5 of the Coolest Things to Do in the Hudson Valley This March

The Soul Rebels / Photo courtesy of Revel 32

A Mardi Gras party in Poughkeepsie and interdisciplinary art in West Nyack add color to the region.

The Poetics of Partying

The brand-new Poughkeepsie venue Revel 32 is partnering with the Bardavon on select shows. New Orleans pop hybridists The Soul Rebels will play at a special Mardi Gras party, performing their special mix of brass band music, pop, jazz, and straight-ahead rock in the restored main room. Expect to hear plenty of party-rocking tracks from 2019’s Poetry in Motion.
Mar 7, Revel 32, Poughkeepsie, 845.345.1722

Photo by Zachary Skinner

Future Shock

Interdisciplinary artist Zachary Skinner will exhibit a number of brand-new paintings and sculptures as part of his Anthropocene Outpost: Stories of the Future show. Depicting “the dystopian point of view of a nomadic lifestyle while roaming an environmentally-ravaged earth,” these works will comment on the present from the stand-point of the future, requiring us to question our choices in light of their increasingly-dire consequences.
Mar 8-Apr 19, Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, 845.358.0877

Word Nerd Herd

The Hudson Valley is home to many acclaimed writers, and the Woodstock Bookfest is the place to catch them and big-name out-of-towners dishing on all things literary. Authors like Alexander Chee, Adam Gopnik, Kathy Valentine, and more chat it up on panels on spread throughout Woodstock and the surrounding environs, covering topics like music writing, personal essays, addiction, and gun violence in a series of enlightening discussions. Each event is specially-ticketed, though full-weekend passes are also available.
Mar 26-29, Various Venues, Woodstock

Ashokan Center

Must Have Maple

Every March, the Ashokan Center celebrates the beginning of maple sugar season with Maple Fest, an all-day celebration of all things, well, maple. Pancakes covered in Ashokan maple syrup, syrup-making and tree-tapping demonstrations, guided hikes, kid-friendly live music, and more are on the slate. $5 for adults, kids under 12 get in free.
Mar 22, Ashokan Center, Olivebridge, 845.657.8333

Photo by Juan Patino Photography

You Missed Her

Lisa Loeb became the first-ever unsigned artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts with “Stay (I Missed You),” a breakout hit from the film Reality Bites, and in the time since has remained a top-form songwriter, with multiple Grammy-nominations, as well as music for children, books, plays, and even a New York Times crossword to her name. This intimate solo show will highlight songs from throughout her whole career.
Mar 21, Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098

Photo by Juan Patino Photography