Join us for a fun and interactive, all-ages workshop with artist Leopold Grannis!

In this hands-on session, you'll create your very own miniature figure using found materials—and take it home at the end of the day. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned maker, you'll learn creative techniques from an expert in a relaxed, welcoming environment. All materials provided!

Join professional cleaner Raena Baldwin for a thoughtful workshop on navigating the unique challenges of helping elders maintain a clean and comfortable home.

Whether you're supporting aging parents, relatives, or neighbors, this session will offer practical strategies for decluttering, cleaning, and organizing elder spaces in a way that respects autonomy, preserves dignity, and fosters connection. Learn how to assess needs, have productive conversations, and create systems that actually stick.

Raena brings years of experience working hands-on with families to make homes more functional and peaceful. Her approach blends compassion, structure, and deep respect for the people she serves.

Free to attend. All are welcome—especially adult children, caregivers, and community members supporting elder loved ones.

Curious about sourdough but not sure where to start? Join us for a hands-on introduction to sourdough with Chef Tepper, founder and head chef of Circles. Tepper will guide you through the fundamentals of sourdough—from building and maintaining a starter to understanding fermentation. You’ll leave with the knowledge to begin baking at home.

Circles began as a roving sourdough pizza and bagel pop-up out of Lil' Deb’s Oasis in Hudson, NY, known for food that’s surprising, thoughtful, and spicy. Today, Circles Bagels operates a popular counter at 502 Union St., open Friday through Monday.

No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity and an appetite for learning.

Presented in partnership with the Clean Energy Hub

Ready to take control of your energy use and lower your utility bills? Join us for Watt’s in Your Hands?, a free, hands-on workshop designed to help Hudson residents make the switch to cleaner, safer, and more affordable energy solutions.

We’ll break down practical steps you can take to reduce energy waste, improve home efficiency, and access programs that support a greener lifestyle. Plus, every participant will receive a free home energy kit to help you start saving right away.

Come with your questions, leave with tools in hand—and real steps toward a cleaner future.

50 spots available! FREE and open to all!

Join Grace Pullin—Spark’s own special events coordinator — for a hands-on workshop in the art of cheese board building. This interactive class blends culinary creativity with local food education as Grace shares tips on crafting beautiful, balanced boards while teaching about Hudson Valley dairy, sustainable farming practices, and the nutritional value of local cheeses.

Whether you’re prepping for a party or just love cheese, you’ll walk away with practical skills, a deeper appreciation for regional producers, and of course CHEESE!

Free to attend. All materials provided. Spots are limited—register now!

Between diapers, snacks, and the never-ending game of "where did that go?", keeping your home in order during the early years of parenting can feel impossible. But it doesn’t have to be. In this practical and compassionate workshop, organizer and systems expert Raena Baldwin returns to The Spark to share realistic, judgment-free strategies for creating routines that actually work when you have little ones at home.

Whether you're in the thick of newborn nights or navigating the unpredictable energy of toddler days, you'll leave with:

• Tools for setting up a manageable home rhythm

• Ideas for simplifying daily tasks (even when you're sleep-deprived)

• Tips for organizing your space and your time

• A sense of encouragement that you’re not alone in the chaos

This workshop is for any caregiver looking to feel more grounded, supported, and in control—whatever that means in your current season.

About the Facilitator:
Raena Baldwin is the founder of Fresh Start, a personal organizing company that specializes in helping individuals and families reclaim their spaces and routines with care. While her company offers traditional cleaning services, Raena’s true passion lies in creating home systems that support her clients’ lives. From redesigning rooms to implementing chore routines, her work is tailored, holistic, and deeply rooted in empathy. She believes that every home—and every family—deserves support that meets them where they are.

Join Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, for a conversation about updating 'The Talk', and why it isn't, and should never be, just one talk, but ongoing communication: how to educate your children on what sex, love, and intimacy really look like and are really all about. In this engaging session designed for parents, Cindy will share a short presentation followed by an open, interactive discussion on how to ensure that you equip your children with the best possible start on how to navigate dating, relationships, consent, pleasure, and connection in the real world—not the porn world.

