It's OK to hate V Day. You can still enjoy this woman-owned cannab*s chocolate.

Hi Friends,

Valentine’s Day is Saturday and I’m sorry, there’s no escaping it. We can however make it work for us.

Sure sure sure. It’s “made up,” capitalist, and flagrantly try-hard. But you know what? So was the Halftime Show and we ate that mofongo up!

This past Sunday’s sermon from St. Benito the Bad told us it is so: “The only thing stronger than hate is love.” Love is more enduring, more satisfying, and more compelling. When your friend is leading an impromptu salsa lesson on the living room rug and planning a block party the phones get put down and the dunking on Kid Rock can wait.

Bad Bunny took something intensely, explicitly capitalist and jujitsu-flipped that sucker into the stratosphere of pleasure activism. In being irresistibly drawn to party together, it’s not that we’re ignoring the bad stuff through escapism. We’re consciously, loudly, joyfully moving towards what we want. Leave the rest behind.

Let that help you get what you need from this weekend. Share an irresistible flavor, spend time in the spaces that love you back, move towards and amplify what you love. Leave the rest.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples. Bad Bunny isn’t just for Puerto Ricans. And radical queer socialist vegan chocolates aren’t just for radical queer socialist vegans who love chocolate.

It’s also for stoners!

Lagusta’s Luscious in New Paltz makes some of the most delicious and creative chocolate confections to be found anywhere. The iconic furious vulva is a year-round treat, but they really knock it out of the park for V Day with the anatomically accurate hearts and hollow skulls filled with bonbons.

If you want something unique for your sweetie but chocolate body parts aren’t quite it (and let’s be honest, they’re sold out) consider Lagusta’s line of equally delectable THC and CBD infused confections: Soft Power and Softer Power. The active ingredients are sourced directly from local farmer Amy Hepworth of Hepworth (aka Hempworth) Farms.

Special for this month is the High, I Love You tin of sparkly mica-dusted chocolate hearts made of ethically sourced 65% cocoa and 10 mg of THC per serving.

Venture into their iconic flavor combos with the Raspberry Rainbow Caramel mini bars (evoking the raspberry-almond flavor of rainbow cookies) or softly explore their CBD collection, which includes flavors like Support, blending blueberries and cassis with Ashanti peppercorns and wild foraged mushroom tincture.

Is it expensive? Yes. But chocolate isn’t a necessity. A living wage and ethical supply chain are. That’s actually what you’re spending your money on.

Find chocolates including Softer Power at Lagusta’s Luscious in New Paltz, and check out Big Gas down the street for Soft Power selection.

There’s so much going on this weekend I’m not going to slow you down by being cute:

Thursday

Mixed Signals at Jar’d Wine Pub in New Paltz

Friday

Tango Lessons at Full Circle in Gardiner

House Plant Cafe at Sunshine Colony in Livingston Manor

Love Hurts all request dance party at Night Swim in Kingston

Saturday

Lover’s Market at Golden Hour Grocery Store in Kingston

Deadline to Change Your Party Enrollment if you want to vote in this year’s primaries!

Valentines Sexy Beef House Pajama Party at Van Smokey in Callicoon

Rye Lovers Meetup at Tuthilltown in Gardiner

Flowers at Face Stockholm in Hudson

Sunday

Secret Skewers and Book Swap at C Cassis

Plate it Forward Brunch Pop Up at San Mul in Fleichmanns

Monday

First Annual Bake Sale benefitting the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network at Rosie General in Kingston

Special Mention

Uncle Nat’s Super Secret Catskill Pop Up has specials for February! Uncle Nat is a gender affirming, fat glorifying, trauma and disability informed provider of truly luxurious spa services. If the treatment didn’t make you feel good enough, you’re supporting a business that has provided over $700,000 of mutual aid! Get a deal on sugaring, lasering, massages and facials provided by one of the best and kindest in the business.

PS21 hosts THE DARK, its inaugural midwinter festival and I am not gonna sit here and pretend I know who half these acts are. But believe me that Ben Lamar Gay will get me to drive 90 minutes north to Columbia county on a Wednesday night. I need to know who from International Anthem moved to Hudson because there’s no other reason for the Chicago avant garde jazz label’s acts to play up there so often.

Cheers,
Amy