If there’s one thing we adore around here, it’s a great excuse to get together. What follows is just a sampling; there are craft fairs, Fourth of July celebrations, music, food truck convocations and all sorts of things going on all over the place. Here are some highlights—grab your sunscreen, lace up your comfy footwear, and get ready for some truly spectacular fun.
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Kingston nonprofit Harambee (The Coming Together of People) will host its 7th annual JUNETEENTH: CELEBRATING FREEDOM gathering along with the opening and dedication of the new African Cultural Center on Saturday, June 15, with a procession, music, performance art, children’s activities, and vendors.
KINGSTON, JUNE 15
harambeekingstonny.org
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THE HUDSON VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE VOICE brings world-class opera performers upstate to let their hair down and sing their hearts out. This year’s highlights will include star-studded galas (the 15th Anniversary celebration will be hosted by the world-renowned Opera Cowgirls); a powerhouse a capella performance from Lady Parts; and performances of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Puccini’s Messa Di Gloria.
NEW PALTZ, JUNE 28-30
hudsonvalleyvoicefest.org
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THE SAWYER MOTORS 2024 CAR SHOW, a.k.a. The Best Little Car Show in the Northeast, will take over the village of Saugerties for its 20th celebration, closing Main and Partition Streets to welcome hundreds of gleaming classic autos, with live bands on every corner. Shops and restaurants will be wide open for business, 50 trophies will be handed out, and kids of all ages will be having a blast.
SAUGERTIES, JULY 7
sawyermotorscarshow.com
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The second annual BORSCHT BELT FESTIVAL will be a rollicking, heartfelt celebration of a cultural phenomenon that ruled the Catskills for a good part of the 20th century and radiated out into mainstream culture in countless ways, birthing modern standup comedy, launching dozens of stars. The street fair, exhibits, musical performances, and movie screenings are free; tickets to the comedy shows and lectures help fund the Borscht Belt Museum that’s been created in a grand historic building.
ELLENVILLE, JULY 27-28
borschtbeltfest.org
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At DUTCHESS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, you’ll find the region’s largest county fair happening in August, packed with rides, games, exhibits, live performances at the grandstand, and fabulous fair food. The fairgrounds also host major antiques, crafts, and livestock celebrations—check their calendar for details.
RHINEBECK, COUNTY FAIR AUGUST 20-25
dutchessfair.com
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THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL AND PARADE will rock the Kingston waterfront with an 11 am parade followed by an afternoon full of music, spoken word, food and crafts, children’s activities, and an Elder Village. It’s presented by Harambee, whose events help to support a summer youth drop-in program, community garden, the Pine Street African Burial ground and Museum, and more.
KINGSTON, AUGUST 24
harambeekingstonny.org
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THE WOODSTOCK-NEW PALTZ ART AND CRAFTS FAIR, produced by Quail Hollow Events, takes over the Ulster County Fairgrounds each Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend with a massive, juried extravaganza of dozens of makers and their wares; you’ll find amazing items in wood, metal, leather, ceramic, mixed media, and more. Watch loads of demonstrations, enjoy regional live music performances, sample fine local food and beverage, and let the kids enjoy their own demonstrations and experimentations at the supervised Children’s Center.
NEW PALTZ, AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 2
quailhollow.com
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HUDSON VALLEY WINE AND FOOD FEST is one of the state’s premier showcases for New York wineries & gourmet specialty foods. This will be the 23rd annual fest; over the years, they’ve expanded the concept to include craft breweries, distilleries, cideries, and more, along with a tasty Gourmet Food Truck Corral. Demonstrations from celebrity chefs and mixologists will be happening throughout the fest. At the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.
RHINEBECK, SEPTEMBER 7-8
hudsonvalleywinefest.com
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ACCORD SPEEDWAY is the beloved local home of weekly Friday night dirt track racing, with a warm family atmosphere and a tasty concession stand. They’re going to be hosting some special celebrations this summer; check out accordspeedway.com for details
ACCORD, ALL SUMMER LONG
accordspeedway.com
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BETHEL WOODS CENTER FOR THE ARTS, on the site of the Woodstock festival, is a nonprofit that makes excellent use of the superb natural amphitheater and its gorgeous setting, celebrating both the site’s storied past and the best of today’s music and art. This summer’s concert lineup is packed with big names playing everything from country to hard rock; a lineup of camping options let you lay your head just steps from the action. Don’t miss the award-winning, multimedia exhibit museum.
