Things to Do in Jefferson Valley-Yorktown

Sip the nectar of life while learning how to accurately discern the difference between nutty life and oaky life with today’s delicately fermented deal. For $95, you get one admission to any 2010 premium VIP all-inclusive tour from Long Island Wine Country. Your Groupon is good until year's end and gets you access to whichever event you would like to attend, although a $50 surcharge will apply to the August 14th Summer Never Ends tour with the Lobster Bake dinner. Wine may contain trace amounts of alcohol and other things unsuitable for minors (grapes), so tour-goers must be at least 21 years of age.

Little Shop of Crafts occupies hands and kindles artistic spirits with a wealth of do-it-yourself pottery and plaster painting as well as mosaic projects supplemented by a multitude of paints and supplies. Crafters choose from more than 700 pieces of pristine paintables and 40 paints, gleaning helpful instruction from staff members about tools, layering methods, and fooling archeologists. Studio time is free, so budding artists may stay for any length of time needed to complete their projects without incurring an extra cost. Ceramic bisque ($19.95+) comes in the form of mugs, cereal bowls, and cookie jars, each professionally finished in a food-safe glaze and kiln fired free of charge. Hundreds of plaster figurines ($15.95+) await adornment by talented hands, after which staff members cover each flame-flanked racecar or NFL-themed unicorn in a long-lasting sealant. Alternatively, mosaic kits ($21.95+) swathe picture frames and other keepsakes in a kaleidoscope of colorful tiles, and customizable teddy bears and T-shirts show off the softer side of artistry. Groupon holders also receive 10% off private parties, and more mature imagineers can stimulate creativity with complimentary wine Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evenings, depending on location.

Statue Cruises enthralls sightseers of all types with spectacular views of New York's skyline and Ellis Island during decadent sunset cocktail cruises. Aboard the luxurious yacht, tour-goers spy on city life from a distance while washing down the harbor's historical eye candy with complimentary snacks. Cruisers can hop aboard the New York–style gondola in Liberty Landing or Battery Park, and she'll set out to sea, graciously aiding passengers' aquatic appearances with two hours of fresh summer breezes and flirtatious compliments from loggerhead turtles. To finalize reservations before the Internet goes out of business, patrons must book their excursions before July 31, 2011.

Make Meaning brims with skilled staff members who unleash floods of creativity with an arsenal of crafting supplies, earning kudos from New York magazine. The store’s membership program, the Smile High Club, allows members to waive all sitting fees (ordinarily $12/session) and pay only for any materials used while fashioning glass, paper, candles, soap, jewelry, or ceramics into festive masterpieces. Explore Make Meaning’s nearly 6,000-square-foot wonderland, composing a symphony of color and scent on a customizable candle or constructing stunning muse-lures from a cornucopia of jewelry materials.

Besides having the chance to sample the finest specialty coffees and teas from all over the world, you'll also get to partake in seminars that are just as eye-opening as anything you happen to imbibe. Tea specialist Yoon Hee Kim will take you on a world tour of teas in "From Garden to Cup: Tea 101". Marcela Zuchovicki, owner of Jalima Coffee, will lead an interactive discussion of the art of cupping and tasting coffee, while Chef Melody McGinley Whitelaw teaches you how to use both breeds of brew to prepare the decadent desserts in "Think Outside the Cup: Creating Coffee- and Tea-Infused Desserts". During the festival, you can also engage in chocolate tastings and Korean tea ceremonies, and learn how to both brew and find the best coffee in New York.

Hudson River Community Sailing is a unique combination of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and sailing club. The proceeds from adult lessons and memberships go toward funding scholarship-based programs for at-risk urban youth. Each year, their Sail Academy,—an after-school academic program built on experiential, student-first lessons—immerses these students in the world of sailing and boat building. In addition to unlocking the secrets of boating, these sessions teach students the functional fundamentals of math, science, and self-esteem, earning them credit towards graduation along the way. The club's other youth work include the First Mates program—which preps students for college and career through a deep dedication to boating, racing, and navigation—and the City Sail summer program, which groups students into a small crew for a week of character-building exercises aboard a working 24' boat.

Hosting frequent fundraising events, such as the Dark and Stormy benefit, helps the team introduce as many new mariners as possible to the singular pleasure of sailing the Hudson. Their sailors also enjoy the perks of the club's location, drinking in awe-inspiring views of the Manhattan skyline that the Beatles saw just as they landed their moon module on Ellis Island.