This event is a judgment-free space to ask questions, share ideas, and get real about sex. It's for parents of children of all ages - Cindy recommends beginning conversations as early as possible, and will provide simple, easy ways to do that.

Cindy Gallop is a well-known entrepreneur, speaker, and social activist who has spent her career challenging cultural norms around sex, gender, and power. In 2009, she launched MakeLoveNotPorn, a platform designed to provide honest, real-life stories about sex and intimacy—offering a healthy alternative to the often distorted perspectives of mainstream pornography.

Join us for a book talk and interactive storytelling and writing workshop with anthropologist Anand Pandian, author of Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down.

Pandian began working on this book in response to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Disturbed by the rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and the growing political polarization, he set out to understand what was fueling these divisions—and how people might begin to bridge them. Over several years, he traveled across the country, engaging with Americans from many walks of life, including police officers, urban planners, activists, truck drivers, and community organizers.

Through these encounters, Pandian explored how the physical and cultural structures of everyday life—homes designed for privacy, vehicles built like armor, media bubbles, and even our own ideas about safety and identity—can reinforce separation and suspicion. Something Between Us examines these “everyday walls” and how they shape our ability to connect with others, especially those whose lives or beliefs differ from our own.

At the same time, the book is grounded in hope. It highlights the small but powerful ways people are pushing back against division—through mutual aid, community-building, and acts of deep empathy. Pandian invites readers to imagine new ways of living in relation to one another, based on care, curiosity, and solidarity.

Participants will learn about the book then engage in a storytelling and writing workshop led by Pandian designed to explore personal experiences of difference, connection, and civic life. This workshop will invite attendees to reflect together on their own positions in relation to others—both familiar and unfamiliar—and to consider storytelling as a means of social and political connection. No prior writing experience is required. All materials will be provided.

Presented in partnership with Spotty Dog Books & Ale. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Free and open to all.

Join us for a hands-on introduction to gravestone preservation, rooted in the rich history of Hudson’s own Cedar Park Cemetery. We’ll explore the stories behind local figures while learning why gravestones matter -- not just as memorials, but as cultural artifacts, genealogical treasures, and works of art. You’ll also gain practical tips for cleaning and caring for headstones with respect and care. Perfect for history lovers, cemetery wanderers, and anyone interested in preserving memory.

Join photographer Chad Weckler for a hands-on photo safari through the streets of Hudson. This walking workshop is perfect for beginners and seasoned photographers alike who want to sharpen their eye and deepen their understanding of visual storytelling.

The session begins at The Spark Building, then we’ll head out to explore the rich textures, lighting, shapes, and patterns of Hudson’s vibrant streetscape.

What you’ll explore:

• Lighting and natural contrast

• Compositional framing and cropping

• Shapes, patterns, and color dynamics

Bring your camera or simply your cell phone—whatever you use to capture the world around you.

This is a great opportunity to walk, observe, and create alongside one of Hudson’s most experienced photographers.

Free to attend. All skill levels welcome.

Chad Weckler's exhibition Portraits of Hudson will be on view at The Spark Building through August 1st, 2025. 

Suzanne Snider (Founder/Director, Oral History Summer School 2012–) is a writer, documentarian, and educator who founded, in 2012, Oral History Summer School—which now runs year-round—in upstate New York with the companion audio archive, the Community Library of Voice and Sound (directed by Emma Brown). She consults with institutions and project teams including the National Public Housing Museum, MoMA, Center for Reproductive Rights and the Sing Sing Prison Museum. She has taught at Columbia University (OHMA), Bard’s Center for Curatorial Studies and she is a Part-Time Associate Professor at the New School. Prior to her work with adult learners, she taught in the New York City public school system (pre-K through 6th), and developed arts curriculum for visually impaired students at the New York Institute for Special Education.

Free light bites and coffee by CIRCLES