Sing for Ukraine

HONESDALE, PA — A karaoke contest will raise funds for Ukrainian refugees on Monday, April 4 at the Wallenpaupack Brewing Company in Hawley.  The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and includes gift baskets and a 50/50 raffle.

Organized by Honesdale High School’s Interact Club, a junior Rotary organization, all monies raised will go to the Rotary International Disaster Response Fund for Ukraine.

The Wallenpaupack Brewing Company is located at 73 Wellwood Ave. in Hawley.

“So many of us want to help the millions fleeing the war in Ukraine and Russia’s aggression,” said Brian Fulp, an adviser to the club and an event organizer. “For just $10, anybody can buy a ticket to our karaoke night and help refugees at the same time.”

Since the Russian army, under President Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine on February 24, close to 10 million Ukrainians have been driven from their homes, three million have fled the country and sought safety in neighboring Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia. Many left with only the clothes on their backs. Aid groups are trying to resettle them with food and clothing and new papers for citizenship.

For more information about the fundraiser or to buy tickets in advance, call Brian at 570/309-7860. To find out how the money will be distributed, visit https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-foundation-creates-channel-direct-humanitarian-support-ukraine-region.

Local author and River Reporter columnist Greg Triggs will read from his work on Sunday, April 3.

Authors Triggs, Myers read from their work

CALLICOON, NY — On Sunday, April 3, local authors Greg Triggs and Alison Green Myers will read from their books.

The event takes place between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Seminary Hill Cidery.

Triggs, who is also a River Reporter columnist, is the author of the novel “That Which Makes Us Stronger,” and Myers wrote the award-winning “A Bird Will Soar.”

An audience Q&A will follow. Signed copies will be available. There will be a full bar, including cider crafted on-site, and a seasonal menu.

There is no charge to attend. Reserve a place at https://bit.ly/3Df5Ju7 or message Books@onegrandbooks.com.

Easter event at Grace Ridge Church

HONESDALE, PA — Grace Ridge Church will present “Miracles,” a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Wednesday, April 13 through Friday, April 15.  

The performance takes place at 7 p.m. each night and is held at the church, 761 Terrace St.

Families are invited by Grace Ridge to make “Miracles” an integral and memorable part of their Easter celebration. There is no charge for admission, although there is a free-will offering box. Childcare is available for children under 10.

For more information, call 570/253-5451 or visit www.graceridgechurch.com.

Back to the garden with Sullivan Renaissance

LIBERTY, NY — Sullivan Renaissance will present a gardening series for beginners and enthusiasts alike in April, June and September.

The series starts on Wednesday, April 6 with “Spring Clean-Up and Planning New Gardens,” which will be held at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The workshop focuses on early gardening tasks to help you prepare for the season or plan a new garden.

There is no charge to attend, but pre-registration is requested. To register, visit SullivanRenaissance.org. Event details can also be found on the Sullivan Renaissance Facebook page. Participants are encouraged to register for all three sessions.

Sullivan Renaissance is a beautification and community development initiative of the Gerry Foundation with support from Bold Gold Media Group, the River Reporter, the Sullivan County Democrat and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther. For more information, visit SullivanRenaissance.org.

The Forestburgh Playhouse Academy is holding a one-week spring intensive course that will teach young artists what they need for the next audition.

Forestburgh Playhouse Academy launches ‘Spring into Audition’

FORESTBURGH, NY — The Forestburgh Playhouse Academy is looking for young people aged 8 to 17 for “Spring into Audition.” The program is a one-week spring break intensive course designed to give young artists what they need for the next audition.

The course takes place from Tuesday, April 19 to Sunday, April 24. Full-day sessions run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and afterschool sessions from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both programs attend on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

For more information, about “Spring into Audition” or about the Academy, visit the Forestburgh Playhouse at https://www.fbplayhouse.org/ or call 845/794-2005.

Open mic at the Cooperage

HONESDALE, PA — Starting Tuesday, April 5, the Cooperage Project’s Open Mic Night will take place on the first Tuesday of every month, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.

Bands, comedy, poetry—all are welcome.

The Cooperage Project is located at 1030 Main St. For more information, call 570/253-2020.

Harpist Frances Duffy returns in a three-musician concert at SUNY Orange on April 3.

Live music at SUNY Orange

MIDDLETOWN, NY — Harpist Frances Duffy was to be the featured musician at a concert at SUNY Orange in March 2020.

Instead, the pandemic shut down the show.

Duffy is now back, along with flutist Jill Sokol and violist David Gold, playing at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 3 at Orange Hall Gallery at Middletown campus of the college.

Duffy will also give a class on Friday, April 1 at 11 a.m. in Orange Hall on the harp and its history, music and the way it works.

