Clog Blog Vol.1 – New This Year: Expanded Percussive Dance Offerings at Southern Week
Sharon Leahy has dedicated her life to traditional music and dance. She has performed around the world with her percussive dance company, Rhythm in Shoes, and has been teaching clogging…
Anda Union Concert at the Ashokan Center – Review by Dennis Gaffney
When I recently took a seat in the Performance Hall at the Ashokan Center to hear Anda Union, a 9-member ensemble from Mongolia, I didn’t know what to expect. But…
Maple Syruping with Del Orloske
The following is a personal blog post and personal photos by Del Orloske, used with permission by Del. “In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of…
The Rich Tapestry of Folk Music in Woodstock, NY: A Journey Through Time
Nestled in the heart of the Catskills, Woodstock, New York, is globally synonymous with peace, love, and music. While the 1969 Woodstock Festival famously happened 60 miles away in Bethel,…
Nature-inspired Yoga Poses
Yoga is a beautiful way to connect with nature, even when you’re indoors. Many yoga poses are directly inspired by elements of the natural world, helping us ground ourselves and…
Experiencing the Magic of Winter Bird Calls at Ashokan
Winter at the Ashokan Center is a time of quiet beauty. The landscape, blanketed in snow, feels serene and still. But if you listen closely, you’ll notice the calls of…
Dancing to a Sharper Mind: How Movement Boosts Cognitive Function
For years, people have appreciated dancing for its physical, social, and emotional benefits. But did you know that dancing can also enhance cognitive abilities? Studies are showing that engaging in…
Nature’s Music: The Melodic Calls of the Black-Capped Chickadee
Birdsong has always been a source of inspiration for musicians, composers, and nature lovers alike, but few birds make their music as harmoniously predictable as the black-capped chickadee. This familiar…
Cry of the Hillborn
Canadian Poet Bliss Carman was born in Fredricton, New Brunswick in 1861. Though his first published book of poetry, Low Tide in Grand Pre, was not a success his later…
Northern Lights at Ashokan
Check out this photo taken by Peter Cook atop Hoot Hill at the Ashokan Center. We were treated to a heavenly display of color Thursday, Oct 10. Thursday’s Aurora Borealis…
100,000 Plastic Bottles Saved
We have hit a milestone at the Ashokan Center! We have officially saved 100,000 plastic water bottles with our Elkay water filling system. Plastic pollution presents a serious threat to…
Big Bug Hotel
On Sunday October 6, Krista Speroni of @truefoodshv hosted a Help Build a Bug Hotel program at the Ashokan Center. Children and adults all pitched in to help make a…
Why I Give: Meet Our Supporters
Knowing Ashokan is knowing our community. We are so grateful to learn the stories of our volunteers and supporters and to share what makes Ashokan a special place for people…
Fall Family Fun Fest Returns!
A Catskill family tradition since 2006, the Ashokan Center’s Fall Family Fun Fest returns Sunday, October 20th from 12:00 to 4:00 PM in Olivebridge, NY. Families are invited to celebrate…
Celebrate Ukrainian Culture on September 22
Ukrainian Community Day is a new event and celebration of Ukrainian culture at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY. The event, on Sunday, September 22, 2024, will feature a diverse…
Turning Lemons to Lemona with Del
“Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.” – Democritus The winds are shifting and I’m once again up in the canopy collecting the fruit of…
The Three Sisters Garden with Del Orloske
Growing a Three Sisters garden (corn, pole beans, squash) is a form of companion planting practiced by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) who lived in the northern part of New York. Many…
Ashokan Inspires Others to Inspire
Say Cello to Jivan, who has been coming to Ashokan for more than half his life. We asked Jivian a few questions to find out what makes him return to Ashokan…
Star Spangled Banner
No your eyes aren’t deceiving you. The American flag that hangs in Ashokan’s 1817 Schoolhouse has 15 stars AND 15 stripes. Here is a little history of the flag: The…
Week-long Western & swing learning festival deep in the Hudson Valley woods
Swing into summer with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason at a vibrant week-long event filled with swing, Western-swing, classic country, and Tejano Conjunto music and dancing at the Ashokan Center.…
Andes Central School students debut original songs
Jun. 12—Elementary school students at Andes Central School debuted original songs about nature during the school’s last Spirit Meet of the year Wednesday, June 12. Laurie McIntosh, who’s known as…
Seed Song Farm CSAs Available for Pickup at Ashokan
The Ashokan Center is proud to partner with Seed Song Farm & Center to bring you 23 weeks of the fullest, most diverse, local produce you’ve ever seen – from…
Hudson Valley’s Best Music Festivals
The Summer Hoot is on Hudson Valley Magazine’s top festivals in the New York’s Hudson Valley music scene this summer. See you at the HOOT! Purchase your tickets to 2024…
August 23–25: The Summer Hoot returns with eclectic lineup of roots music, dancing, and nature activities for the whole family
