See Something Live and Lively This Weekend

There are several live and interesting events going on this weekend in our region. You can pick from theater or music or a combination of both. If you are thinking “live” in a different sense, there are two nice garden walks you can take.

· Take in a little of the immortal bard this weekend with two of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, set on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Hudson River. The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival will present a performance of “Macbeth” tonight at 7.30 p.m. and “As You Like It” tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Performances are at Boscobel at 1601 Route 9D in Garrison. You can come early and bring a picnic. For ticket information, visit the festival’s webpage.

· If not a performance of the bard, why not a performance at Bard? Bard College is presenting “Mx. Bond’s House of Whimsy” at 8:30 p.m. tonight in the Fisher Center, Spiegeltent. Welcome to the House of Whimsy—an alluring, edgy, and irreverent evening of divas and deviants from the downtown performance scene—selected and introduced by Mx. Justin Vivian Bond. Established Spiegeltent favorites mingle with talented newcomers in a program of variety acts that will ravish, provoke, and astound. For more information, call 845-758-7900, email fishercenter@bard.edu, or visit the Fisher Center’s website.

· How about some cool jazz on a warm summer night, or on two warm summer nights? The NyackJazz Week, an annual celebration of jazz and blues in Nyack and neighboring towns, is concluding this weekend. Tonight, Mr. GONE will be performing at the Hudson House in Nyack at 8 and 10 p.m. The group features Eddie Henderson, Peter Furlan, Neal Alexander, Ratzo Harris, and Richie Morales. Tickets are $30, $25, or $20. Tomorrow, closing night, guitarist Vic Juris and Friends will be performing at the Turning Point Café in Piermont at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 or $15. Check here for more information and to buy tickets.

· If politics has you in need of some laughs, you are in luck. New York's top political comedians return to Purpl to try to make sense of this crazy political season. Purpl favorite Scott Blakeman, who was recently the resident comedian on MSNBC's live coverage of the White House Correspondents Dinner, returns to host the show with a great lineup of comedians including Nancy Giles (CBS Sunday Morning) and David Feldman. Laughing Liberally, New York's longest running political comedy show, presents the best progressive political comedians, with the goal of saving democracy one laugh at a time. Purpl is at 52 Main Street in Hastings-on-Hudson. For further information, click here.

· How about a county Fair or two? The Orange County Fair is running until tomorrow at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Carpenter Avenue in Middletown. It features rides, a midway, thrill shows, music, gigantic petting zoo, and antique fire trucks. Admission is $8. For more information, call 845-343-4826. The Putnam County 4-H Fair is also running until tomorrow at Veterans Memorial Park on Gipsy Trail Road. This fair features music, animal exhibits, games, educational displays, a plant sale, and more. The chicken barbecue dinner is today from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the fair is free. More information is here.

· How about a walking medicinal tour? Muscoot Farm in Somers is holding “Plant Medicine,” from noon to 2 p.m. You can learn about which garden plants can help cure what ails you. The farm is on Route 100. Call 914-864-7282. Pre-registration is required.

· Take a tour of the Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers tomorrow a 11 a.m. Learn the interesting history of this 100-year-old estate and its ongoing restoration. You can visit the beautiful walled Persian Garden, admire amazing views of the Hudson River from the Vista steps, and cool off near the Temple of Love with its newly restored waterfalls. This week's tour has a strong emphasis on plants. The tour costs $10 per person, but kids 12 and under are free. No reservations are required. Meet behind the Community Center and wear sturdy closed toe shoes. The Untermyer Gardens are at 945 North Broadway in Yonkers.