It's Father's Day Next Weekend
Get your plan together.
There’s this moment in your career as a parent where it dawns on you that if you don’t take the time to plan ahead for special days—birthdays, holidays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day—there’s a lot at stake.
No one is immune. Even the Type B parent who could care less about Pinterest-perfect gifts or party decor, still has to plan ahead to make sure their kid, partner or parent feels special on their special day.
It’s all kin-keeping work; the “invisible labor, dedicated to family bonding and magic-making” that keeps families going. And it’s incredibly important work.
If you can’t tell, I take this job very seriously. When I became a mom 8 years ago, I quickly learned that I needed to be better about planning ahead. Not just for the weekends, but for all the special days in between. Magic and memories don't just happen; it takes forethought, empathy, and the ability to pivot and be flexible if life throws you a curveball. (I’m still working on the latter.)
Father’s Day is next weekend, and while we still don’t have any concrete plans, we have a loose one, which works for us. One of my favorite parenting influencers @KelseWhatElse put a name to this planning method. She calls it the “Celebration Formula.”
“We let each other know the vibe of the day we want, with some vague answers to the following questions: What do you want to do? What do you want to eat? What do you want to receive?”
The key is to really listen to your partner. Try your best to hear them, and don't project what you like onto them. It’s a teachable moment for your kids, too, as it shows them the art of “fully putting the recipient first” when it comes to gift-giving or planning a special day for someone you love.
I’m not going to divulge our plans for the big day, but we are 100% sticking with this formula.
For today’s Ask An Expert post, I thought I’d give you all a grab bag of things you might consider doing next weekend with your partner, dad, or special father figure in your life. If there are events or other local ideas families should consider, just email me or comment below and I’ll update it!
JUMP TO: See some live music | See some art | Go on a day trip | Touch a truck | Go to a carnival | Go on a bike ride | Go on a picnic | Hang at a farmer’s market | Be in nature | Go to brunch | Eat something sweet
xo,
K
Plan to… see some live music
It’s a big weekend for music-loving dads. Check out these options:
SATURDAY (11:00 AM-9:00 PM) — 🎶 RiverArts Music Tour (All the rivertowns)
There are 300+ musicians playing at 27 venues today throughout the Rivertowns today. Click on the website for the full lineup taking place in backyards, businesses, waterfront parks, and village centers across all the rivertowns, like Hastings on Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, and Tarrytown. Pick one and make a day of it. »
SATURDAY (12:00 PM-10:00 PM) — 🎼 Hudson River Music Festival (Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson)
This lineup looks nuts. For kids, you've got Feel Trip Yoga, Rock and Roll Playhouse presents Bob Dylan & Pete Seeger for kids, puppet shows, and so much more. This event promises to be "a joyful, all-ages gathering that unites music, community, and environmental action." Tix $89 and free for kids U12 with a paying adult. If dad loves music festivals, go. »
SATURDAY (7:00 PM-10:00 PM) — 🍕 Outhouse Orchards Summer Nights (Outhouse Orchards, North Salem)
This is a new one from Outhouse, which is the orchard across the street from Hardscrabble. It's a gorgeous setting. On select evenings throughout the summer, they'll have live music, pizza, burgers, and craft beers. Occasionally they'll bring in kid stuff like a bounce house or a sandbox. Tonight they’ll have music from local band New Moon Recruit. Tix $5. »
FRIDAY and SATURDAY (5:00 PM-9:00 PM) — 🍻 Cider Nights 2025 (Hardscrabble Cider, North Salem)
You can enjoy some hand-crafted cider, have some wood-fired pizza and listen to live music as the kids run around the field and say hello to the chickens & goats. »
SUNDAY (11:00 AM-12:00 PM) — ☀️ Summer Sundays: Ramblin' Dan - first one! (Scotts Corners, Pound Ridge)
Summer Sundays brings neighbors together once a month between June and September. Today, Ramblin' Dan's Freewheelin' Band will be playing everything from rock n' roll to hip hop, folk and bluegrass. Free! »
SUNDAY (12:00 PM-6:00 PM) — 🍻 Father's Day Block Party (Captain Lawrence Barrel House, Mt Kisco)
Food specials, live music, and lawn games all day to celebrate dad. This beer garden came highly recommended by The Plan readers. »
SUNDAY (2:00 PM-6:00 PM) — 🎤 Celebrating Juneteenth: The Legendary Ingramettes (Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Katonah)
A Juneteenth celebration "honoring African American freedom, heritage, and resilience" featuring The Legendary Ingramettes, one of gospel music’s most revered groups. Activities start at 2:00PM, performance starts at 4:00PM. In Friends Field, and completely free! Bring a picnic. »
Plan to… learn some history or see some art
SATURDAY — 🙌 CT Open House Day (All over Connecticut)
Free admission all day long to so many museums, art centers and other interesting places in Connecticut that are perfect for kids. Places like: the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Keeler Museum in Ridgefield, and Stepping Stones in Norwalk. Check out the list and make a plan. »
ALL WEEKEND (10:00 AM-4:00 PM) — 🦋 Amazing Butterflies Exhibit (Grace Farms, CT)
Interactive maze and traveling exhibit created by The Natural History Museum in London. Free, and on display through September 21. Grab a delicious lunch in the cafe and walk the nature path. »
Plan to… go on a day trip
You’ll find so many great itineraries for lovely spots within an hour(ish) drive in this roundup from January.
Plan to… touch a truck
SATURDAY (10:00 AM-1:00 PM) — 🚚 Truck Day (Bedford Free Library)
The perfect Father's Day activity for dads and their truck-obsessed kiddos. »
SUNDAY (12:00PM-3:00 PM) — 🚜 Big Equipment Day (Muscoot Farm, Katonah)
Great for Dads & their kids who love this stuff. They'll be able to see tractors, mowers, and other equipment up close. Free! »
Below the paywall paid supporters can find my full, curated list of fun things to do to celebrate Dad this weekend. A membership unlocks the entire archive and gives you subscriber access to The Plan calendar so you can make a last-minute (or months-ahead) plan in seconds. It’s just $50 for the entire year, which is about $4/month. The calendar alone is worth it; trust me.