As if Ulster County didn’t already bring tons to the table with its natural beauty, world class outdoor activities, super cool towns and awesome culinary experiences, Ulster County really knows how to have a good time in the summer, with festivals and events galore! With new events popping up every year all over the valley, there’s always something new going on to experience in Ulster County, whether you’re a long-time resident, or looking to make your first trip to experience first hand what you’ve heard so much buzz about.

These rising temperatures have got us in full summer mode already, so we’re ready to jump right in! Here’s a list of some of the most talked about festivals and events going on in the Hudson Valley and Ulster County, NY that will keep your calendar full of exciting things to do all summer long!


5th Annual Uke Fest

May 26th- 29th, 2017

Ashokan Center, Olivebridge

Ukulele players of any skill level and age are welcome to spend the weekend at the Ashokan Center for workshops, concerts, informal jam sessions, dancing and plenty of fun. All are welcome for this family-friendly weekend musical retreat and concert tickets can be purchased in advance at http://ashokan.org/uke-fest-concert/

Hudson Valley Tango Festival

May 26th- 28th, 2017

Multiple Locations in Kingston

Put on by Argentinean instructors from the Dojo Dance Company, the Hudson Valley Tango Festival is a weekend long event full of workshops, live music and dances performed by local and world renowned dancers. Workshops and events will be held at multiple locations throughout the city of Kingston and a full schedule can be found at www.dojodancecompany.com/hudson-valley-tango-festival/

Woodstock-New Paltz Arts & Crafts Fair 

May 27th-29th, 2017

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

The ever popular and beloved Crafts Fair is back for the first weekend festival of 2017. One of the biggest crafts fairs in the area, over 300 artisans will have their works available for purchase throughout the weekend in a party-like atmosphere complete with live music, children's activities, and lots of delicious food for purchase. Discount admission coupons can be found on the festival’s website, www.quailhollow.com, or tickets can be purchased at the door for the regular rate.

Springfest at The Falcon

May 27th, 2017, 12:00pm-11:00pm

The Falcon, Marlboro

For the first time, the Falcon will be holding an all day music and art festival, with activities for the entire family. There will be live music on three different stages, an art exhibition, street performers and acrobats, a multi-media children's show and of course some great food from the Falcon’s own kitchen and from other Hudson Valley food and beverage vendors. With free parking, free entry, a whole day’s lineup of fun, and all overlooking the picturesque Marlboro falls, Springest at the Falcon is an event worth discovering this year!

Own It! 2017 Entrepreneurial Women’s Conference

June 1st, 2017, 8:30am

SUNY Ulster College Lounge, Stone Ridge

In its third year, SUNY Ulster and the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center are teaming up for a one-day conference for women entrepreneurs, designed to provide advice, information and ideas to immediately grow any business. This year’s theme is Ready, Start, Grow, and will feature nationally recognized speakers and hands-on workshops. Advanced registration tickets are available online for a discounted rate at www.sunyulster.edu/ownit

Seussical the Musical

June 2nd- 4th, 2017

Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock

Children (and adults!) will love to see the colorful characters of Dr. Seuss's most famous stories come to life right before their eyes, with appearances from The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and many more. Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30pm and Sunday’s performance starts at 2:00pm, with tickets available for purchase at www.woodstockplayhouse.org

Ride the Ridge Bike Challenge

June 3rd, 2017, 9:00am-5:00pm

High Meadow School, Stone Ridge

Anyone can get in on the fun and bike through the gorgeous Ulster County at the 11th Annual Ride the Ridge bike event! With 5 different rides (from an 80 mile bike from the ridge to the reservoir for extreme bikers to a 5 mile ride for the whole family to enjoy) you can take in the scenery, while taking advantage of the clearly marked routes, roadside volunteers and designated water and food stops. All rides leave from the High Meadow school and culminate with lunch at the end of your journey. Register for the ride and sign up to be a volunteer at www.ridetheridge.org

Craft Market Walk

June 3rd, 2017, 12:30pm-4:30pm

Main Street, Gardiner

Inspired by the local craftsmen and artisans of Gardiner and the surrounding area, the Craft Market Walk will consist of lots of local vendors and provide an afternoon of shopping, live music, food and drink, raffles and other activities. The Craft Market Walk will take place at the Gardiner Library and Farmer’s Market Grounds and connect via Rail Trail to the Yard Owl Craft Brewery. Simultaneously, this weekend, Gardiner is also holding an Open Studio Tour, where you can visit multiple artist studios and workspaces for a behind the scenes peek at their operations (more at www.gostartists.org). You can see the full list of vendors participating and download a detailed map of festival events at www.gabny.com