BETHEL, ALL SUMMER LONG
bethelwoodscenter.org
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COLONY WOODSTOCK is a splendidly hospitable music venue with a packed schedule of doings in the ballroom and the beer garden all season. June bookings include Brown Eyed Women, an all-female Grateful Dead tribute band; The Silos and David Gans, and harpist Mikaela Davis with Rich Ruth, weaving together melodic 60s-style pop, psychedelia and driving folk rock. The calendar will fill out as summer goes on; every Monday evening, you can come enjoy (and join in!) the Colony’s justifiably famous open mic night.
WOODSTOCK, ALL SUMMER LONG
colonywoodstock.com
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At the SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF AR at SUNY New Paltz, they’ll be showing “Global Connections: Miguel Covarrubias, Isami Doi, Aaron Douglas, and Winold Reiss,” tracing the complicated channels of influence and inspiration within the multiculturalism of American art before the Second World War, through July 21, and “Mis/Communication: Language and Power in Contemporary Art,” highlighting video, sculpture, drawing, and interactive media artworks by fifteen contemporary artists exploring the power of language, through the rest of the summer.ed with big names playing everything from country to hard rock; a lineup of camping options let you lay your head just steps from the action. Don’t miss the award-winning, multimedia exhibit museum.
NEW PALTZ, ALL SUMMER LONG
newpaltz.edu/museum
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MAVERICK CONCERTS presents a rich season of weekend concerts, featuring classical, jazz, contemporary, folk and world music at their historic, timber-framed concert hall. This year’s Chamber Music Festival, the latest in a world-renowned series with a history stretching back over a century, is “TRANSFORMATIONS: Celebrating East Asian-American creators and the Music of France.” There’s a beloved free program for all ages, Maverick Family Saturdays; new this year, the Phoenicia Diner will be providing eats at the concession stand.0s-style pop, psychedelia and driving folk rock. The calendar will fill out as summer goes on; every Monday evening, you can come enjoy (and join in!) the Colony’s justifiably famous open mic night.
WOODSTOCK, ALL SUMMER LONG
maverickconcerts.org
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OPUS 40M, the incomparable bluestone sculpture park described by Architectural Digest as “one of the largest and most beguiling works of art on the entire continent,” will be presenting exhibits, concerts and workshops all summer. Highlights include Pride celebrations and An Evening with The Beatles: HELP! In June; Sun Ra Arkestra’s “cosmic tones for mental therapy, impressive jazz, space chants, and some of the most beautiful universal music imaginable” for two nights in July; August brings a vegan festival entitled Animalia and a benefit evening for the Akwesasne Freedom School.
SAUGERTIES, ALL SUMMER LONG
opus40.org
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SHADOWLAND STAGES hosts live professional theater on the MainStage all summer long, with this year’s highlights including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Hound of the Baskervilles,” “Dear Jack-Dear Louise” and “Lend Me a Soprano” by Ken Ludwig, and “Beehive: The 60s Musical,” described by the Berkshire Eagle as “Comfort food for the heart, soul and spirit.” Shadowland also hosts acting classes for youth and adults.
ELLENVILLE, ALL SUMMER LONG
shadowlandstages.org
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WOODSTOCK BYRDCLIFFE GUILD hosts a variety of exhibits and events at assorted venues all around the historic art colony. On the calendar at press time: “Artist Talks” on Sunday, June 9, when participants in the Guild’s Artist in Residence program will be showcasing and discussing their creations. You can experience “Pixerina Witcherina,” a “conversation about slant authority, languages of the absurd, and the abundant pleasures of too muchness,” from June 22-August 4, and the dense, vividly colorful works of painter Ford Crull from August 17-September 29.
WOODSTOCK, ALL SUMMER LONG
woodstockguild.org
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WOODSTOCK SCHOOL OF ART will be showing student works all summer long in two exhibitions; Showcase I will hang through July 6 and Showcase II from July 13-September 7. For Upstate Arts Weekend, July 20-21, they’ll be hosting their WSA Art Fair. Created and managed by artists for artists, the WSA sets the bar high for excellence; you may just be inspired enough to want in on the fun and study drawing, painting, sculpture, or printmaking with their experts.
WOODSTOCK, ALL SUMMER LONG
woodstockschoolofart.org