Leisure and Special Interest
Try a new hobby or just learn something new with our wide range of special interest courses!
How to Register
- Register online by selecting "Add to Cart" on the desired course(s) and select "Cart" at the bottom of the page when you are ready to process your registration.
- The “Seats Left” information is updated every half hour and when you checkout.
- Other registration options are available.
NOTE: Individuals enrolling in on-campus classes must follow the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for students and should submit the COVID-19 Vaccination Documentation Form. Exemptions to these requirements may be requested based on either religious conviction or health reasons by submitting the appropriate Health Services form.
Courses
- Basic Winemaking
- Cannabis for Beginners
- Christmas Village Display Tips and Techniques
- Getting to Know More About the Soil in Your Garden
- Learn the Tarot
- Mushrooms, Mycelium and More
- Paranormal Research 101
- Simply Planting
- The Power of You Through Horse Partnered Coaching
- Wine Appreciation
Basic Winemaking
In this course, you will find out the differences in the different winemaking styles of white wine, red wine, rose, port, sherry, and sparkling. You will learn about sorting tables, crushing and destemming, masceration, cold soaks, Ripasso technique, saignée method, batonnage, barrel fermentation, sanitization, fortified wines, disgorging, racking, barrel aging, stainless steel wines, soleras, etc. These steps and methods will be described in depth and with very simple, easy to follow steps. Explaining wine styles and their techniques.
Course will be held in Williams Hall, Room 113
Carlo DeVito, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays, 10/22 - 10/29 9:00 am - 12:00 pm |
ZSPI-264 500 | 27 seats left | $59 |
Cannabis for Beginners
Learn the basics of cannabis. Understand how it affects us, how it's grown and how to enjoy it legally. With the new laws on the use and cultivation of this plant, it is important to understand what it entails.
Course will be held at The Planter, 109 Remsen St., Cohoes, NY
Yamaris Cancel of The Planter, Instructor
Directions: Take I-787 N via ramp to Cohoes. Continue on I-787 N to Remsen St.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 10/27 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm |
ZSPI-257 500 | 18 seats left | $35 |
Christmas Village Display Tips and Techniques
The objective of this class is to offer hands-on tips and tricks to bring your Christmas village to the next level. We will learn how to carve Styrofoam and make a simple waterfall in this class, along with all the behind-the-scenes work that makes a village beautiful.
Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B05
Mary Hoffmeister, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, 9/26 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZSPI-259 500 | 2 seats left | $19 |
Getting to Know More About the Soil in Your Garden
This two-hour course covers some of the basic aspects of soil science and will allow you to gain a better understanding of the soil in your home garden. Topics will include the importance of soil organic matter, classifying soil texture, essential plant nutrients, and the role played by soil pH. Hands-on activities will involve how to determine soil texture, measuring soil pH, and testing soil for key plant nutrients. Plan on bringing a sample of your own garden soil from home in a gallon-size zip top plastic bag. This class is taught by a Hudson Valley Community College faculty member.
Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06
Hunter Fonda, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 9/24 10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
ZSPI-262 500 | 6 seats left | $29 |
Learn the Tarot
The goal of this class is for you to learn how to use Tarot cards for yourself. Tarot offers ways for you to blend your inner and outer realities so you can live your life more creatively. We will look at metaphors, symbols, and archetypes to help you better understand the Tarot. Topics include the major and minor arcana, numbers and symbols, interpreting cards, reverse cards, creating questions, deck care and selection, multiple spreads, the Celtic cross, and more. We will utilize an interactive workshop format with short weekly “work” activities/readings to help you connect your cards and their meanings. Students must bring their deck of Rider-Waite cards to all classes.
Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06
Melody Kearney, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays, 10/15 - 11/19 9:00 am - 11:00 am |
ZSPI-121 500 | 2 seats left | $79 |
Mushrooms, Mycelium and More
Unravel the mystery and majesty of mushrooms! Discover the possibilities of a mycelium-based future! Learn how to find and identify fungi in the wild! If any of these exclamations interest you, then this is the course for you. Suggested reading: "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms." ISBN 978-0-394-51992-0
Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06
Class on 10/17 will be held at Collar City Mushrooms, Troy
Avery Stempel of Collar City Mushrooms, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, 9/26 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Monday, 10/3 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Monday, 10/17 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Monday, 10/24 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
ZSPI-260 500 | 1 seats left | $35 |
Paranormal Research 101
The purpose of this course is to provide some basic knowledge of the methods, equipment, and techniques successfully used to investigate paranormal activity with regards to those anomalies referred to as hauntings. Course includes a $25 materials fee. This course will focus on the following:
• Building a successful paranormal team
• Basic investigation equipment and how to use it to provide the best chances of capturing paranormal evidence
• Reviewing audio and video for evidence of paranormal activity
• Techniques for communicating with spirits
• Conducting a paranormal investigation
• After-investigation evidence review
This course will also touch on topics like the importance of spiritual protection in paranormal investigating; types of spirits and hauntings; psychic abilities; and working with clients. Course fee includes $25 materials fee.
Course will meet in the Administration Building, Room 103
Jack Kenna, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays, 9/13 - 10/11 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm |
ZSPI-218 500 | 0 seats left | $79 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Simply Planting
Learn how simple caring for your house plants can be. In this course you will learn how to pick plants from a nursery or a plant shop, then how to care for them. Through this them grow. You will have the opportunity to learn how to repot a plant, and then take it home and practice the techniques you learned in class. This course includes a $30 materials fee.
Course will be held at The Planter, 109 Remsen St., Cohoes, NY
Yamaris Cancel of The Planter, Instructor
Directions: Take I-787 N via ramp to Cohoes. Continue on I-787 N to Remsen St.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 10/20 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm |
ZSPI-258 500 | 22 seats left | $39 |
The Power of You Through Horse Partnered Coaching
The limit to success today is not lack of knowledge. Knowledge is great, but as humans we sometimes focus more on our fears and limiting beliefs than actually doing the things we should be doing. This is not just another team-building or leadership development workshop. This is an opportunity for high-performing individuals to receive instantaneous, non-judgmental feedback about their biggest challenges and design action plans. While working with horses, students will experience a thought-provoking adventure that helps them find out what energizes them; receive unbiased feedback about how they show up and how others receive it; get honest feedback about what stands in their way to achieving remarkable results; uncover what they’re tolerating; and identify next steps to reach their goals.
Class will be held at 148 Gansevoort Road, Gansevoort
Katie Navarra Bradley, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 10/13 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
ZSPI-261 500 | 9 seats left | $125 |
Wine Appreciation
In this course, we will cover the basics of wine appreciation. Identifying flavors. Acidity. Tannins. We will discuss white wines: Chardonnay; Sauvignon Blanc; and Riesling. Red wines: Cabernet Savignon, Pino Noir, and Merlot. There will be a section of ports and sherries. And on sparkling wines. There will be tasting and notes involved. The course will teach about how each wine is made, and where the best regions are for each type. Other styles and varietals will be explored as well. Differences between California, Europe, Southern Hemisphere, and East Coast will be discussed as well. Must be 21 years of age or older to register for this course.
Course will be held in Williams Hall, Room 113
Carlo DeVito, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursdays, 10/20 - 10/27 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZSPI-263 500 | 16 seats left | $69 |
Course Categories
Additional Resources
Some courses require that students are prepared with information beyond that in the course description - including how to access online courses, parking, CEU details and more.
Here you will find forms for all of our courses and programs, including kids on campus, related to registration, consent and release, scholarship requests and more.
Cancellation and refund policies vary depending on the type and length of course. Find out about course cancellations, requesting a refund and more.
Get in Touch
Community and Professional Education
Fax: (518) 629-8103
Regular Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(excluding college holidays and vacations)