The Sands Point Preserve Conservancy rang in the new year with exciting new cultural events, seasonal celebrations and learning adventures for all ages. The former Guggenheim Estate is a vibrant resource for the community, open daily throughout the four seasons.
“Jazz Through the Ages” is a new and completely unique series of six concerts that follows the course of Jazz history, from its roots in Ragtime and Dixieland, to the Swing/Big Band era, through Cool Jazz of the 1950s, and beyond. Starting Jan. 16, the series will showcase six outstanding bands, featuring many of New York City’s top jazz musicians. Each concert is performed in two acts – the first set pays tribute to an era in the fascinating history of jazz, while the second set bridges the gap into the present and future with contemporary arrangements and new compositions. The series was created by Artistic Director Bobby Katz.
The “Four Seasons in Music” series begins its second year on Feb. 1, and continues on May 23, July 11 and Oct. 3. Each magical concert is a unique program of chamber music and poetry performed by internationally renowned musicians and spoken word artists – and, new this year, the final concert brings the marriage of music and dance with the imaginative choreography of Pilobolus. With repertoire ranging from Bach and Beethoven to today’s culturally diverse composers, the series is designed for adults, but children eight years and older are welcome.
Tony Award-winning composer Steven Lutvak will host the Valentine’s Night Cabaret on Feb. 14, with a stellar cast to be announced soon. This evening takes place in Hempstead House and includes a sumptuous dinner and decadent dessert to celebrate the most romantic holiday of the year.
Family seasonal celebrations engage every age through multiple fun activities at every event, including creative projects and STEAM-based learning activities, themed reading rooms, guided nature walks and more. This series kicks off with Winterfest on Jan. 26, followed by Spring Celebration on April 26, Summer Solstice and Father’s Day on June 21, Village Day Fall Festival on Oct. 4, Family Halloween Party and Pet Parade on Oct. 18 and Holiday Tales on Dec. 6.
Registration is open for 2020 “Learning Adventures,” including wellness and nature education for children of every age and adults. Enriching age-specific programs range from yoga for infants and after school art, science, and yoga for 3–10-year olds to Earth expeditions for 10–13-year olds. Family nature programs include the popular Starlab Indoor Planetarium on March 14 and 15, Friendly Foragers on May 31, and Father’s Day Owl Box Building on June 21, among many others – see the Conservancy website for the full schedule of programs.
Adult Nature Education includes a horticulture lecture series on sustainable organic gardening, overnight survival training and the annual Owl Prowl on Nov. 6, among other topics.
The Conservancy also offers a number of co-curricular school visits for students in Environmental Science and Immigration, Class Conflict & The Great Gatsby, generously funded by the Ed. Foundation.
Three fundraising events are planned for 2020, including the new Kentucky Derby Gala on May 2. This event commemorates the Guggenheim family’s connection to this legendary race – Harry Guggenheim, a founder of the New York Racing Association, raised and raced thoroughbreds, and his famed horse, Dark Star, won the Kentucky Derby in 1953. The gala will raise funds to support the renovation of multiple spaces inside Castle Gould, the original stable and carriage house on the estate.
The White Party, a benefit for education programs, will be held on Aug. 8, and the infamous Halloween Ball will take place on Oct. 24.
Monthly Guided Nature Walks and Forest Therapy Walks resume Jan. 12 and Jan. 25, respectively – the perfect way to discover and enjoy the Preserve’s beautiful winter environment. Weekly Meditation, Yoga, and Qi-Gong classes are also offered inside the historic mansions and outside on the Preserve’s beautiful grounds.
For more information and to purchase tickets, see www.sandspointpreserve.org or call the ticket line at 516-304-5076.
The Sands Point Preserve on the original Guggenheim Estate embodies the grandeur and elegance that define the Gold Coast period of the early 20th century, when prominent American families built great mansions on large estates as summer retreats along the Long Island Sound. Sands Point peninsula was the famed “East Egg” of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
Today, the magnificent 216-acre park, including its historic mansions, natural forest, pond and beachfront on the Long Island Sound, is owned by Nassau County, NY, and maintained and operated by the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Conservancy provides year-round educational and cultural programs, seasonal celebrations, mansion tours, fitness activities as well as private/corporate event services and film/TV location facilities.
Story submitted by Sands Point Preserve.
