Around the Neighborhood - Esperance - 13 March 2026

Above photo: Photo caption: Photo provided by Landis Arboretum Board of Trustees Vice President, Wilma Jozwiak; Drum Circles Return to Landis Arboretum! “Join us from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.”

Welcome to all your Esperance updates conveniently in one place!

Registered Yoga Teacher, Venus Louise, teaches yoga classes at the Esperance Elks Lodge. Monday is Chair Yoga at 5:30 PM and Intro to Power Yoga starts at 6:30 PM. Classes are free by donation, no pre-registration required; walk-ins welcome! Lots more event updates to come from Venus Louise, who you can follow on Facebook and you can call or text for more information at 518-764-9460.

Mayor Royce Gage supplied TextMyGov number 91896; you can text “Esperance” to that number to be added to the notification list for Village updates.

Gage added, “Dog walkers, please  pick up after your pets; please don't leave it for someone else to pick up. And nice weather is here for now, please watch out for pedestrians walking in our Village and extra caution for kids at our Village playground.” 

Keep in mind there is no Main Street parking permitted until April and the annual Village-wide Garage Sale Day will be May 16th.

At 115 Church Street,  Village Hall rental is available (donations are appreciated; call the Village Office at 518-875-9044 for more information), the Esperance Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry Friday Dinner will be available March 13th and March 20th from 5 PM until sold out ($15 per dinner; cash, check, or Venmo accepted for hand-battered fish fry dinner served with mac and cheese, coleslaw, dinner roll & dessert), and monthly Village meetings are every second Monday of the month at 7 PM (next falls on April 13). There is also a Budget Hearing planned for Saturday April 4th at 9 AM.

Regular Town Board meetings are every third Thursday of the month at Town Hall (104 Charleston Street); March meeting is on the 19th at 7 PM.

You will see some familiar faces from Town Board meetings at The Central Bridge Farmer’s Market every Wednesday July-October, 4 - 7 PM at The Ball Park (649 NYS Route 30A, Central Bridge). Esperance & Schoharie Town Assessor Erin Smith runs Will-A-Way Farm, Town Board Member Barbara Sharpe is from Sharpe’s Sweets, and Town Board Supervisor Earl Van Wormer III will be representing Van-Dale Farms. If you’re interested in vending during this Farmer’s Market’s 2nd year, reach out to Van Wormer at 518-852-0270.

Van Wormer and Smith will also be involved in the 30th year of The Festival Farmers Market at The Gathering Place (127 Kenyon Road, Cobleskill); special sale offering potted plants & seed starts from Parsons Vegetable Farm will be May 21st, 3 - 5 PM, then their regular season starts the second Saturday in July (7/11).

“The sun is shining,” and S&H Bicycle Store wants to remind you, “It's time to start thinking about getting your bikes out and getting into the shop to get them serviced.” Head on over to 3595 Highway 20, Sloansville, Tuesdays and Thursdays 5 PM - 9 PM and Saturdays 10 AM - 3 PM where they’re, “Offering tune-ups repairs and service on any bicycle and E-bicycle. Regardless of the year, make or model. Also several parts and accessories on hand in the shop. Along with a great selection of new and used bikes, to fit your budget and your skill levels. Don’t forget about our kick off event on MAY 9th.”  The May 9th Spring Kick Off Sale and Swap Meet will run on May 9th from 9 AM - 3 PM and the May 16th 3rd Annual Valley Ride for Valarie will start at 9 AM at the Timothy Murphy Pavilion on Rt 30 in Middleburgh.

Drum Circles Return to Landis Arboretum! “Join us from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on the first and third Tuesdays of the month (June 2nd and 16th, July 7th and 21st, August 4th and 18th, and September 1st and 15th). We’ll be in or near the Peace Pavilion at Landis to drum with leader Art Teale. Art is a dedicated musician (his group is Mixtape Revival) and a well-respected handyman in the area who welcomes seasoned drummers and newbies for a fun and relaxing experience. Drum Circles are free to everyone; donations to support the maintenance and upkeep of the Ashanti Vun Peace Garden and Pavilion are greatly appreciated. Please bring: a drum (or a plastic bucket that makes a nice sound when struck), or rhythm sticks or other rhythm instrument, a chair or if you prefer; a lawn blanket to sit on, water (stay hydrated, people!), bug stuff to repel both mosquitos and ticks.” Visit Landis at 174 Lape Road, and go to their website to register for additional upcoming events during their 75th year including March 14- Setting Up a Bluebird Nesting Box at the Greenhouse, March 21 & April 18- Star Party, April 18- Houseplant Swap, April 24- American Chestnut: History, Blight, Recovery, April 25- 2026 Annual Spring Hawk Watch & Hawk Identification Workshop, May 1- 2026 Woodcock Search and Sneak-up, May 6- Organics in the Circular Economy: How They Affect Our Carbon Footprint, & May 8- Pinkster Azalea: A story of a unique plant, local history, the Dutch community, and slavery. “Landis is open dawn to dusk 365 a year to you (and your well-behaved leashed dog; please scoop and remove any poops). No motorized vehicles allowed on the property beyond parking lots.” Workshop pricing: “Arboretum members: individual $5, family $15; nonmembers: individual $15, family $25.” 