2017 Hudson Valley Pride March & Festival : Taking A Stand

June 4th, 2017, 12:00pm

Main Street & Hasbrouck Park, New Paltz

Leaving from M&T Bank parking lot, the parade celebrating the strength of the LGBTQ communities marches down Main Street at 1:00pm, with festivities at Hasbrouck Park ongoing from 12:00-4:00pm as well, with live music, food trucks and local vendor booths. This is the culmination of Pride Week, put on the the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center and more details can be found at their website, www.lgbtqcenter.org   

Bounty of the Hudson Wine & Food Festival

June 10th-11th, 2017, 12:00pm-5:00pm

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

Get a taste of some of the Hudson Valley’s greatest locally crafted wines and spirits in the 22nd annual event organized by the Shawangunk Wine Trail! All of the 15 wineries on the Shawangunk Trail, as well as a few additional, will be in attendance and serving up tastings of their finest selections, local vendors and food trucks will have food for purchase and there will be other speciality vendors and live music. Tickets include admission to the event, a souvenir tasting glass and samples from each of the wineries. More info and ticket information can be found at www.bountyofthehudson.com

Walkway Marathon

June 11th, 2017, 6:30am

Marist College Campus, Poughkeepsie

Starting across the river in Dutchess county, this cross-county marathon leads runners over the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park. New this year, is the course route, after listening to the suggestions of past marathoners, the route this year meanders around the Marist campus, avoiding tumultuous hilly routes, and gets runners out onto the Walkway earlier on into the run. The day before, the annual Think Differently Dash will also take place again- a one mile run for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. Register yourself today for either event at www.WalkwayMarathon.org.

New Paltz Challenge

June 18th, 2017, 7:30am

Gilded Otter Parking lot, Main Street, New Paltz

Coming back for it’s 8th year, the New Paltz Challenge is a series of three different and challenging runs, including a half-marathon, 5K and kid’s 1K race. The marathon follows an out-and-back course that will run along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail with views of the Shawangunk Ridge and Wallkill River, while the 5K run will take place along Huguenot Street and the rail trail. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the New Paltz Chamber of commerce and other community projects. Full registration and race details can be found at www.newpaltzchallenge.com

Bob Dylan at the Hutton Brickyards

June 23rd & 24th, 2017, 8:00pm

Hutton Brickyards, Kingston

The Kingston waterfront has never rocked like this before! The legendary Bob Dylan will perform the first show at the new 3,500 person capacity, summer venue of the Hutton Brickyards, presented by the Bardavon and UPAC. Food and beverages will be available through Smorgasburg (which runs every weekend at the Brickyards throughout the summer). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, or locally at the UPAC box office on Broadway in Kingston. This is sure to be a ‘can’t miss’ show!

Hudson River Day & the First Annual Hudson River Boatbuilding Challenge

June 24th, 2017, 10:00am- 6:00pm

Hudson River Maritime Museum, Rondout Landing, Kingston

This year’s Hudson River Day features a new and exciting challenge; the first annual Hudson River Boatbuilding challenge, where 10 two-person teams will compete to win the title of world’s fastest boatbuilder. Teams will be given 4 hours and all materials and plans to build a 12 foot Carolina bateau that teams can take home at the end of the day. The event is free to attend (pre-registration is required for boatbuilders though) and will also feature boat races and rides, tours of visiting vessels, children's activities, food vendors, live music and of course a front row seat to the boatbuilding challenge! More information can be found at www.hrmm.org.

Tour de Kingston

June 25th, 2017

Kingston, NY

12 years running, or shall we say, biking, the Tour de Kingston Bike Event returns Sunday June 25th!  Past events have had riders biking throughout Kingston on varying intensity routes, making stops at Kingston landmarks and tourist areas and culminating in a free BBQ at Forsyth Nature Park. This year’s event promises to live up to expectations and new routes for the 25 mile and 50 mile road race are expected to be released soon! Whether you’re ready for an extreme bike tour of Kingston or a leisurely 5 mile family ride (that is free!), make sure to register today at www.tourdeulster.com.   

Sausage & Cider Festival

July 2nd, 2017, 1:00pm

Bad Seed Cider Company, Highland

Returning for a third year, Bad Seed’s sausage and cider festival lets you sample over 15 varieties of the small batch craft ciders created at one of Ulster County’s newest up and coming cideries in their ever-evolving facility.  Hudson Valley Sausage company will also be grilling up a bunch of unique sausages to pair along with the ciders and with more food and dessert vendors, live music and Fourth of July party atmosphere, this event is sure to be a new holiday weekend tradition. After the festival, stay local to see Highland’s annual fireworks show. Order your tickets now at www.badseedhardcider.com, as they are expected to sell out.

High Falls Fair Day

July 8th, 2017

Hamlet of High Falls

An annual festival of rural, small-town fun! This town wide fest will boast food, music, crafts, games and events for the whole family, including a dunk tank with some local famous faces. Details are still being planned and vendor applications and sponsors are still wanted. To get more information as it is released, visit www.highfallscivic.org or the High Falls Civic Association Facebook page.

