Melissa Esposito

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

When you’re not outside jumping through sky-high piles of leaves, enjoy an indoor puppet show, visit a not-too spooky Halloween event, and learn all about some four-legged friends

Poughkeepsie’s Italian section is home to a number of authentic restaurants and bakeries

Enjoy a weekend of fun at the Kids Expo, an all-day fest for book lovers, and a great reason to sing

The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, the nights are getting longer — it’s the ideal time to hit the road. Check out our local action-packed fall foliage routes