Weekend Picks

My picks for the best activities and things to do this weekend in Northern Westchester

Peekskill Celebration Come down to the Riverfront Green Park to enjoy dragon boat races, festival foods, music performances, Underground Railroad tours, petting animals, and the nighttime fireworks extravaganza. Friday and Saturday. Peekskill Celebration

Caramoor International Jazz Festival The three-day festival is packed with jazz legends and innovative voices on the international scene. Pianist Renee Rosnes and her own quartet kicks off the festival, followed by virtuoso bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Juan Carlos Formell, Jason Moran, Edmar Castaneda, and many others. Friday through Sunday. Caramoor International Jazz Festival

Guided Nature Hike Join a hike lead by a naturalist on the trails through the sanctuary. Saturday, 10:00 am. Westmoreland Sanctuary 

What Do You Do if Someone Wants to Eat You? Hide! Run! Fight back! Explore these methods and others that animals use to protect themselves from being a predator’s lunch. Saturday, 1:00  pm. Teatown Lake Reservation

Evening Howl Enjoy visiting the wolves during their favorite hour - dusk. Learn about the mythology, biology and ecology of wolf families and discover why summer is a magical time for packs in North America. Saturday, 7:00 pm. Wolf Conservation Center

River Day Take a boat-ride and celebrate our relationship to the river in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hands-on activities include fishing, hearth cooking, and brick making. Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00 pm. Van Cortlandt Manor

Annual Small Press Celebration Enjoy listening to readers from Slapering Hol Press, Toadlilly, Westchester Review, and Inkwel. Sunday, 4:30 pm. Hudson Valley Writer's Center