For more information, email cultural@sunyorange.edu, or visit www.sunyorange.edu/culturalaffairs.

E-sports gaming at HPAC

HURLEYVILLE, NY — Rev up the fryers and play “Overcooked” at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre (HPAC).

The arts center is holding a family-friendly e-sports gaming event in HPAC’s gaming lounge on Saturday, April 9.

Sign-ins begin at 3:45 p.m., the contest rules will be reviewed and the games start at 4 p.m. The games will run for 15-minute intervals. Final games will begin at 5:30 p.m.

The tournament will be played on HPAC’s Nintendo Switch console, but it is recommended that players bring their own officially licensed Nintendo controllers.

Monetary prizes will be available.

Advance registration for competitors is required. Tickets cost $25 per person for competitors, or $15 per person for others. Players must agree to the code of conduct.

For more information, visit https://hurleyvilleartscentre.org/overcooked-tournament/.

The photography of Peter Kolesar

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Narrowsburg Union is hosting “Our Fine Fisherman,” an exhibit of photography by Eldred resident Peter Kolesar.

A meet-the-artist event is scheduled for Saturday, April 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The exhibit will be on display through Friday, April 22.

Kolesar is Professor Emeritus of operations research at Columbia University and a member of the Columbia Water Center.  His photographs of fish, fishing, sea- and riverscapes “are a synergy of two long-held passions: for fly-fishing and for photography,” said a spokesperson for the Union. “Peter’s work pays homage to the beauty of our local rivers, the tranquility and intensity of the fishing experience, and the vibrancy of the rivers’ piscatorial inhabitants.”

Kolesar’s contributions to the Upper Delaware have been recognized by the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science, the National Park Service, the Upper Delaware Council, Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers and the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum.

For more information, visit www.narrowsburgunion.com/union-digital-gallery.

The interior of a Lenape wigwam.

Women's work in a Lenape community.

Learn about the Lenape and their culture

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Explore the lives and culture of the Lenape Indigenous people, who once lived in Sullivan County and the surrounding area.

County Historian John Conway will discuss them in person and on Zoom on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Time and the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville.

Many archeologists believe that the Lenape, an Indigenous tribe of Algonquin culture, lived along the banks of the Upper Delaware River as early as 12,000 years ago. They hunted, fished and eventually farmed, growing corn, squash and beans. They held great council fires and annual green-corn festivals along the Delaware River—which they called Lenapewihittuck—and celebrated the region’s natural beauty and its healing qualities. They referred to the area as Lenapehoking— “land of the Lenape.”

Ongoing clashes with the more aggressive Iroquois tribes to the north and growing tensions with the ever-increasing number of Europeans moving into the region prompted the Lenape to move westward, abandoning this area by about 1730. But a legacy remains in the form of local place names still in use today. Sullivan County Historian John Conway examines that legacy in this program.

There is no charge for admission to museum members; non-members will pay $5. For virtual attendance, make a donation on the museum’s website at www.timeandthevalleysmuseum.org.

To register and receive a program link—or to learn about in-person attendance—email info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org and put “Lenape Talk Zoom Link Request” in the subject line, or call 845/985-7700.

The program will be held at the Time and the Valleys Museum on St. Rt. 55 in Grahamsville. 

The Farm Arts ensemble performs "The Scientists" from Dream on the Farm at the Scranton Cultural Center.

Auditions at Farm Arts

DAMASCUS, PA — Farm Arts Collective is starting creative workshops and rehearsals for the 2022 Dream on the Farm production.

The working title for this year’s show is “Tavern on the Edge of the World.” Auditions are held Thursdays from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Narrowsburg Union until April 28.

The group is looking for performers, environmentalists, scientists, musicians, actors, writers, makers and thinkers who want to collaborate on the development and presentation of the climate change-themed show this year. The show will premiere August 3 through 7 at Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus.

Interested individuals should contact tannis@farmartscollective.org to set up an audition appointment or meeting.

Love your libraries and donate

SULLIVAN COUNTY — National Library Week begins Sunday, April 3. To help observe it, “I Love My Library” fundraising tags will be available at all four Peck’s Markets in the county from Monday, March 28 to Sunday, April 10.

Peck’s shoppers can show their appreciation for their public libraries by donating their change—or any amount they would like—and sign a tag, which will be displayed at the store.

The stores are located in Callicoon, Eldred, Jeffersonville and Livingston Manor.

Funds raised will support projects shared among the nine public libraries in the county. These include the Sullivan County Youth Book Festival, the Poet Laureate project, shared 3D printers and the Library-By-Mail program.

Find out what’s happening at your library by visiting guides.rcls.org/memberlibraries.