Cute & Wicked Candles is excited to share that they will be relocating from 163 Main Street to 152 Main Street in Esperance. “This move allows us to continue growing while creating a cozy, welcoming space for you to explore our handcrafted candles, ritual items, and magical creations. We’re currently taking a small pause to relocate, rebrand, and prepare for our reopening on April 2nd. During this time, we’ll also be refreshing the shop with a few beautiful new touches that we’re excited to share with you.” Beginning April 2nd, their business hours will be Thursday – Saturday 11 AM – 5 PM. “We are incredibly grateful for the love and support you’ve shown our little shop. Every candle, conversation, and visit means so much to us. We can’t wait to welcome you into our new space very soon.” Follow them on Facebook (Cute & Wicked Candles and More) for sneak peeks while they prepare the shop for opening day.

Biscuitwood Farm is offering their Annual Seedling Overstock for 2026 through their website (biscuitwoodfarm.square.site), order now from their varieties of seedlings including tomatoes, hardy greens, lettuce, herb, artichoke, hot pepper, sweet and frying pepper, groundcherry and tomatillo, cucumber, summer squash, winter squash and pumpkin, eggplant, brassica, allium, bulb fennel, okra, and flowers from limited availability for late-may pick-up! Follow Biscuitwood Farm on Facebook for updates about this year’s willow harvest and upcoming small project weaving classes for kids and adults to come soon!

Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church offers confidential assistance from their food pantry; You can call or text 518-248-2185 to utilize that resource or reach out via phone or email (pastoralisyn@gmail.com) to schedule a food pantry donation drop-off at 175 Main Street.

Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church upcoming events:

“Worship – Sunday, March 15th at 11:00 AM - Join us for our fourth Sunday in Lent as we continue our sermon series, "Tell Me Something Good."

Faith Adventure Club – Sunday, March 15th at 10:45 AM - FAC meets in the Education Building for age-appropriate faith formation and fun for kids in grades K–8. 

Mosaic Youth Group – March 22nd, 4:00-6:00 PM - This Sunday, March 8th, we’ll gather at CUMC for a dinner, a time of conversation, and games! All youth in grades 5-12 are welcome to join. Stay connected! Follow us on Facebook for updates on Youth Group and dates and locations.

Maundy Thursday Dinner and Worship Service - Join us at ESUMC for a Maundy Thursday grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup dinner and worship service led by some of our young people. Dinner starts at 6 PM, with worship beginning at 7 PM.”

Esperance Historical Society Memberships are $9.00 per year and $5.00 per year for Sr. Citizens; small business patron $25.  Anyone looking to support this organization can send a check made out to the Esperance Historical Society to 123 Church St., Esperance, NY 12066. “Our annual Esperance Historical Society meeting will be April 12th at Two Saps Sap House 303 Cripplebush Road off Route 30A between Sloansville and Central Bridge. The membership business meeting starts at 1:30 with a presentation on the American Flags of the Revolutionary War by Vic DiSanto starting at 2:00 the general public is invited and free pancakes with maple syrup, eggs and sausage will be served. Reservations are not required but appreciated by emailing kjones8@nycap.rr.com. Seating is limited and please dress warmly. The Esperance Historical Society is planning to work with several local groups this year. They include the Arboretum on their 75th Anniversary, the Elks Lodge on their 30th Haunted House, the Fire Department on Christmas in Esperance not to mention our usual summer “What is it?” exhibits in various towns. We usually have a display at the Altamont Fair as well. We have several summer programs booked for the museum including some special themed ones to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S.  as well as the 100th Anniversary of the Great Western Turnpike being designated as U.S. Route 20.”

March 21st, the Esperance Elks Lodge #2507 Installation of Officers ceremony will start at 2 PM at 111 Main Street, “ER-elect David Devall and his officers invites you to attend this public ceremony to install the 2026-2027 fraternal year officers.” Your community involvement and membership support is important to the Esperance Elks Lodge. New members are typically invited by existing members, but if you don’t have a connection to someone at the Elks Lodge, there’s a membership inquiry form available through their website (elks2507.org). You can also call the Lodge at (518) 875-6200 or email join@elks2507.org. The Esperance Elks #2507 Facebook page is regularly updated, follow them at facebook.com/elks2507. 

I’d love to include your Esperance business & organization updates including events, classes, special offers, and seasonal hours, as well as resident birthday, achievement, holiday, and celebration messages. Email them to me at bookclubhbhs@yahoo.com.