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  • 💗 High Flyers Over Westchester + Mess Fest Mayhem This Weekend

💗 High Flyers Over Westchester + Mess Fest Mayhem This Weekend

Plus... great free Friday events, weekend sleuthing and peach picking to the sound of steel drums

Author

Wes+Bec Willetts
August 01, 2025 ‱ Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

Hi Friends!

 

How is it August already? Although we love fall, we’re not quite ready for it, so the only way forward is to fill this month up with memories as much as possible! We’re going to try our best to help you do that.

 

A couple of pieces of Westchester news
 Firstly, did you know that Tarrytown plays home to one of the best bars in the country? Well, we already knew we loved it for the food, so we are very happy that Horsefeathers has just also been named as one of the top bars to visit in the country by USA Today! There’s a lot to love about the Tarrytown staple from the food to the service and the staff, and it’s only made better by the atmosphere and setting - it’s totally steeped in local history! Halloween decorations will go up at the end of this month if you want to wait for even more atmosphere, and lines get crazy in October, so time it right! You may have to queue but, in our experience, it’s totally worth it!

 

Secondly, Rye Town Park and Beach has earned a spot in the top 25 beaches in New York State. Ranking number 24, we may be biased since this is our everyday go to, but it’s obvious to us why. The park is beautiful and always has thoughtful and often moving installations. We love the poetry path, the butterfly garden, the duck pond and the turtles! The beach is well maintained and there’s always something going on to bring people together like music, beach volleyball, cold plunges, or beach cleans. Then you have the boardwalk down to Playland and Tiki. The perfect area to get your steps in and see some incredible sunrises and sunsets!

 

Sticking in Rye, we have some sad news unfortunately. Delicias Arellano, a popular restaurant and deli on Midland Avenue suffered a devastating fire this week and is turning to the community to help get their family business back on its feet. If interested, you will see their GoFundMe shared on our Instagram page. Our best wishes go out to the family at this difficult time. We can see already that the Westchester community is rallying around them, and that’s what we love about this wonderful county.

 

Have a wonderful weekend! Hopefully doing something fun from what you’re about to read!

 

Wes+Bec

 

 

In today’s edition


  • Soundtrack your summer with dozens of concerts and get the blanket out for more outdoor movies

  • Farm fun, four ways: Pick peaches, party Caribbean-style, watch aerialists in awe or dance the night away 80s style

  • Crack a mystery on a self-guided whodunit trail, make new friends that aren’t just your kids’ friends’ parents or enjoy dinner while the little ones roast marshmallows

This edition is brought to you by QueenBHive and Fallscapers.

 

Let’s go!

💓 The Pulse

Loving Westchester’s Featured Events!

Sat., Aug 2 | Outhouse Orchards, North Salem | Gates 4.30p | Tickets $21.58 & Kids under 2 enter for FREE

 

Step right up for a spectacular double billing at the orchard! Enjoy two thrilling 45-minute circus shows featuring aerialists, contortionists, and hula hoopers, with a 15-minute intermission for a slice and some cider. Follow this up with live music from The M-80s, plus hayrides, bounce houses, The Big Dig, and all the usual farm shenanigans!

 

💩 Mess Fest

Sat., Aug 2 | Kiwi Country Day Camp, Carmel (Putnam County) | 11a-3p | Tickets $45 (ages 2+). Family ticket bundles start at $170.

 

Drive a little further north and prepare to return messy and happy for the 12th Annual Muddy Puddles “Mess Fest”. Hosted by the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation, this high-energy family event supports childhood cancer research and has a deeply moving backstory that will leave you wanting to tap into your inner child and let your kids just be kids — at least for the day. Expect carnival-style fun with splatter paint, food fights, bounce houses, paddle boats, slime time, water balloons, and much more. Kids can also meet Peppa Pig and tackle the “Slopstacle” course — all for a great cause.

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📆 What’s Happening?

 

Kid-friendly Fun!

Fri., Aug 1 | Mount Vernon Memorial Field, Mount Vernon | 7p | Tickets from $16

 

Westchester SC return home to take on 2nd place Chattanooga Friday night when a win could push them into the top ten in USL1 standings. Come down and support your locals!

 

Sat., Aug 2 | Harrison Meadows Country Club | 5.30-9p | Tickets $44.43 (For kids aged 3-11)

 

Parents can enjoy an escape or relax at The Meadows Social Kitchen & Bar while their kiddos are looked after by Harrison Meadows Country Club’s Kid Zone team for a night of campfire fun, crafts and sweet treats. You can actually finish that conversation you started two weeks ago knowing your little ones are extracting everything beige from the buffet dinner and topping their night off with a toasted s’mores high.