Now in its twelfth year, the Summer Hoot music festival will be held Friday, August 23 through Sunday, August 25, 2024. Produced and hosted by folk-roots musicians Ruth Ungar Merenda…
History of The Quiet Room with Jay & Molly
This is a story about the healing powers of music and people and place, and what can happen when their energies join together. Tune in to Jay & Molly’s Quiet…
Valley Stream 24 Takes An Exciting Field Trip to the Ashokan Center
Students from all three schools in the Valley Stream 24 School District recently embarked on an interactive outdoor education experience at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, New York. “Visiting the…
GUEST POST: Scottish fiddle immersion experience at the Ashokan Center
This post is by the great Austin Scelzo after his experience at Ashokan’s 2024 Scottish String Fling Weekend. My heart is full after returning from a wonderful Scottish fiddle immersion…
Delaware Academy Second Graders Create Original Songs
If you were walking the hallways of Delaware Academy Elementary School in Delhi last Thursday, April 25th, you might have heard a hearty chorus of students (and teachers) singing at…
Uke Fest with Ben Hassenger
Ben Hassenger’s musical career began in the early 1970s when he was arrested for playing “Smoke on the Water” on accordion and singing in animal sounds in the cafeteria at…
Nettle Pesto by Liz Neves
Try Liz Neves’s Nettle Pesto recipe: Every spring I make a Nettle pesto and each year it’s a bit different. It’s highly adaptable! You’ll have to know I’m a guess-timator…
Awaken to Plants with Liz Neves
I am excited to have had the chance to chat with Liz Neves about plant medicine. Liz guided me to the Ashokan Center in 2020 when I was looking for…
Indigenous History with Justin Wexler
We got to chat with Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley and ask a few questions about the area’s indigenous culture. You can learn more from Justin at Ashokan’s Spring…
Getting to Know the Dobro with Alex Sens
We sat down to get to know a little about Alex Sens and an instrument called the dobro. Alex will be teaching dobro at Ashoksn’s upcoming Bluegrass Camp as well…
Q&A with Interpreter of Black Folk Music, Jake Blount
We recently got to chat with Jake Blount on how his musical journey brought him to Ashokan’s Old Time Rollick year-after-year. Jake Blount (pronounced: blunt) is an award-winning interpreter of…
2024 Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada. Even though our region isn’t in an area where there’ll be…
It’s Trout Fishing Time!
With the season just opening on April 1st, here’s a bit of backstory on this historic pastime, thanks to “Trout Fishing in the Catskills.” It’s a beautiful, knowledge packed book…
Mushroom Talk with Luke Sarrantonio
A quick introduction into fungi with a really fun guy, Hudson Valley mycologist, Luke Sarrantonio. Luke is the founder of Mycophilic and For the Love of Fungi Mushroom and Arts…
Ashokan / Turnwood Covered Bridge
One of 29 covered bridges in New York State, and one of five covered bridges in Ulster County, the Ashokan Bridge (also known as the Turnwood and Olive Bridge) is…
Son Jarocho Camp Will Be First Of Its Kind in the US
It’s a learning opportunity, a music-loving opportunity, a sharing of culture and community: It’s the Ashokan Center’s Ariles Son Jarocho Camp. Patterned after Luna Negra, a well-known annual gathering for…
Pardon our Progress: Our Homestead is being restored.
Ashokan’s Homestead, a two-story dovetail log home built in the 1970’s, was found in disrepair when the Ashokan Center, Inc. took over the site’s programs and stewardship in 2008. A…
3rd Youth Empowerment & Sustainability Summit
From February 21 – 23, the Ashokan Center held its 3rd Youth Empowerment & Sustainability Summit (YESS!). Students from grades 6 – 12 assembled from the Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, New…
Enhance Your Music Practice with Strum Machine App
Do you use a metronome or backing tracks while practicing? Strum Machine (https://strummachine.com/app) came as a recommended practice tool from Hilary Hawke (teacher from 2023’s Banjo Weekend!). The full version…
The Pulp Mill
Behold the old pulp mill at Winchell’s Falls on Esopus Creek, now part of the Ashokan Center. Esopus Creek has been a source of food, water, transportation, power, and recreation…
Birds of Winter
Just as we have unique birds that visit us during the warmer months, we also have birds who visit us in winter! This time of year, we tend to see…
Ashokan Receives Grant from New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
The Ashokan Center has received a grant totaling $49,500 per year for two-years from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture…
YESS! Alumni Recognized for Environmental Work
Congrats to Bennett Elementary School students and instructional coach, Karen Hadley, for being recognized for their work in reducing the use of plastic and removing it from the waste stream!…
Indigenous Peoples Day
It is with great gratitude that we learn, gather, and perform on the ancestral homelands of the Munsee Lenape people. The land that the Ashokan Center sits on was a…
Why did the caterpillar cross the road?
Every fall, you’ll notice woolly bear caterpillars crossing roadways and sidewalks. And they’re fast, for a caterpillar — they can travel up to 4 feet per minute, which is roughly…
