Hickory and Tweed Archives - The Inside Press

The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to shop, plan celebrations and also enjoy all our communities have to offer at this special time. Here are a few ideas to help celebrate and enjoy the season all while having fun locally:

1. From Friday, Dec. 13, to Sunday, Dec. 15, in Chappaqua, shop artists’ special pop-ups between the King Street Studio and The Art Closet Gallery in the loft at Family Britches. The kickoff will take place in conjunction with the downtown Chappaqua Wine Around Town event on Dec. 13 from 5-8 p.m.

2. For a break from all the preparations the holidays entail, check out the Jane Condon Holiday Comedy Show at Armonk’s Whippoorwill Theater on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Josh Strom of Congregation B’nai Yisrael will emcee the evening, which will also include a performance by Boston-based comic Kathe Farris. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.

3. Westchester’s Winter Wonderland returns this year to Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Hours and days vary now through Jan. 4, winterwonderland.com for more info. There’s a circus, ice skating, rides and more. Tickets are $20 for ages 3 and up.

4. While the menorah lighting as well as a tree lighting already took place in Armonk on Frosty Day, before this issue went to press, the details of Chappaqua’s menorah lighting ceremony had not yet been firmed up. Ike Kuzio, superintendent of New Castle Recreation and Parks, said residents can keep abreast of this important annual event at Chappaqua’s community center by checking in on the town’s website.

5. Enjoy a screening of a Big Band Holiday program from Jazz at Lincoln Center in the New Castle Town Hall Assembly Room. The program runs from 6:30-9, p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 starting with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Chappaqua Library and will feature songs both “sacred and secular.”

6. Or attend The Movies’ Greatest Christmas Songs on Sunday Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. at the New Castle Community Center on Senter Street. Jon Reichman will use film clips, photos and piano performance to explore the history of famous holiday tunes White Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Silver Bells.

7. Have yourself a historic Christmas. Visit the Horace Greeley House on Saturday Dec. 7, where a crafts workshop will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. and a tree lighting at 5 p.m. will be accompanied by the Horace Greeley High School Madrigal Choir leading carols, and a visit from Santa.

8. Why not spend some time in early December learning about the traditions of various cultures, communities and religions? Besides boasting many resources for learning about Christmas and Chanukah, the North Castle Public Library has several books about Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) and a CD of Kwanzaa music for loan. The Chappaqua Library also offers a book about the Hindu festival of Diwali (this year, celebrated already in October), titles about Chinese New Year, and more.

9. To offset the effects of kugel and cookies, give snowshoeing a try. Skip Beitzel, owner of Hickory & Tweed in Armonk, said “Snowshoeing is great. My adage for snowshoeing is, ‘snow and they will go.’” Beitzel, whose shop sells snowshoes for all ages, said his customers snowshoe on local golf courses or on the bike path that runs through Millwood. Those seeking a more arduous experience may even take their snowshoes to ski areas to use them when climbing uphill. “Why not snowshoe as a family?” Beitzel said, since after all many families ski together, and snowshoeing can be done easily and locally–providing there’s snow.

10. Or plan a family hike to The Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve, a 247-acre spot with more than six miles of color-coded trails. Spanning New Castle and North Castle, the preserve has kiosks at each entrance to help visitors plan their hikes. For more outdoor appreciation, make the Christmas Bird Count a part of your family’s December traditions (find dates and locations on audubon.org) – or even closer to home, join Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch (join.birds.cornell.edu) and find out how families can contribute meaningfully to important statistics on birds and migration patterns. It’s not too late to join this information-collecting effort, which will get you through the winter and into spring.

A bicyclist enjoys the North County Trailway

a leisurely ride or challenging trails, there are a number of bike paths around Armonk or Chappaqua that make for a fun outdoor weekend activity. There seems to be something for everyone along the bike trails winding through the vast woods in the area.

For Paul Toth, the North County Trailway is perfect for his son, George, to learn to ride his new bike. The trail way is 22 miles long with paved and mostly flat, shaded paths. George felt it was a little tiring, but the views are good plus he can show off his new ride to friends.

Scenic views by the North County Railway

A little to the north

Kim and Brian Kelly have stopped on the Putnam Railroad Bridge.

The old truss bridge is a continuation of the North County Trailway. When the weather is clear, a visitor can see the Croton Reservoir shimmering below and rolling green hills off in the distance.

From where they live in Somers, Kim and Brian said the ease of access to views like this is the big draw for them for biking in Westchester.

“It’s just really nice to go out your driveway and get onto a trail within five minutes,” Kim explained. By all accounts, the North County Trailway is the best destination for those needing exercise and some time outdoors. The path winds through northeastern Westchester, past farms and small towns, through tunnels and thick woods, all the way up to the Putnam County border.

The ride is what the rider makes it, a scenic tour or a cycling workout.

But despite how much sweat the rider works up, pulling off at Trailside Café in Yorktown will be worth it. Catering to North County Trailway riders, the shop offers a variety of refreshing juices, smoothies and light eating options to help fuel riders.

There are multiple points to start on the trail way but a short hill from Chappaqua’s Gedney Park along route 133 is an easy entry point to begin.

Trailside Café in Yorktown is popular fuel stop

Or go south

Head the other way on the South County Trailway for a different but still enjoyable day of cycling.

Covering 14 miles of southern Westchester, this trail still provides the scenery for a day of outdoors, but there are more options for other excursions as well. Ending at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, the South County Trailway has a number of restaurants nearby to pull off to for lunch. Stop in Tarrytown and head to Neperan Avenue for a choice of local favorites including Lefteris Gyro, the Taco Project or Eatery.

To find the beginning of South County Trailway, head to Pleasantville and hop on at the intersection of Route 117 and 9A.

Rocky and rooty

Those looking for a challenge should consider the mountain biking trails at Graham Hills Park.

The trails here are a five-mile network of narrow single-bike paths that test a rider with drop-offs, jumps and sharp inclines. Trails at Graham Hills Park begin on steep banks, uneven from roots and fallen trees and natural impediments.

To be clear, these trails are not for beginners. According to Dylan Hyman and Shawn McDonald, two bike mechanics at Hickory & Tweed, a ski and cycling shop on Armonk’s Main Street that’s been open since 1961, the trails at Graham Hills are geared for the experienced.

Both frequent mountain bikers themselves, Hymann and McDonald described the trails as “rocky and rooty,” “technical riding” that is comparable in difficulty to the black diamond rating reserved for the most challenging ski slopes.

“It’s probably good to have some mountain bike experience,” Hyman said of Graham Hills Park which is located off the Saw Mill River Parkway.

The ride is what the rider makes it, a scenic tour or a cycling workout.

Worth the view

Twenty-five miles away in Peekskill is a bike trail that opened last year and has views that promise to be worth the drive.

The South Waterfront Park and Trailway includes a 1-mile paved and level trail system running along the Hudson River. From Riverfront Green to Charles Point, this trail is more about enjoying the scenic view of the river rather than getting a good workout.

There is parking near Riverfront Green Park on Hudson Avenue.