 

🍭 Sweetness Takes Over Tarrytown

Sat., Aug 2 | Main Street Sweets, 35 Main St., Tarrytown | 2-8pm with live music from 6-9p

 

Celebrate 25 Years of Sweetness with Main Street Sweets’ all-day celebration featuring live music, a chance to win prizes like sundaes and merch through golden tickets and scratch-offs, and free cotton candy (from 3 to 6p). Guests can enjoy special throwback pricing on favorites like cones, cups, milkshakes, floats, and more throughout the day.

 

Sat., Aug 2 & Sun., Aug 3 | Harvest Moon Orchard, North Salem | Click the link above for peach picking times & tickets | Caribbean Night tickets $18, under 5 free

 

‘Tis the season for picking your own juicy peaches! You can do so throughout this weekend by reserving your tickets and picking time via the farm’s site in the link above.

 

If you’re going picking on Sunday, turn it into an all-day affair with music, food and fun for all ages at their Caribbean Night from 5–9p. Enjoy live steel drum music by Caribbean Vibes, a DJ, dancers, delicious Caribbean food trucks, ice cream, and face painting. The farm will be serving up its own hard cider, local craft beer, and specialty cocktails and mocktails.

 

Sun., Aug 3 | Matthiessen Park, Irvington | 11a-1p | Adult tickets $20, Children $17, click the above link for ticket waitlist

 

NewFriends Social Club has reimagined a picnic at the park, bringing in sitters to hang out with the little ones while the adults get to socialize and actually have a chance to talk with one another. Initial tickets are sold out, click the link above for waitlist.

 

đŸ˜Č Don’t overlook these great family-friendly events!

 

Free Outdoor Movie Nights:

  • Mamma Mia! | Fri., Aug 1 | Pugsley Park, Peekskill | 8p

  • A League of Their Own | Fri., Aug 1 | Schultze Park, Yonkers | Starts at dusk

  • The Sandlot | Fri., Aug 1 | Old Croton Aqueduct Keeper’s House (east lawn), Dobbs Ferry | 8.30p

  • Encanto | Sat., Aug 2 | Saxon Woods Park, White Plains | 8.15p

Bonus Fun:

  • Playland Park Fireworks | Fri., Aug 1 | Playland Park, Rye | 9p | FREE

  • Summer Saturdays: Clay and Creation | Sat., Aug 2 | Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow | Available times from 10.30a to 3p | Tickets: $13-18

  • Sand Art Competition & Family Fun Day | Sat., Aug 2 | Glen Island Beach, New Rochelle | 11a-4p | FREE

  • Indian Heritage Festival | Sun., Aug 3 | Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla | 12p-6p | FREE

 

Grown Ups & Date Nights

Image of Omar Edwards from the Hudson River Museum

Fri., Aug 1 | Hudson River Museum, Yonkers | 8p | FREE

 

Internationally renowned tap dancer and griot Omar Edwards leads his band, the New York Gypsies, in a Friday night show overlooking the Hudson River on the museum’s amphitheater stage. This event is free!

 

Fri., Aug 1 | The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester | Doors 6.30p, Show 8p | Tickets: $29.50 - $69.50

 

Fresh off their first “Group of the Year” nomination from the Academy of County Music, Flatland Cavalry rolls through Port Chester and take their “easy on the ears, heavy on the heart” sound to the Cap. Show details in the link above.

 

🔎 There’s Been A Murder


Sat., Aug 2 & Sun., Aug 3 | Bronxville & New Rochelle | Bronxville slots: 4p-11p; New Rochelle slots: 5p-10.30p | Tickets can be purchased in each town’s link above

 

Puzzle-masters Questo take their murder mystery games to the streets of Bronxville and New Rochelle. Participants will sleuth their way around the respective towns, guided by the Questo app, picking up clues along the way to solve a town-specific murder. Games take around 90 minutes to complete. Check out each town’s link above for more details.

