Following our fantastic chat in our last episode about supporting small, local businesses, this week we are talking to David Leifer from David Leifer Photography. We chatted about skinny posing, the importance of lighting, and the ineffability of photography as an art. Jenny and David get technical about file formats and we have a philosophical conversation about whether cameras enhance or distract from our experience of the moment. Shout-outs to past guests Bentley Potter and our favorite baker Anrika Martin.

Thanks for listening! To help support the Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at ⁠valleygirlspodcast.com⁠, at ⁠instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY⁠, at ⁠YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast⁠, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join ⁠our new Facebook Group ⁠so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at ⁠robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky⁠.

The Valley Girls are getting warmed up for Small Business Saturday and exploring all the ways and reasons to support local businesses during the holiday season (and all year long). Join the Valley Girls as we chat with Jess Davis, VP of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce; Danielle Centofanti-Davidson, President of the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce and owner of Main Street Business Strategies (and Valley Girls’ very own Westchester correspondent!); Nicole Andrick, founder and owner of Catskills Candle Studio, and Candace Rivera, owner of The Book & Nook.

While Danielle is busy being a guest on our panel this week, Rebecca is bringing us details about some spectacular entertainment in the Capital Region that you do not want to miss! Click here for tickets!

Thanks for listening! To help support the Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at valleygirlspodcast.com, at instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY, at YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join our new Facebook Group so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky.

Valley Girl Jenny visited ⁠The Thomas Cole National Historic Site⁠ in Catskill, joined by special guest co-host ⁠Brett Barry⁠ of ⁠Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast⁠ and ⁠Silver Hollow Audio⁠, and production intern Olivia Sippel, for our very first episode recorded on location! They talked to - and walked the site with - Executive Director ⁠Betsy Jacks⁠.

The ⁠⁠Thomas Cole National Historic Site⁠⁠ covers more than 6 acres in ⁠⁠Catskill, NY⁠⁠, with stunning views, meticulously preserved or restored buildings, interactive exhibits, and of course iconic paintings from the ⁠⁠Hudson River School⁠⁠. Betsy gave us in-depth access on what might just have been the most perfect autumn day the Hudson Valley has ever seen. To experience more of the site and the art, check out our video on YouTube, as well as ⁠thomascole.org⁠ and ⁠explorethomascole.org⁠.

Also check out Brett's ⁠very first episode of Kaatscast from January 7, 2020⁠⁠, where he chatted with Betsy as part of his audio driving tour of the Northern Catskills’ Mountain Cloves Scenic Byway.

Thanks for listening! To help support the Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at ⁠valleygirlspodcast.com⁠, at ⁠instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY⁠, at ⁠YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast⁠, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join our new Facebook Group so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at ⁠robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky⁠.

Jen’s favorite day of the year is here… It’s Halloween! In this extra special episode, Jen talks with Brian J. Cano, paranormal researcher and ambassador for the Haunted History Trail of New York State, about ghostly and ghoulish happenings up and down the Hudson.

Our Valley Girl correspondents are scaring up some spooky fun for us. Rebecca regales us with a tale of a Cohoes showgirl for whom the show must go on… though she’s been dead for 76 years, and Danielle gives us the insider’s perspective on how to navigate the biggest night of the year in Sleepy Hollow, the Halloween capital of New York. For more information on Danielle's restaurant recs, go to:

Lombardos, Dobbs Ferry: www.orderlombardospizza.com/,

The Parlor, Dobbs Ferry: www.theparlordf.com,

Club Car Grille, Irvington: https://clubcargrille.com/.

And you are in for a real treat as this episode features special theme music perfectly fit for this episode. We have the pleasure and honor of spotlighting a song by local Hudson Valley musician Jonathan Joel, entitled “Sinister”. Jen also sat down with Jonathan and chatted about his music, including the song you’ll hear in this episode. Watch the interview on the Valley Girls Podcast YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGJ5AuvYIc&t=6s and find Jonathan’s music on Instagram at @jonathanjoelmusic and on YouTube www.youtube.com/@jonathanjoelmusic. And here’s a link to watch Jonathan perform “Sinister” ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwds82XD0xw

Thanks for listening! To help support The Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at valleygirlspodcast.com, at instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY, at YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join our new Facebook Group so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

In this episode, Jen chats with David Strout, proprietor of Catch Me When You Can in Saugerties, about antiquing, floral arranging, art, and curating a home you love. Find David at www.catchmewhenyoucan.com and on Instagram @Catchmewyc for more info and for some BEAUTIFUL pictures of his collection!

Our Valley Girls’ correspondents, Rebecca and Danielle, are getting us into the spirit for Spooky Season with happenings in the Capital Region and Westchester. Danielle dares you to outrun the Headless Horseman at the Sleepy Hollow 10k, and Rebecca might not be the only ghoul you’ll meet at a haunted cemetery near Troy.

This episode is sponsored by The Book & Nook, Warwick’s only independent bookstore. Check out our interview with the owner, Candace Rivera, on our Literary Hudson Valley YouTube channel.

Speaking of bookstores, are you signed up for our newsletter? This episode’s edition has our recommendations for spooky season reading. You can sign up for our newsletter to receive bonus content after each episode and join our new Facebook group so you can be part of the Hudson Valley conversation at www.valleygirlspodcast.com/valley-girls-pod-squad. We will never sell your email address or spam you!

Help support Valley Girls Podcast by nominating us for an award for “Best New Podcast of 2024” at www.discoverpods.com/2024-podcast-awards/ or through the link at the top of our homepage valleygirlspodcast.com. Be sure to choose the category "Best New Podcast of 2024" from the drop down menu. Thank you so much for your support!!

You can also help support the Valley Girls by following our podcast from our show page and leaving a rating and review. And please spread the word and share our podcast with others! We really appreciate it!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at valleygirlspodcast.com, at instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY, at YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast, as well as the newsletter and Facebook group. All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky.

In this episode, we chat with Lara Hope and Jesse Scherer about the O+ Festival, coming up October 11-13 in Kingston, where their mission is to exchange the art of medicine for the medicine of art. Hear all about the origin story of O+ (which also sounds like the beginning of a joke), their unique model to provide healthcare for all, and their incredible initiative to expand services beyond the festival with a year-round clinic. Find out more, get involved, and get details about the festival at www.opositivefestival.org. They can also be found on Instagram and Facebook.

Our Westchester Valley Girl, Danielle, gives us the lowdown on block party season in the Rivertowns on our 411 of Westchester segment. Check out the Sleepy Hollow Street Fair and the Ferry Festa in Dobbs Ferry, both on Saturday, October 5th, and the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce Halloween Block Party on Friday, October 18th in Irvington.

Our Capital District Valley Girl, Rebecca, will make your mouth water describing the stick-to-your-ribs and other authentic New York deli fare from Gershon’s Deli & Catering in Schenectady.

Thanks for listening! To help support The Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support!

To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at valleygirlspodcast.com, at instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY, at YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join our new Facebook Group so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio.

Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky.