Stepping Out

Tulips on display at Hofstra

Annual Dutch Festival celebrates spring this weekend

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Seasonal Delights

Dutch Festival
Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of spring, during one of the area’s favorite traditions: Hofstra University’s annual Dutch Festival. As always, enjoy music and dance, authentic Dutch cuisine, along with crafts, and children’s activities, while you revel in the thousands of colorful tulips on display. Also shop in the Dutch marketplace and at the annual plant sale. Hofstra marks the festival’s 30th anniversary this year by launching a new tradition of honoring other cultures in the community. Joining the many entertainers are Ranchos Juventude e Sonhos de Portugal, a dance ensemble representing Portugal, and the Nartanrang Dance Academy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Institute of Indian Culture).
Sunday, May 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $7, $5 seniors, children under 12 free. Hofstra University, South Campus, Hempstead. (516) 463-6582 or www.hofstra.edu/Festivals.

Nature Walk

Explore Muttontown Preserve during a Woodland Wildflowers Walk and see displays of glorious spring color throughout the fields and trails. See early spring flowers such as Snowdrops and Lesser Celandine and aromatic plants like Garlic Mustard and Spice Bush.
Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m.-noon. $5. Enrollment is limited and registration is required. Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, Muttontown Lane, East Norwich. (516) 571-8500.

In Concert

Queen of the Toy Piano
Beautiful music is not child’s play to pianist Margaret Leng Tan, who performs at Hofstra this weekend using toys – a piano, cymbals, a bicycle bell, music boxes, and a jack-in-the box. The avant-garde visionary musician will present works by John Cage and a selection of composers from around the world. Some of the pieces Tan plans to perform will have her moving between a full-size concert piano and the toy in this unique concert.
Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m. $10, $8 seniors, students free. Hofstra University’s Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library, South Campus, Hempstead. (516) 463-6644.