Dutchess County Hot Air Balloon Festival

balloonfestwebheaderThe Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival this July. They are expecting another great weekend with about 100 balloon launches between Friday and Sunday.

At Barton Orchards, afternoon launches will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Morning launches will be at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Festival hours are Noon-10 p.m. on Friday, 5-7 a.m. and Noon-10 p.m. on Saturday, and 5-7 a.m. and Noon-7 p.m. on Sunday. Festival will include family activities, food and beverages, and live music. There will be a fireworks display Friday night and a Moon Glow on Saturday night. Admission to the morning launches is free. Admission to the afternoon festivals is $10 on Friday and Saturday in advance (a limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $12) and $5 on Sunday. Advance sale tickets are available, including an ALL ACCESS WEEKEND PASS at http://www.balloonfesthv.com. Tether Rides will be available for sale for CASH ONLY the weekend of the event. A limited number of Balloon Rides are available for advance purchase ONLY.

Up-to-the-minute information about launch times, including delays, will be available via the Chamber’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DutchessChamber throughout the Festival.

For complete Balloon Festival information, tickets, balloon rides, directions, or to be a vendor or sponsor, visit www.balloonfesthv.com.

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“Music Inspired by Matisse’s Jazz”

gwen-jazz_origMonday, May 22nd at 7 pm at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon

Beacon’s Howland Cultural Center is not just another arts organization, for its home is a Victorian building that was born specifically to serve the community as a cultural resource. The Howland Cultural Center continues to use this rare architectural gem to showcase a myriad of community functions as well as regional, national and international cultural events drawing audiences from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Business Spotlight: Irving Farm Coffee Roasters

2017-01-11_12-30-11Hudson Valley FYI recently stumbled upon Irving Farm Coffee Roasters. Check them out for one, or several, fine cup of coffee.

Irving Farm Coffee Roasters was founded in 1996 when David Elwell and Steve Leven opened a much-needed neighborhood café in Gramercy Park, hoping to provide a space where people could gather and drink great coffee.

At a time before “handcrafted,” “organic,” and “fair-trade” had yet to enter the coffee drinker’s lexicon, the two trailblazing college friends distinguished their Gramercy shop from other java huts in New York by stocking it with specialty blends and single-origins. Shortly thereafter, they decided to convert a carriage house in bucolic Dutchess County into a roastery, determined to learn the craft of coffee roasting themselves.

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@NYSheepWool Festival Returns to @dutchessfair

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Oct. 15 &16

Start your holiday shopping early; see who the talented vendors and exhibitors are! Be inspired by many demos, hear authors talk & sign your book. Shop for crafts, watch a fashion show & eat your favorite food while enjoying entertainment. Are you a knitter? Learn a new skill at 30 workshops. You be the judge of friendly competitions in knitting, crocheting, hand spinning, & wool combing. Kids love watching the Mad Science Show, The Herding Dog and Canine Frisbee demos, and the Leaping Llama Contest.

TASTE NY OUTDOOR FARMERS’ MARKET @CCEDutchess

taste-todd-hillThrough October 16, 2016

Fridays and Sundays

1:30 pm – 5:30 pm

The Taste NY Market at Todd Hill is an exciting new destination and an opportunity to enjoy locally produced agricultural products!

Located at the historic Todd Hill Service Station on the Taconic State Parkway one mile south of Route 55, the Taste NY Market is a destination where motorists can stop for affordable food and beverages, and where commuters and local residents can purchase healthy ingredients for home cooked meals. It provides a showcase for local farms to highlight selected products, as CCEDC is working with local farmers to encourage new business growth throughout the area, sourcing products for the Market from New York farms, restaurants and small businesses.

Inside the year-round market, locally produced products include milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, juice, ice cream, pastries, granola, and apple cider. Pantry items include maple syrup, honey, jam, fruit sauces, pickles, salsa and tomato sauce. Frozen products include farm-raised beef, lamb, pork and poultry items. Artisanal inventory changes periodically.

Outside, seasonally, a Farmers’ Market will open Friday and Sunday afternoons, June through October, to provide additional delicious fresh produce and a variety of other farm products.

The Market is operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County through a grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The state’s Taste NY program is opening up new markets for local farmers, beverage producers and other merchants.

If you’re a New York State agricultural producer interested in selling your products at the Taste NY Market at Todd Hill, call Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County at 845-677-8223 ext. 115 or email : TasteNYToddHill@cornell.edu.

 

 

Hudson Valley Bachfest 2016

2016-05-11_13-28-06The Hudson Valley Society for Music
presents the 17th annual
Hudson Valley BachFest
June 19, 25 & 26, 2016

The Hudson Valley BachFest is an annual multi-weekend marathon of five concerts and multiple church services celebrating the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.  The festival takes place in three Hudson Valley locations: Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.

Christine Howlett will serve as Choral Conductor and Edward Lundergan will serve as Orchestra Conductor.

Highlights will include a “Young Performer’s Concert”, and evening of chamber music including BWV 208, the “Hunting Cantata“.  The “Main Event” will feature several of Bach’s larger choral and orchestral works.

For a comprehensive listing of Bach’s cantatas and other vocal works, including texts, translations, scores, articles and performers, click here.