Forget the winter snow and the cold. This weekend Peekskill heats up, as John Neering of the Peekskill Parks and Recreation Department taps Depew Park maple trees to create sweet maple syrup, Kazi Oliver gets your feet moving with African drumming in celebration of Black History Month, and opera singers Kristina Cook and Travis Ramirez serenade the audience with new songs by General Director of Taconic Opera and Composer Dan Montez at Piano at Noon in Mefford Studio, site of Peekskill’s only regularly scheduled monthly classical event.
Peekskill Parks & Recreation Maple Sugaring Workshops
Depew Park is arguably one of Peekskill’s greatest gems. The park is home to a plethora of maple sugar trees. For the fifth year in a row, John Neering is running workshops showing children and adults how we get syrup from maple trees. This year the Peekskill Parks and Recreation Department will again hold a maple-sugaring workshop led by Neering, on Saturday, February, 15, and February 22, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the sugar shack in Depew Park, near the horseshoe pits.
John Neering will show each group the labor- and time-intensive process of making maple syrup, from tapping and collecting the sap, to boiling down that sap to concentrate the natural sugars into a sweet liquid called maple syrup.
The best part of the maple sugaring workshop is that those who go to the workshop get to sample the sap and official Depew Park Maple Syrup.
For more information and to register, call the Peekskill Parks and Recreation office at (914) 734-7275. Space is limited so do not wait. The fee is $8 per person, ages 5 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Don’t forget to wear comfortable clothes appropriate for the weather.
Baba Kazi Oliver celebrates Black History with African drumming at The Field Library
On Saturday, February 15, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Baba Kazi Oliver, African drummer extraordinaire, will engage both children and adults in experiencing the energy and excitement derived from African drumming at The Field Library.
When it comes to the best drummers in the tristate area, Kazi Oliver’s name is synonymous with rhythm, culture, and community. With over 45 years of performance experience and 20 years of teaching expertise, Kazi brings the powerful traditions of African drumming to life. His drumming performances are more than just lessons in rhythm—they’re a journey into cultural heritage, creativity, and connection.
This event is free and pre-registration is not required. Just stop by The Field Library and dance around as Kazi Oliver heats up the room with African drumming.
Piano at Noon features final New York performance of Kristina Cook and Travis Ramirez
There is nothing like being less than 30 feet away from performers in an intimate setting with a live performance by a renowned pianist, and not one but two opera singers performing new compositions by the Founder and General Director of Taconic Opera, Dan Montez. How much more talent could you put in a room that has space for only 30 people? That is how special the Piano at Noon series is here in Peekskill.
For the first time ever, the Piano at Noon series, at Mefford Music Studio, 1016 Brown St. (next to Paramount Theater Huds0n Valley), will have a second performance in February, after selling out the first performance earlier this month. On Sunday, February 16, at 2 p.m, soprano Kristina Cook and tenor Travis Ramirez will give their last New York performances before they move to Italy to further their singing careers. The program will include two new song cycle premieres by composer Dan Montez, with text written by Melissa Montez.
The first composition, “The Cycle of Depression,” sung by soprano Kristina Cook, is a comedic cycle showcasing the different mental ruts we can get ourselves into. It is full of relatable one-liners we’ve all heard other people say or have said ourselves, while still maintaining a narrative of different moods.
A second composition, “The Cycle of Exes,” another comedic cycle sung by Travis Ramirez, explores a young man’s various attempts at finding love in a modern world. Things never seem to work out for him for bizarre (or not-so-bizarre) reasons, and by the end he declares himself sick of love.
Art songs are duets between singers and pianists, and the pianist for this program will be none other than Kessa Mefford, the founder of the Piano at Noon series. It is Kessa’s first time this year performing in the Piano at Noon season.
Tickets are selling fast, so do not wait to get yours. Tickets for Piano at Noon are $15 each and can be purchased using this link. Concert-goers can also get a pass to any one of five concerts of the buyer’s choice. It is like buying four concert tickets and getting one free. The cost for the five-concert series is $60 and available until the February 16 concert.
The doors for Piano at Noon concerts open at 11:45 a.m., with music beginning at 12 noon sharp. For more information, visit KessaMefford.com. Follow Kessa Mefford and Kessa Mefford Studio on Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t forget to tell everyone at the Maple Sugaring workshop, Kazi Oliver, and the Piano at Noon concert that you read about it in the Peekskill Herald.
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