Weekend Fun with Westchester Kids: Parades, Maple Sugaring, Planetarium Reopens and More, March 8-9

3/6/14 - By Jill Muller

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead this weekend. Daylight Savings begins on Sunday and that means "longer days" to get out and enjoy all the festivities Westchester has to offer. This weekend also kicks off the St. Patrick’s Day Parade season. Enjoy parades in White Plains and Mount Kisco plus the Northern Westchester Putnam Parade in Mahopac.

It’s also sugaring season, when the warming daytime temperatures stimulate the sap to flow and there are several sugaring events to choose from this weekend. Head to Sugarfest at Westmoreland Sanctuary where you can enjoy the Nannyhagen Creek Band during a pancake breakfast. Or stop by for an informal sugarhouse chat at the Trailside Nature Museum. Muscoot Farm is also joining in on the sugaring fun, Teatown’s naturalists share facts and folklore about this sweet time of year and the Greenburgh Nature Center hosts a Maple Sugaring Party.

This weekend is also the grand opening of the Hudson River Museum’s new state of the art, digital Planetarium. Read on for our top weekend picks. If you see something that piques your interest, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond. Also be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter to get the latest on news and events in Westchester delivered right to your inbox.

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ALL WEEKEND

Sugarfest – Mount Kisco
Celebrate the sugaring season and explore the harvesting and processing techniques used by the Native Americans and early colonists through present day at Westmoreland Sanctuary. Enjoy a pancake breakfast and learn how to tap a tree. Enjoy the Nannyhagen Creek Band on Saturday. $12 adults, $6 children ages 4-10, FREE for children ages 3 and under.

Planetarium Opening – Yonkers
See a million stars in the Hudson River Museum’s new state of the art, digital Planetarium. Choose from three different shows on Saturdays and Sundays. $4 adult, $2 children ages 3-18, $3 seniors/students.

SATURDAY

Sugarhouse Chat – Cross River
Stop by the sugarhouse for an informal chat with the Trailside Nature Museum staff as they turn sap into maple syrup. FREE.

17th Annual White Plains St. Patrick’s Day Parade – White Plains
Starts at noon on Mamaroneck Avenue and Livingston, heads west on Mamaroneck Avenue towards Main Street and ends at City Hall. FREE.

24th Annual Mount Kisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Mount Kisco
Starts at 1:30pm on Main Street and Moore Avenue and ends at South Moger Avenue and Green Street. FREE.

SUNDAY

Sugaring on the Farm – Katonah
Join the Muscoot Farm family for maple sugaring fun. Head to the sugar shed to learn how sap turns into syrup. FREE.

Sugaring Sundays – Ossining
From tapping to collecting, boiling to bottling, Teatown’s naturalists will be in Warren’s sugarhouse sharing facts and folklore about this sweet time of year. $5.

38th Annual Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Mahopac
This is the third largest parade in New York State and takes place on Route 6 in Mahopac starting at 2pm. FREE.

Maple Sugaring Party – Scarsdale
Greenburgh Nature Center is hosting a Maple Sugaring Party to highlight the end of winter and the peak of the maple sugaring season. Sap collecting, candy and porridge making, and crafts. $12.

BEYOND WESTCHESTER

Head to Hebron, CT for their annual Maple Festival. Self-tours, demonstrations and a variety of maple products at four different sugar houses throughout the town. See the “Farmer’s Cow,” maple cotton candy being made, tour fire apparatus, historic church tours, antique tractor parade, face painting and an ice cream eating contest for the kids!

The Irish Arts Center in Manhattan opens its doors this Sunday and welcomes everyone to explore and engage in a free day of Irish arts and culture. Learn to play the tin whistle, speak Irish with their talented instructors, build an interactive map of Ireland and enjoy a cup of tea.

Don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more fun happening throughout Westchester!