Saturday, May 2, thru Sunday, October 11
River Views of the Hudson River School - View 19th-century landscape paintings of the Hudson River by such celebrated Hudson River School painters as Thomas Cole, Jasper Cropsey, and Sanford Gifford. Then join a guided hike to the nearby places in the paintings. Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Thursday, May 21 (Rain date May 28)
Stewards of the Light Walk-a-thon - The public can join 240 second graders from the Hudson City School District and the Coxsackie-Athens School District as they walk across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge from opposite ends to meet in the middle. This will demonstrate communities working together for a common cause—the restoration of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. Songwriter John Farrell will lead students in his new song, “So Your Light Will Continue to Shine,” at a picnic to be held at Cherry Ridge Farm near the bridge on the Columbia County side. Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society
Saturday, May 23, thru Monday, October 12
Grand opening of the Evelyn & Maurice Sharp Gallery - Olana State Historic Site’s new second-floor gallery in the main house, with an exhibition entitled Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Edwin Church’s Views from Olana. Olana State Historic Site
Saturday, May 30
The Greenport Garden Club teams with the Claverack Garden Club for a Quadricentennial-themed flower show, Celebrating Hudson: The Dutch Connection, to be held at the Greenport Town Hall.
Saturday, May 30
Songs from the Hudson River - A concert featuring singer Joy Askew with the Pulse Chamber Ensemble presenting songs written by members of the Ensemble inspired by the historical and fictional life of communities on and around the Hudson River. Hudson Opera House
Saturday, June 6
Music and Dance of India presented by Sonal Bhatt and others. Includes a post-performance talk and demonstration. Suitable for families. Part of a series called Global Steps: East Meets West. Hudson Opera House
Summer/Fall 2009
Kids Quad After-School and Summer Workshops - A six-session hands-on workshop led by environmental educator Fran Martino to introduce the many natural aspects of the Hudson River to children ages 10 to 14. Sessions will incorporate field trips, environmental and social science, and hands-on art projects. Hudson Opera House
June thru October
The historic 1874 Hudson-Athens Lighthouse will be illumined throughout the summer months. Tours will be available to the public on second Saturdays June through October. Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society
Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12
River Day - On June 6, a relay flotilla of boats will progress from New York Harbor to Albany, picking up more boats as it progresses. The flotilla will be led by such heritage flagships as the Onrust, the John J. Harvey fireboat, and the Half Moon. Boats are scheduled to stop in Hudson, Catskill, and Athens on June 11. The Hudson River sloop Clearwater will dock in Hudson and be available to school groups on the morning of June 12.
Saturday, June 13, thru Saturday, August 15
Let It Be in Sight of Thee - An exhibition of photographs by Carolyn Marks Blackwood that follow Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river. Hudson Opera House
Monday, June 15
FASNY Museum of Firefighting will mount an interpretive exhibit—Robert Fulton and the Commercial Utilization of the Steam Engine—focusing on Fulton’s contributions and linking them to steam-powered fire pumpers.
Saturday, July 11, thru Saturday, September 26
Exhibition of memorabilia from the 1909 Tercentennial celebration in the City of Hudson at the Robert Jenkins House, Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the N.S. D.A.R. Open Saturdays only.
Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26
Namesake Celebration - A waterfront festival featuring tours of the replica ship Half Moon. Other activities include food and crafts demonstrations in period costume, displays from historic sites and towns throughout Columbia County, and the Henry Hudson Look-Alike Contest. Children’s activities will include circus workshops with members of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, entertainment by Dutch folksingers Nanne and Ankie, and appearances by Roger the Jester and Mr. Twisty. Ferry service to the Village of Athens and visits to the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse will be offered. The culmination of the festival on Saturday will be an evening concert, fireworks, and a light show.
Sunday, August 2
Quadathlon - An athletic event involving single athletes or relay teams of four who will run from the Town of Greenport across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to the Village of Catskill, swim a course in Catskill Creek, bicycle a prescribed route to the Village of Athens, and kayak across the Hudson River to the City of Hudson.
Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9
Black Arts Festival - Operation Unite’s annual event on the Hudson waterfront will feature a preview of the exhibition The History of African-Americans in Hudson.
Fall
Historic Hudson will be celebrating the window restoration project at the historic Plumb-Bronson House, a National Historic Landmark designated in 2009 one of the Seven to Save by the Preservation League of New York State—one of seven “endangered places that reflect the Quadricentennial themes of exploration, settlement, and commerce.”
Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13
Heritage New York Weekend - Throughout the Hudson and Champlain Valleys, museums, historical societies, heritage areas, historic places, architecturally important churches, buildings, and homes, battlefields and memorials, parks and recreation areas, urban and town historic districts, will be open to the public for free or significantly reduced admission charges.
Tuesday, September 15, thru Thursday, September 17
Tug & Barge Tour - The tugboat Pegasus and the performance barge called The Waterfront Museum will anchor on the City of Hudson’s waterfront as part of a tour called “The Hudson River—Our Water Highway of Commerce & Communities.” The program will include tugboat rides, visits aboard the vessels to see exhibitions and artifacts and to talk to the crew and historic interpreters, and maritime/environmental workshops for schoolchildren.
Tuesday, September 22
The 256-foot-long barge canal motorship the Day Peckinpaugh will be docked at the Hudson waterfront for visitations from the public. The ship is part of a tour of historic vessels called Working on Water.
Saturday, October 3, thru Saturday, October 31
An exhibition of Anthony Thompson’s recent landscape paintings of the Hudson Valley. Thompson will give a gallery talk called Of Times and the River: How Painters Respond to the Hudson. Hudson Opera House
Saturday, October 17
The annual self-guided Old House Tour features historic vernacular architecture in the Town of Greenport, a part of Hudson until its secession and formation in 1837. Historic Hudson
Friday, November 6
Ghostwalk Tour - Walking the dog Theater, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, and teenage writers and actors collaborate to help the ghosts of those who lived in Hudson in days gone by come to life and tell their stories. The ghost of Henry Hudson joins these characters from Hudson’s colorful past to tell his story as well..
The Namesake Celebration is part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration mandated by the State of New York to honor and celebrate Henry Hudson and his 1609 discovery, Samuel de Champlain and his discovery of Lake Champlain in that same year, and Robert Fulton’s first successful steamship voyage up the Hudson in 1807.
In 2009, these three events are being commemorated in celebrations from New York City to Quebec. A calendar of events throughout the Hudson Valley can be found at ExploreNY400.com.
For events in Columbia County visit bestcountryroads.com.