Melissa Esposito

Give your out-of-town guests a bit of the Valley to have and to hold: Offer “welcome totes,” filled with a few locally made products and a brief note listing your favorite pubs, boutiques, breakfast spots, and attractions

After the dust settles from the holiday rush, mid-January brings ’round-the-world culture, animal exploits, live music, and winter fun for all

Let’s face it: In this time of economic uncertainty, none of us wants to talk about the size of our paychecks. But we’re all curious. So here is our provocative peek at what the guy next door is pulling in.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Warm up this winter with music and dancing, a cool stage show, and enough crafts projects to keep you busy ’til 2011

“Shop ’til you drop” takes on a whole new meaning as the holidays approach

Celebrate Sesame Street’s birthday, dance with Uncle Rock, and accompany Grace the Pirate on her high-seas adventures

Local grocers step up to the plate as shoppers yearn for more than just a huge selection

A Dutchess County yarn CSA offers knitters worldwide a chance to be part of the local farm community

Up and away with a local helicopter pilot

The ballots have been cast, the votes tallied, and our readers have spoken: The 2010 Best of Hudson Valley winners are here. From romantic restaurants to dynamite deejays, favorite fairs to kickass karaoke — the following 17 pages are filled with more than 200 of the most interesting and exciting people, places, and services offered in our region. Along with the readers’ choices, we editors have added our own picks, which showcase the new, the noteworthy, and the downright cool. All in all, it just goes to prove what we’ve always known — the Valley is home to the best of everything