News and Events


Salsa Night! – Saturday, July 18th
Salsa Night! – Saturday, July 18th

Join us for a Salsa Night this Saturday at our Community Center! Beginners and seasoned dancers welcomed! Nina will teach a lesson to start off the evening, DJed music after. 

Saturday, July 18th from 7:00 to 10:00pm. (Community Center)

Two Garden Parties! (Weeding and Tidying) – Sunday, July 12 & Wednesday, July 15
Two Garden Parties! (Weeding and Tidying) – Sunday, July 12 & Wednesday, July 15

Wednesday, July 15th. CANCELED DUE TO THE SMOKE. We'll reschedule soon.

Come join for some community gardening hours with your neighbors! On Sunday at the Community Center, we will be weeding, cutting back, and mulching pathways. On Wednesday at the Field of Dreams, we will do some very light weeding of the new pollinator garden. Bring a picnic, if you'd like!

Sunday, July 12 from 8:00 to 10:00am. (Community Center Pollinator Paradise Garden)

Wednesday, July 15 from 6:00 to 8:00pm (Field of Dreams, new pollinator garden near the concession stand)

Lindy Hop Dance Party – July 24th
Lindy Hop Dance Party – July 24th

Tank will be hosting Lindy Hop dances on the 4th Fridays this summer!

From Tank:

First, I'd like to take a minute to celebrate the King of the Savoy, Shorty George Snowden!! Born on the 4th of July 122 years ago. 
The jazz move called the Shorty George is named after him and is one of my favorites! It is one of the moves featured in the Shim Sham at the end of the routine. Here is a how to video by Laura Glaess so you can practice your shorty georges for the 4th Friday dance! How to Shorty George
And here is the King himself dancing with Big Bea - iLindy tribute
You'll notice in that video that he and Bea are doing the Swing out which is also this month's focus-  
 
July Calendar is as follows:
7.2 Swing out direction and clarity
7.9 NO CLASS
7.16 Swing out and Swivels 6-7 PM $10
7.23 Swing out variations 6-7 PM $10
7.24 4th Friday Social Dance Party 7-10 PM $10
7.30 NO CLASS
 
Classes are at the New Paltz Community Center at 3 Veterans Drive, and no one is turned away due to lack of funds.
Tank would love to see you!
 
Friday, July 24th from 7:00 to 10:00pm. (Community Center)
Family of New Paltz, 50th Anniversary Celebration – Thursday, August 13th
Family of New Paltz, 50th Anniversary Celebration – Thursday, August 13th
Family of New Paltz will be celebrating with a community and free family event on Thursday August 13 from 4 to 7pm. We will have food, music and entertainment for members of our community. Please, help us spread the word. Attached is our flyer and some of our 2025 accomplishments. 
Thank you and please join us and celebrate with us! 
--
Family de New Paltz estará celebrando con un evento comunitario y familiar gratuito el jueves 13 de agosto de 4 a 7 pm. Tendremos comida, música y entretenimiento para los miembros de nuestra comunidad. Por favor, ayúdanos a correr la voz. Adjunto encontrarás nuestro volante y algunos de nuestros logros de 2025.  
¡Gracias y por favor únete y celebra con nosotros!
 
Here you will find the full flyer and more information on Family of New Paltz.
Aquí encontrará el folleto completo y más información sobre Family of New Paltz.
 
Thursday, August 13 from 4:00 to 7:00pm. (Dutch Reformed Church, Huguenot Street, New Paltz)
New pollinator garden at Field of Dreams!
New pollinator garden at Field of Dreams!

We just completed the installation of a new pollinator rock garden at the Field of Dreams!

A group of volunteers planted around 260 seedlings endemic to our specific area. Some of them host endangered pollinators that need one specific plant to survive. This garden will not make a big impact to pollinators on its own, but will serve as a visual demonstration of the plants, so people will be inspired to plant them in their own gardens. Framing the plants are four Eastern Redbud trees that were planted last fall with a grant from NYSERDA, thanks to Neil Bettez. See pictures of Installation Day here and here.

This garden is one of several garden projects in our region organized by The Understory, formerly Partners for Climate Action (PCA). These projects were funded by a Monsanto settlement with the New York State.

A huge thank you to our volunteers from the New Paltz Garden Club, Wild Ones Mid HudsonGardens for Nutrition, and Little Logan's Veganic and Biocyclic Farm. Also huge thank you to former supervisor Amanda Gotto, who helped launch this PCA grant project, and landscape designers Ashley Gammel and Marvin Warren. Special thanks to Angela Sisson of Wild Ones for her endless wisdom along the way.

 

From Ashley: 

The garden features 260 plants, custom grown for the project by Barkaboom Native Plants in Margaretville, NY, Tiny Meadow Farm in Danbury, CT, and Hudson Valley Seed Company, nearly every plant is from local ecotype seed. (They number 260 is rounded up a bit because we definitely stuck in a bunch of extra plants at the end there!)
 
The last document is perhaps the most useful. I think the plant palette with details still has the prickly pear cactus in it, but you can ignore that page! [Prickly pear was not planted for safety to humans.] The Viola pedata crop failed, but our growers are trying to propagate it again, and if they succeed we will plant it in the fall. We also still are waiting on the native honeysuckle delivery from our growers! (Straight species is hard to find!)
 
