The Sands Point Preserve is proud to announce highlights of the fall season, In September, the Village Day Fall Festival and the start of After School Art, Science, and Yoga for children. In October, PUSH Physical Theatre’s powerful production of Dracula and the Halloween trilogy: Vampyres’ Lair, the notorious Halloween Ball, and the delightful Family Halloween Party and Pet Parade. In November, there will be a performance of the Agatha Christie murder mystery masterpiece Towards Zero.
On Sunday, Sept. 23 from noon to 4 p.m., the Conservancy celebrates the beginning of the fall harvest season with outdoor activities for children of all ages at the annual Village Day Fall Festival. The festival features a petting zoo, hayrides and pony rides around the Great Lawn, pumpkin painting for budding artists, and a green grocer market featuring award-winning artisanal cheeses and farm picked fresh vegetables. The Conservancy welcomes back Acoustic Mayhem and the students from Bach to Rock music school for live performances throughout the afternoon. Guided nature walks and Qi Gong are also on the afternoon’s schedule. Refreshments from a variety of excellent food trucks will be available for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, the festival will be rescheduled for Sept. 30.
Every year, the Conservancy celebrates Halloween like no other place in the region. On Oct. 20 at 8 p.m., the Preserve kicks off the Halloween festivities with PUSH Physical Theatre’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel, Dracula – an acrobatic spectacle from the ‘masters of motion theatre’ in Castle Gould’s Black Box Theater. Historic Hempstead House will once again be transformed into a massive horror house on the theme of “Vampyres’ Lair” – bloodthirsty creatures of the night will be lurking everywhere throughout the mansion, and visitors will come face to face with a cast of actors who take their terrifying roles very seriously. The Haunt runs Oct. 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, and 31 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m., the Halloween Ball takes over Hempstead House. Because the 50,000 square foot mansion isn’t large enough for this party, a huge gala tent will be set up in the rose garden mausoleum. This event is the Conservancy’s most important fundraising event of the year. Ticket sales will open exclusively for Conservancy members and event sponsors on Sept. 10. Ticket sales will open for the general public on Sept. 24. For more of the gory details, please visit www.SandsPointPreserve.org.
In addition to these events, the Preserve offers education programs and wellness/fitness activities for all ages throughout the year. After school classes for children ages 3 to 10 foster lifelong connections between art, wellness, and the natural environment. Registration is now open for classes, which begin the last week of September. The fall session of Four Seasons of Family Yoga takes place on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. Preregister at info@sandspointpreserve.org.
For adults, themed guided nature walks explore many aspects of the Preserve’s environment and related conservation initiatives on Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and the second Sunday of every month from 3 to 4 p.m. The popular Owl Prowl for Adults ventures into the nighttime woods on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Weekly meditation and yoga classes are free for Conservancy members and $10 for non-members; pre-registration is not required, and participants may attend as often as they wish.
Members of the Conservancy not only help support the Sands Point Preserve’s historic buildings and grounds, but they are also eligible for discounts to many events and free admission to the park, which is open year-round. Fall is the perfect time to join with a 12-month membership and enjoy all that the preserve has to offer.
For general information, see www.SandsPointPreserve.org or visit the Welcome Center & Gift Shop at 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY, 11050. The preserve is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the Welcome Center is open from noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
