Caramoor Summer Music Festival
Katonah
May 4–July 28
This lush estate’s world-class music fest is expanding its lineup to include jazz, folk, flamenco, and modern classical, with a focus on groundbreaking and living composers.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Boscobel House and Gardens, Garrison
June 9–Sept 8
Experience the Bard in this open-air tented theater, this season highlighting Cyrano, Cymbeline and, for the first time, a musical with Into the Woods.
Powerhouse Theater
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie
June 21–July 29
This six-week summer program showcases the best of modern theater, with debuts of Broadway-bound plays, musical workshops, readings, and training programs for aspiring actors and directors.
Rhinebeck Crafts Festival
Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck
June 22–23
Browse handmade textiles, sculpture, furniture, and pottery from over 200 American vendors. Plus gourmet food, wine tastings, and interactive puppet theater and face-painting for kids.
Bard Summerscape
Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson
June 29–Aug 18
www.fishercenter.bard.edu/summerscape
The 30th iteration of this world-class festival includes opera, theater, dance, cabaret, film, and music, centered around “Korngold and His World.”
County Fairs
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An Old-Fashioned Independence Day
Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown
July 4
Costumed re-enactors demonstrate 18th-century crafts during a music-filled fest that includes fireworks.
West Point Fireworks and Band
United States Military Academy, West Point
July 7 (raindate July 8)
Relax on lawn chairs and blankets for a 90-minute patriotic show capped off by fireworks over the Hudson.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival
Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck
July 12–14
www.dcrcoc.org/balloonfesthv.org
More than 100 balloons take to the skies in breathtaking mass launches; tethered rides are among attractions for the crowds below the clouds.
Catskills Irish Arts Week
East Durham
July 14–20
www.catskillsirishartsweek.com
Keep time to the bodhrán, learn how to step, and enjoy some of the finest trad music on this side of the Atlantic, all in the “Ireland of the Catskills.”
Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery Vinegar Festival
Lagrangeville
July 15–16
www.ourladyoftheresurrectionmonastery.webs.com
Sample and buy artisanal vinegars (raspberry, sherry, and cider honey) and food created at the monastery.
Dutchess Dragon Boat Race and Festival
Hudson River Rowing Assoc. Dock, Poughkeepsie
July 20
Strikingly painted wooden boats race for charity on the water, while demos of traditional Chinese dancing and crafts take place on land.
Rosendale Street Festival
Rosendale
July 20–21
www.rosendalestreetfestival.org
A volunteer-run celebration of all things local, with food, vendors, and eight different stages of live music. Any profits fund scholarships for graduating high school students.
New York State Food Festival
Empire State Plaza, Albany
Aug 7
This free event showcases our brewers, growers, bakers, and makers, ending with a big-name performance.
12th Annual Sangria & Jazz Festival
Hudson-Chatham Winery, Ghent
Aug 10
Enjoy imaginative sangrias under a tent with live music, henna tattoos, tarot card readings, and finger foods.
Putnam County Wine & Food Fest
Patterson Fire Department
Aug 10–11
Bring a lawn chair and listen to local bands while you sip and sample top NYS craft beverages and edibles.
Photo by Katie Chirichillo
Burger & Beer Bash
Dutchess Stadium, Wappingers Falls
Aug 15
Sample creations from the region’s top burgermeisters and wash it down with some suds, then vote for the best! This has been Zero Waste since 2018.
Hudson Valley Ribfest
Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz
Aug 16–18
Pitmasters compete in a backyard barbecue setting for prize money and prestige.
New York Renaissance Faire
Tuxedo Park
Saturdays and Sundays, Aug 17–Oct 6
Characters in period costume joust, play human chess, and tend booths with pub-style fare and fanciful crafts.
Hudson Valley Hoot
The Ashokan Center, Olivebridge
Saturdays and Sundays, Aug 23–25
A family-friendly folk music fandango with square dancing, fiddlers, storytelling, and late-night jams.
