid water while the New York State Police Ice Dive team provides safety. Spectators are welcome on the shore and provide a nice wind block for the event. The Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park will provide a fun prize for the Silliest Costume but come in whatever “swim attire” you like.
The Plunge will once again this year raise funds for the food pantry at Our Lady of the Snow Church. Your participation will help provide food to families in need in the New Year.
This event is open to the first 100 people who register. The fee is $25 and includes a t-shirt for pre-registrants. Day-of registration is based on availability and does not include a t-shirt. Heated changing areas are available nearby but bring water shoes to wear and warm clothes for before and immediately after. For more information and an application for the Polar Plunge call or email Ray Dozois at 518-663-5648 or kofc14164@nullgmail.com or check the park website at parks.ny.gov/parks/graftonlakes under Documents.
Grafton Lakes State Park and Our Lady of the Snow Parish would like to thank the New York State Police Dive Team and the Grafton Rescue Squad for their assistance in providing for the safety of participants during this event.
The 38th Annual Winter Festival will also include snowshoeing, kid scavenger hunt, indoor exhibitors at the welcome center, guided outings, food vendors, and much more. Main events run from 11:30am-3pm. For more information on the Winter Fest visit: parks.ny.gov and look up Grafton Lakes State Park or call the welcome center at 518-279-1155. There is no entrance fee for the event.
Rensselaer High School Craft Fair
Rensselaer High School’s class of 2024 and the Alumni Association are having a craft fair on March 25 at the high school from 9-2 pm.
If you would like to be a vendor, please email us, and we will send you a contract so you can participate. People who sell Tupperware, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc., are allowed to participate. Spots are filling up, so be sure to get your space reserved. Please email us at alumniassociation@nullrcsd.k12.ny.us. Thank you!
Community Forum for Parents and Caregivers of Young Children
The Sky High Adventure Center will be hosting a community forum for parents and caregivers of children under the age of 6 on Tuesday, January 17th at 7pm to discuss the need for additional programs and services for young children in our community.
If you are interested in attending this forum either in-person or virtually, please provide your email address and we will contact you with more information.
Grafton Lakes State Park to Host 38th Annual Winter Festival
Grafton Lakes State Park and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park will host the 38th Annual Winter Festival on Jan 21st. The Winter Fest will feature outdoor events along with indoor exhibits, food vendors, and family-friendly recreational activities. The event is free of charge and runs from 11:30AM – 3PM.
The Polar Plunge, benefitting Our Lady of the Snow Parish’s food pantry, kicks off the main events at 11:30AM. As always, the Plunge includes a playful prize for the silliest costume offered by the Friends of GLSP, so start planning your beach attire! To pre-register, call the Polar Plunge organizer, Ray Dozois, for more information at 518-663-5648.
This year’s hike schedule is as follows, call the park to register at 518-279-1155. Day of registration is dependent on availability:
Mindful Walk, 10am-12pm: Let yourself be guided on a slow walk through the woods, with senses fully opened, aware of the present moment. Led by the RPA. Ages 8 and older.
Animal Signs, 11:30am-1:30pm: Join Dyken Pond for a 2-mile hike exploring the shoreline of Shaver Pond for animal signs and other season items of interest. Ages 5 and older.
Snowshoe Walks, 12pm-1pm, 1:30pm-2:30pm, 3pm-4pm: Led by LLBean, these snowshoe walks are great for the whole family. Snowshoes provided. Trails taken will depend on the ability level present.
Snowshoe Hike, 12:30pm-2:30pm: Join the THC on a snowshoe hike around Shaver Pond including a side trip to see the West Family cemetery. About 2.5 miles. Snowshoes/traction devices required. Ages 8 and older.
Kids Scavenger Hunt, 1pm-2pm: The forest may look still, but come play, explore, and get to know who’s moving, what’s growing, and where life is flowing with the RYO.
Nature Hike, 2pm-4pm: Explore the outdoors with the RLT, looking for signs of wildlife, identifying different kinds of trees, and talking about nature in winter. Ages 8 and up.
Note, the Ice Fishing Contest is being held on the weekend after, Saturday, Jan 28th.
SKYHIGH Community Center ushers in the New Year with activities for all!
