Swing dance demonstrations a highlight of Sunday’s event
To send off summer and welcome fall, Boscobel’s annual Big Band Concert and Sunset Picnic enjoys its 12th edition this year on Sunday, Sept. 16. Visitors are invited to bring blankets, chairs and a picnic supper and enjoy an old-style evening of swing music and dancing while the sun sets over the Hudson.
Back again this year will be swing dance demonstrations performed by instructors and students of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Wappingers Falls. The jumping, jiving and wailing is bound to become infectious.
Kids are more than welcome; in fact, Boscobel is offering free admission to all children 12 years and younger accompanied by a paid adult. Admission for adults is $16. Friends of Boscobel members receive a 10% discount; show identification at the door. Purchase these tickets online at Boscobel.org.
Big Band attendees can purchase a special combination ticket and tour the Boscobel mansion at a reduced rate: $26 per adult includes the Big Band concert and a guided tour. Again, children 12 and under can join adults on the tour for free that day.
One of the most popular jazz orchestras in the area, The Big Band Sound recreates the swinging jazz music of the big-band era, performing compositions that span a century of music, including classics made famous by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and more. This 20-piece band consists of six saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, guitar, bass, piano, drums and male and female vocalists. The group has been performing for over 30 years and has attracted thousands of visitors to Boscobel since its first performance in 2001.
Special Big Band/Tour combination tickets must be purchased in advance by phone only; call 845-265-3638. Guided tours are on the hour, starting at 10 a.m., with the last at 4 p.m. Tours are limited to 17 guests, so reserve well in advance. Gates open to picnickers at 5 p.m. and the concert kicks off at 6 p.m. Rain date is the following Sunday, Sept. 23, 6 to 8 p.m.; check the website on the day for updates. For more information, visit Boscobel.org or call 845-265-3638.