Hudson Valley Sangria Festival

July 15th-16th & August 12th-13th, 2017

Benmarl Winery, Marlboro

Just in case any summer plans may have interfered with this event, Benmarl is hosting their annual Sangria Festival twice this summer- in both July and August. Now you can be sure not to miss Benmarl Winery's own fresh fruit sangrias, enjoy vineyard and cellar tours and dance your heart out to live music and flamenco dancing lessons for the kids. You can purchase discount tickets ahead of time through their website at www.benmarl.com/events.

Ulster County Fair

August 1st-6th, 2017

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

It doesn’t feel like summer until the Ulster County Fair comes to town! Since 1886, the Ulster County Fair has been bringing back all the rides, entertainment, food and craft vendors we’ve come to love! Visit www.ulstercountyfair.com to see more headliner and schedule updates as they are released.

Phoenicia International Festival of Voice

August 4th-6th, 2017

Phoenicia

This multi-day festival, now in it’s 8th year, taking place at various venues throughout Phoenicia (all within walking distance for those of you visiting from out of town) promotes ‘the human voice as an instrument of healing, peace and artistic expression through world class performances’ of opera, gospel, world music, Broadway and more. You can check their website, www.phoeniciavoicefest.org, to get a schedule of events for the weekend, tickets and to see the full list of performers.

Blueberry Festival

August 12th, 2017

Canal Street & Liberty Square, Ellenville

The Blueberry Festival is Ellenville’s family fun festival and this year marks its 18th annual event, always the second Saturday in August. While this street festival has a blueberry theme (to give a nod to the industry that is important to Ellenville’s history), it is a celebration and “give-back” to all the community members who make Ellenville great and all are welcome to attend. Activities include a Blueberry Pancake Breakfast, Blueberry Pie sale, Blueberry pie contest, live music, vendors and children's activities. Visit their webpage for more details.

Hudson Valley Ribfest

August 18th-20th, 2017

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

Sponsored by the Highland Rotary Club, this festival’s 13th annual event will bring back some great BBQ to New Paltz. Featuring local and national rib vendors, great food and specialty items, live music and multiple BBQ contests, this event is a must attend for all BBQ lovers. Tickets and more information is available at www.hudsonvalleyribfest.org.

Hope Rocks Festival

August 19th-20th, 2017

Cantine Field, Saugerties

In the first festival of it’s kind in the United States, the Hope Rocks weekend long festival in Saugerties will feature music, arts and other activities with a focus on the mental health issues that contribute to suicide and narcotics addition. The festival seeks to offer advocacy, education and counseling, as well as a range of activities including seminars, art exhibitions, a 5K and 10K run, music, crafters, vendors and more. More information on this brand new festival can be found at www.hoperocksny.com

Chronogram Block Party

August 19th, 2017, 4:00pm-11:00pm

Wall Street, Kingston

Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned summer block party? Uptown Kingston celebrates summer with live music, beer and wine, food trucks, a dunking booth and an all around great time. Join Chronogram for this free event and spend an evening enjoying the beauty of Uptown Kingston with friends and neighbors.

New Paltz/ Woodstock Arts & Crafts Fair

September 2nd-4th, 2017

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

The encore for the 2017 season, the Labor Day weekend edition of the New Paltz/Woodstock Arts & Crafts Fair returns with great craft vendors, food vendors, live music and more. As always, this crafts fair will bring the masses to New Paltz for Labor Day weekend.

And a preview of some highly anticipated and ever-loved Ulster County Fall festivals….

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival

September 9th-10th, 2017

Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck

A celebration of all of New York's finest wines and specialty foods, the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival is back with even more great wines, specialty foods, crafts and a weekend of fun. While not located in Ulster County, the Rhinebeck Fairgrounds are located just across the river from Kingston, NY and is a beautiful and easily accessible day trip for most all locations in Ulster County. People from near and far are expected to attend this unmissable Hudson Valley event. Check out their website for more details.  

Taste of New Paltz

September 17th, 2017

Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz

The 27th Annual Taste of New Paltz returns to the Fairgrounds to feature food as the main event. Get $2-$3 tastes from all vendors food and beverage menus to be able to try everything that New Paltz has to offer. Rain or shine, get your fill of delicious local fare, farm market offerings, local ciders and wines and even more! More details can be found on the New Paltz Chamber’s website here.


 Be sure to follow Taft Street Realty on Facebook to stay up to date on these and all other local happenings, along with tons of real estate related tips, advice, and other local market updates. If you know of a great summer or fall festival or activity here in Ulster County, let us know so we can add it to our ever-growing list!

Posted by Dylan Taft on

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