 

If you would like to help maintain the garden, please contact Joanna at recreation@townofnewpaltzny.gov.

"Everyday Oases," Melanie Gonzalez Photography Exhibition (Print Sale: Thursday, Sept. 3rd)
"Everyday Oases," Melanie Gonzalez Photography Exhibition (Print Sale: Thursday, Sept. 3rd)

Melanie Gonzalez:

"This collection is a deeply personal exploration of photography as a fine art medium with themes of New York State and architectural landscapes over a wide range of locations. My double exposures, created in-camera (Rock and Shadow/Piedra y Sombra series) are like a living archeology of urban decay, floral and pastoral glee, and experimentation with scale, color, analog processes and print outputs.

Local landscapes will take your viewership through New Paltz, Hyde Park, Wallkill, and various other places that make the Mid-Hudson Valley region a sparkling gem in the 11th state it resides in. Distinct tropical landscapes celebrate my exploration of Hispanic Caribbean heritage, mixed with photographic assignments in Brazil, Italy, Egypt, the West Coast, and beyond.

My 18 years as a practicing photographer has brought you this exhibition today, an exhibit that I hope sparks joy, pieces together inspirations, and reflects on shared history."

Join us for photographer Melanie Gonzalez's garden spruce-up community event and photography print sale on September 3rd. Thank you, Melanie, for adding so much beauty to our Center this summer!

Thursday, September 3rd from 3:00 to 7:00pm (Community Center).

Revolutionary New Paltz is here!
Revolutionary New Paltz is here!

You've been seeing the signs around town, the stickers and buttons in the library. It's a two-month showcase of New Paltz's rich history, culture, and people. Check out the listings, choose your events. Lots of them are at our Community Center. Thank you to all of the organizers! Fireworks on the 4th!

https://www.revolutionary-newpaltz.org

PAST – Summer Solstice Potluck and Garden Installation Events!
PAST – Summer Solstice Potluck and Garden Installation Events!

Installation Day was a wonderful community event! Some pictures! here, here, and here.

We had a lovely evening at the Summer Solstice Potluck and Talk. In attendance were representatives from the New Paltz Garden Club, Wild Ones, Gardens for Nutrition, and Little Logan's Veganic and Biocyclic Farm. Former supervisor Amanda Gotto, who helped launch this PCA grant project, and landscape designers Ashley Gammel and Marvin Warren were also present. 

In her talk, Gammel explained how the plants grown for this garden are endemic to our specific region. Some of them host endangered pollinators that need one specific plant to survive. This garden will not make a big impact to pollinators on its own, but will serve as a visual demonstration of the plants, so people will be inspired to plant them in their own gardens.

This garden, as well as other new PCA gardens in Ulster County, are paid for by a Monsanto settlement with New York State. 

 

• Summer Solstice Potluck and Talk at the Field of Dreams / Sunday, June 21st, 5-7pm

Celebrate the summer solstice and Father’s Day with an outdoor community potluck, and enjoy some education on the side! After enjoying great community food, and conversation, you can learn about the pollinator garden coming to this site from Ashley Gamell of PollinateHV, a project of Partners for Climate Action (PCA). The New Paltz garden is one of seven other public demonstration gardens coming to the Hudson Valley this season. Gamell will share plant highlights, pollinator insights, and design strategies from PollinateHV's work at the intersection of pollinator conservation and ecological landscape design. This free event is a collaboration between PollinateHV of Partners for Climate Action, the New Paltz Recreation Department, Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley and New Paltz Garden Club.

RSVP to Joanna at recreation@townofnewpaltzny.gov. Or register below.

 

• Community Volunteer Planting at the Field of Dreams / Thursday, June 25th,  5-7pm

Volunteer to help plant the new pollinator garden at New Paltz's Field of Dreams Park. Please bring a trowel or soil knife and garden gloves to planting day.

RSVP to Joanna at recreation@townofnewpaltzny.gov. Or register below.

PAST – Rebop Lindy Hop June Dance Party! – Friday, June 12th
PAST – Rebop Lindy Hop June Dance Party! – Friday, June 12th

Another great dance hosted by Tank! These dances have been drawing enthusiasts from around the region. Learn what it's all about at Tank's classes most Thursdays.

From Tank:

Lesson will be taught ELEF style (Everybody Leads Everybody Follows) and will feature a switch move. All levels encouraged. There is something for everyone. 

Dear Gays, reBOP-BOP-BOP right to the HOP LGBTQIA+ Welcome!

$10 NOTAFLOF (No one turned away for lack of funds.)

Thursday from 7:00 to 10:00pm (Community Center)

PAST – Future Stars Unity Cup – Saturday, June 6th!
PAST – Future Stars Unity Cup – Saturday, June 6th!
Small teams, quick games, kids get to choose what country they represent. Thank you to the wonderful Ulster County organizers! It's going to be tons of fun. Sign up those kids!
 
Three players to a team. When you sign your kids up, you can specify their team.
 

See full flyer here, and in Spanish here.