Things To Do In Kingston

After working for 24 years at what he calls a "real" job, Bob DiTommaso left the office environment to pursue his passion: photography. It wasn't an easy switch—his career move required long hours and lots of hard work—but Bob says he wouldn't change a thing. The effort paid off in the end, when he opened his own studio, Robert DiTommaso Photography.

Bob works mainly in family and children's photography, but his interests run the gamut from portraits to landscape and sports photography. Regardless of subject, the seasoned shutterbug brings a keen eye for capturing the ineffable in each and every shoot. And he prints his images in-house on a wide-format professional ink-jet printer.

When he's not taking great photos, Bob is teaching others to do so during photography workshops that take place in-studio or on-location. He even leads photography safaris, multi-day trips that trek through national parks and other breathtaking locales in search of the perfect shot of Bigfoot buying deodorant.

At the seven Motorcycle Safety School locations throughout the state, founder Diane Howells leads DMV-certified instructors to teach motorcyclists how to become safe, defensive sharers of the road. Since its establishment in 1999, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has offered programs suited to every level of rider, from complete beginners, who might start out in an Intro to Motorcycle class, to seasoned road warriors, who might take a refresher course on Defensive Driving. The school's commitment to safety has earned it coverage from such media outlets as the New York Times and the New York Daily News.

Touted as a top music festival by Rolling Stone magazine, Mountain Jam packs more than 50 bands on four stages and 15,000 music spectators in a lush, natural amphitheater nestled in the Catskill Mountains. The ear-pleasing lineup for the 7th-annual festival boasts headliners My Morning Jacket, Southern-rock jam band Gov't Mule, and the eclectic sounds of Michael Franti & Spearhead. While this Groupon is not valid for camping or lodging costs, out-of-towners can camp or sleep in the great indoors in a dizzying array of nearby hotels, lodges, and ski chalets. The health-conscious festival, partially produced by guitar legend Warren Haynes, distracts unruly mouths from asking fellow concert-goers uncomfortable personal questions with a jellybean jar of organic and vegan eats.

Rhinebeck Tennis Club's team of certified USPTA professionals shepherds aspiring racket wielders through a three-hour beginner clinic, lobbing expert guidance and instruction. During elucidative sessions, one of these seasoned tennis gurus will lay the groundwork with the fundamentals and rules, teaching the basic techniques of serving, scoring, and constructing a doctoral-level thesis when presenting your argument against a line judge's call. Rhinebeck hopes to help you make the transition from whishing the racket through air molecules to effectively using it to deflect solid objects, such as tennis balls and fondue-dipped bressane thrown by the sport's notoriously rowdy spectators, so that you'll be ready to host your own matches.

The Belleayre Music Festival is an annual festival in the Catskills Mountains of Upstate New York. Its mission is to present, promote and support cultural programs that will encourage the use of Belleayre Mountain as a vital resource for our Catskill region.

The hit Nickelodeon children’s program Yo Gabba Gabba! bounds from the small screen to the big stage in a show filled with cartoonish critters and boundless dancing. Beloved by hip preschoolers and savvy postschoolers for its eye-popping sets, catchy songs, respect for intellect, and absence of Shrek, Yo Gabba Gabba! teaches inner and outer children valuable life lessons without stooping to condescension. For the special It’s Time to Dance! tour, favorite adorable toy monsters such as Brobee, Foofa, Plex, and Biz Markie join human surrogates DJ Lance Rock and BeDazzler queen Leslie Hall for an onstage celebration of imagination. Mixing animation, games, and new songs with classic bits from the television show, the Technicolor mise en scène and infectious energy of Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! gives children enough confidence to apply to college after elementary school.