Maple festivals, a Kintsugi class, plant and sips, a brine fermentation workshop, a whimsical night market, and a parade of llamas in bonnets! The Hudson Valley and Catskills have an eclectic array of events on the March calendar. Here are a few hand-picked, of course, by your Upstate Local Experts. 

Bonsai Bar at Industrial Arts Brewing Company

Where: Beacon, NY

Grab friends, grab a drink, and craft a tiny tree! Bonsai Bar is a night of fun you don’t want to miss where you'll learn the fundamentals of the art of Bonsai.

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Almost Maine At The Boiceville Inn Dinner Theater

Where: Boiceville, NY

One of the best things about being a real estate agent Upstate is being a change-scout; knowing what's new and exciting in each of our towns is part of my job. Honestly, this is no exertion! I'm inclined to want to know these things anyway! Driving cross-county to meet clients or preview a new property listing affords me opportunities to spot new action, new buildings, and new businesses in the region. Since each of my 150 Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty colleagues are also scouting the new, expanded, or improved, we were able to put together quite the list of spots we've spotted recently - everything from nouveau department stores, to pizza places, to cafes with board game rental programs. Enjoy, and let me know what you try in the comments!

Sooo.... I think it might be time to admit I have a problem. I feel comfortable making this confession because I think it's a problem almost everyone shares with me at the moment. I am just a leeeeettle bit addicted to streaming television. Sigh. Yes, I know, we all have an excuse for our urge to hunker down and watch yet another Adam's Family reboot; for a chunk of time there wasn't all that much else for us to do in our free time (blah, blah, etcetera, etcetera). But I've had my fill of lightly plotted holiday movies and dramas about families who don't like each other - I'm movin' on! I'm going to win The No Netflix Challenge! Haven't heard of it? Not surprising, I just made it up! Here are the rules: 1 - do anything but watch streaming tv 6 days

There’s a quote that I’ve heard so many times it lives in my mind comfortably and completely rent-free, “a goal without a plan is only a wish.” While New Year resolutions always start with a wish of what we hope will lead to a better life, every life coach will tell you that in order to turn our wishes into realities we need specifics, objectives, a strategy. This year, I have an idea; I know we’re ready! We’re going to make our longing for a healthier and happier life a reality using my simple yet effective plan. It's a plan that involves fur and maybe some drool. The plan? Spend more time with animals!

I know what you’re thinking – Happier with animals? Sure, I’ll buy that – they’re fuzzy and cute. Healthier? Ok, well…how? I’ll save you the

The weather has turned (cold), and while we imagine many of you are considering whether you need a new set of throw pillows to make sure your couch is cozy enough for you to bear it, we, your friendly neighborhood Upstate real estate experts, are going to suggest you stop your West Elm browsing, go outside, and do something different.

We've motivated people to do everything from sledding and snow shoeing to ice sailing on the Hudson. At the inception of this winter season, we want to encourage you to visit one of the many ice skating rinks in the Catskills and Hudson Valley. There's plenty of reasons to go. First, there's something romantic about skating - both watching it and doing it. It's great exercise, and if you bring friends, it's just as

Oh, how I love the holiday season. This is when the events and happenings in the Hudson Valley and Catskills Region get both grand and granular. There’s everything from world-class performances to delightful community craft fairs on offer. Here’s a list of events that I think might appeal to you from light shows to ornament making.

Holiday Lights In Bloom At The Orange County Arboretum

Where: Montgomery, NY

Is there anything like meandering through beautiful gardens twinkling with lights? Nope! Admission is open between 5 and 7:30 PM nightly, what a great way to light up the dark night!

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At Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty we're realtors, and as such, we’re basically required to dig home décor – and we do - and DIYs are our favorite type; they’re fun, inexpensive, empowering, and a great departure from our devices. Here are a few of my favorite DIY ideas made with supplies you can find on the ground in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Make one? Send us a pic!

Autumn is for apple-picking, finding the perfect pumpkin at a local patch, hiking through the veils of red, orange, yellow, and sienna… but sometimes it rains – or, in the case of this November – it snows! Whatcha gonna to do? Get crafty, of course! I always feel ready to do a few DIY crafts in the fall – this year, I’ve gathered quite a collection of treasures from my hikes,

We all know that bees are vital to our survival. They make our all our food happen! Bees are also endlessly fascinating, romantic, and the makers of the most shelf-stable food on the planet – while man cannot live on bread alone, we might be able to live off bees and their honey. Enter September - honey month! Regardless of your interest level in honey – from “I just put it in my tea every once in a while,” to, “I want to devote my life to bees, honey, and wax!”, the Catskills and Hudson Valley have honey resources for you. This September we’re taking a little tour of the honey landscape round-about – we’ve even got some property recommendations if you want to become a hobbyist beekeeper or start your own full-blown, for-profit apiary.  

So...it's mushroom month! And why not? Mushrooms are delicious, a great excuse to go into the woods, and a way to experience the thrill of a hunt with zero carnage. Let's celebrate that! In the quiet places of the Catskills and Hudson Valley we have a wide range of "fungus among-us". I always get a special thrill when I find a grouping of mushrooms on a log that's seen better days or in the amidst a field of moss; but even I was surprised by the beautiful variety one forager found in a mere 24 hour period last (you guessed it!) September. Check these lovelies out!

Now, if you want to eat what you find in the forest, you obviously have to take care; sometimes nature makes the most beautiful things dangerous! Luckily Mycologists (they study

Albert Einstein said, “I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin.” September is Classical Music Month, and if the arguably greatest mind of the last century found his greatest joy in making music, even with all his storied accomplishments, who are we to not take advantage of this month with the goal of discerning if it will bring us equal joy, either through listening or playing.

Maverick Concerts

Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty’s first office was in the Catskills town of Woodstock – famous, even before the 1969 festival that bore its name, for rock music. But Woodstock was a home for music long before Elvis brought rock and roll to most people’s attention (argue among yourselves about that if you must),