 

Live Music Scene

 Friday, August 1

  • Concert Series at Ridge Hill: Jake’s Rock and Country Band | Town Square, Yonkers | 6-8p | FREE

  • Russell De Luca | Bedford Playhouse, Bedford | 6.30p | FREE

  • Yonkers Waterfront Live: The Hot Toddies | Waterfront Amphitheater, Yonkers | 6.30-8p | FREE

  • Judy Torres | Tiki Beach Pier Restaurant, Rye | 7p

  • Kristina Marinova: Grateful Dead Piano Works | Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown | 7p | Tickets $36-46

  • The Garifuna Collective | Caramoor, Katonah | 7.30p | Adult tickets from $43

  • New Rochelle Summer Sounds: FDR Drive Band | Hudson Park, New Rochelle | 7.30p | FREE

  • Summer Live Music: Smoky O | Barley Beach House, Rye | 7-9p | FREE

  • Isabella Rose & Friends | Goodhouse, Mount Kisco | 7-10p | FREE

Saturday, August 2

  • Armonk Summer Music Series: The Mighty Spectrum | Wampus Brook Park, Armonk | 6-8p | FREE

  • 1-4-5’s | The Boathouse, Ossining | 7-9p

  • FDR Drive Band | Tiki Beach Pier Restaurant, Rye | 7-11p

  • Claire Bourg & Jinhee Park | Caramoor, Katonah | 5p | Tickets $45

  • Downtown Summer Sizzle: Sam Morrow | Ruby Dee Park, New Rochelle | 6.30-9p | FREE

  • Leftover Salmon & Keller Williams Grateful Grass | The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester | Doors 6.30p / Show 8p | Tickets $35.00-79.50

  • KJ Denhert | Westchester Collaborative Theater, Ossining | 7.30-9.30p | Tickets $30

Sunday, August 3

  • Sunday Brunch with Ron Drotos | Jazz on Main, Mount Kisco | 12p | No cover, $25 food & drink minimum per person

  • Sounds of the Caribbean | Tiki Beach Pier Restaurant, Rye | 1-5p

  • Orchestra of St. Luke’s & Garrick Ohlsson | Caramoor, Katonah | 4p | Adult tickets from $69

  • Sabha Motallebi and Reza Mohsenipour | Untermyer Gardens Amphitheater, Yonkers | 5p | Tickets: $35

  • Rye Town Summer Concerts: The Russ Davis Band | Crawford Park, Rye | 3-5p | FREE

🚗 Worth a Drive

We’re spoiled for choice in Westchester, but here are our top picks if you find yourself outside county lines this week


Images from Storm King Art Center

Fri., Aug 1 | Storm King Art Center, New Windsor (Orange County) | 10a-8p | FREE

 

Take the drive up north and explore Storm King’s 500 acres for the museum’s final Free First Friday of the summer. Friday’s activities include two showings (12p & 4p) of Estuary Tales: The Life & Times of the Hudson River, a large-scale puppetry experience for the little ones. Check the link for more details.

 

Sat., Aug 2 | Four Brothers Drive-In, Amenia (Dutchess County) | Gates 4p, First Movie 8.30p | Tickets $75 per person

 

Special guest star Liam Neeson will be on-hand at Four Brothers Drive-In to introduce his new film, The Naked Gun, starting at 8.30p followed by The Fantastic Four: First Steps at 10.15p. Gift bags will be given out to attendees. Click the dancing Drebin below for more details.

Thanks to our partner, Fallscapers!

 

Let Fallscapers transform your doorstep into an autumn wonderland!

We know
 summer is just starting and the last thing on your mind is setting up pumpkins to glow up your porch this fall. All the more reason to allow Fallscapers to start thinking about it for you! Fallscapers is offering limited availability for the autumn 2025 season and taking early interest now, no commitment necessary.

 

 

🏡 Where the Heart Is


Incredible homes are listed in Westchester every week. Here’s one that caught our eye


 

Listed by Houlihan Lawrence, Inc.

 

Your sanctuary awaits! 128 Beaver Dam Road is a gorgeous 3,200 square foot, 4 bedroom / 4 bathroom Colonial farmhouse sitting on four landscaped acres in Katonah. Surrounded by parks, rivers, farms and horse trails, you’ll have immediate access to all the amenities Mother Nature has to offer
 with a bluestone terraced heated pool, spa and chef’s kitchen waiting for you when you get home.

 

You won’t be sacrificing convenience with the added privacy, either. The home is less than ten minutes away from the Bedford Hills and Katonah train stations, seconds from 684 and Saw Mill, and a short drive from Caramoor, the Katonah Museum of Art and
 King Kone (couldn’t leave out the most important selling point in our eyes!).

Thanks for reading Loving Westchester!

 

We’re really enjoying putting this together twice a week and hope you enjoy reading it. Like we said earlier, we love to hear from you! You can reach us at [email protected].

 

Check us out on Instagram for additional highlights outside of our normal Tuesday & Friday e-mails and, as always, please send this along to a friend who’s always asking, “what’s going on this weekend?”

 

Until next time,