SKYHIGH Community Center ushers in the New Year with a full range of educational, informative, and healthy life style activities for all
Our Community Center, located at 27 Lake Avenue in Averill Park, offers an array of classes and programs for elementary school kids, teens, adults and seniors that start in January and continue through the winter months. Here’s the initial lineup:
Let Your Artistic Talent Shine with John Hebert, for teens, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-8pm starting on 1/3 for 10 weeks,
Wholehearted Yoga for adults, with Jen Glasser, Sundays 9-10am from 1/8-3/12
Monthly Open Mic Sessions with Patrick Ryan, performance opportunities for all ages and talents, Wednesdays 1/11, 2/15 & 3/8, 6-8pm
Quilters Group with Joan Pasquarelli, for teens and adults – starts on Wednesday 1/11 from 6-8pm and meets all winter
Yoga for Adults and Older Teens with Keri Stern, Tuesdays 5:30-6:30, from 1/17-3/28
Parent & Child Team Foam Ball Tennis Fun with Coach Joe Behson, Wednesdays & Thursdays 5:30-6:30, from 1/18-2/9
Monthly Bring Your Own Device Tech Support with Delia Hubbard, for adults and seniors, on 1/19, 2/16 & 3/16 from 9-10am
Community Information Forum, sponsored by The Church of The Covenant and The Pride Center of the Capital Region, Friday 1/20 from 7-8pm
Senior Strength & Agility Training Workshop with Rebecca Armsby – on Friday 1/20 from 10-11am
Hula Hoop It Up, exercise fun for adults and teens with Kerri Stern – on Saturday 2/4 & 2/11 from 9-10am
Community Substance Abuse Informational Forums with Tim Murdick, for adults and teens – forums will continue monthly throughout the winter
For additional information and to register go to: www.shaccenter.org
Rensselaer Plateau Alliance January Speaker Series
RPA warmly invites you to Culverts and Aquatic Organism Passage on the Plateau with Andy Dangler and Melissa Toni as part of our January Speaker Series. Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7pm on Zoom
Many different agencies fund, permit, and deliver projects involving culverts under roadways. This discussion covers the Federal level of involvement in culvert replacement and the incorporation of Aquatic Organism Passage through the culverts. We will talk about the biology of the streams on the Plateau, how culverts interact with the watercourses, and the regulatory setting at the Federal level regarding replacement, rehabilitation, and restoration of culverts and stream crossings. The discussion will include several local examples, including the July 2021 flooding events.
Pre-registration is required. The suggested voluntary donation is $5, though any amount is welcome. Head over to rensselaerplateau.org/events to register and receive the zoom link or reach out to Dan Morse at dan@nullrensselaerplateau.org for more information.
Rensselaer Plateau Alliance Presents January Nature Book Club
You are warmly invited to RPA’s Nature Book Club, with Rama Hamarneh, PhD. One evening a month, we will meet on Zoom to discuss a book we have read, and the work’s relationship to nature. We will explore multiple aspects of nature in literature – represented through multiple genres and authors from around the globe.
January’s meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 31 at 7pm on Zoom. The Zoom link for each meeting will be sent out to the book club email list a few days before the meeting. The book club is free to attend, and all are welcome.
For January 2023, we’ll read All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. All Things Bright and Beautiful is the beloved sequel to Herriot’s first collection, All Creatures Great and Small, and picks up as Herriot, now newly married, journeys among the remote hillside farms and valley towns of the Yorkshire Dales, caring for their inhabitants—both two- and four-legged. Throughout, Herriot’s deep compassion, humor, and love of life shine as we laugh, cry, and delight in the portraits of his many varied animal patients and their equally varied owners.
This book is available through the Upper Hudson Library System in physical format, on Hoopla via the library as an ebook and audiobook, at Market Block Books, and through other book sellers. Head to rensselaerplateau.org/rpa-book-club for more information.
Johnny Rabbs Big Band
On Saturday Feb. 4 2023 The Sons of The American Legion will be hosting Johnny Rabbs Big Band with special guests The Tichy Boys and Blue Hand Luke,performing all your rockin’ favorites.
This is our largest fundraiser event of the year and as part of The Legion Family our main goal is to raise funds aimed at improving the quality of life for our nations children and veterans.Advance tickets are available at The American Legion,111 Main Ave. Wynantskill for $ 15.00 ea.reserved seating is available with a 4 ticket minimum purchase.
Doors open @ 6:00 pm, band starts at 7:00.Supporters can enjoy food and drink specials ( by Giuliano’s Catering ) outside food and drink prohibited, This event has sold out quickly the past 9 years,so reserve early, tickets are limited. For more info call Bill 518-441-0013.