16 Best Performing Arts Venues in Hudson Valley, New York

Home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House is the state's oldest continuously operating theater. The beautifully restored auditorium has an active program of theater, music, dance, and comedy.

An early-1900s firehouse was converted into the Rosendale Theatre in 1949—and few changes have been made to the movie theater since. One ancient vending machine still discharges candy, while a concession stand serves popcorn and other snacks. The community-owned nonprofit theater offers a diverse lineup of events, including documentaries, live theater, and performing arts. In the fall, the Rosendale hosts the annual Woodstock Film Festival.

A cultural hub for everything about film, the small Upstate Films Theater shows documentaries, independent films, classics, and animation. Shows often sell out, so it's best to purchase tickets in advance. There's also a sister cinema in Woodstock.

Make a detour to explore cutting-edge contemporary sculpture at Art Omi, an international center for artists where giant heads spring fully formed from the ground in Fields Sculpture Park; about 80 artworks are scattered around 90 acres of the park. You can bring a picnic and spend a full afternoon roaming the park. The sculpture park is free and open daily from dawn to dusk.

A cultural hub in the area, Bard College hosts several outstanding performing-arts festivals. The mix of events during Bard SummerScape, which runs from mid-July to mid-August, might blend orchestral and choral concerts, operas, dance performances, puppetry and other theater presentations, films, and panel discussions. The annual Bard Music Festival is devoted to a single composer deemed worthy of a new look and is held over two consecutive weekends in August.

Crowds of hip twentysomethings line up to see the major indie acts and up-and-coming bands who play here. There's a busy year-round schedule, with shows every weekend night and certain weekdays. The concert venue is also home to the Kingston International Film Festival that takes place in late summer. Cover charge starts at $5.

Some of the world's finest classical and jazz performers can be heard at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts during its summer concert season, June through August. Music is also offered year-round in the house museum, which contains an extraordinary collection of Renaissance and Asian art. Enjoy afternoon tea from May through October on Thursday and Friday.

In 1990, the vivacious Carrie Haddad opened Hudson's first art gallery and put the city on the art world's map. She holds eight large exhibits a year focusing on contemporary work from local artists.

A large red barn about 3½ miles east of the village center houses the busy Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. The ongoing series of Saturday children's shows is popular.

Housed in two Victorian buildings originally commissioned by the Vassar family, the Cunneen–Hackett Cultural Center houses nonprofit organizations, a dance studio, a workshop, an auditorium, and an art gallery.

The annual Hudson ArtsWalk, sponsored by the Columbia County Council on the Arts, takes place in October. The event, a showcase for local visual artists, attracts thousands of visitors who come to ogle a wide array of exhibits and demonstrations as well as to see concerts, dance performances, lectures, and poetry readings. Most of the action is on Warren Street.

A cultural anchor in the city center, the Hudson Opera House offers a steady program of low-cost culture, including jazz, folk, blues, and classical concerts. As of this writing, a renovation of the original auditorium was planned for the near future.

Public concerts are part of PianoSummer at New Paltz Festival/Institute, at SUNY New Paltz; Vladimir Feltsman is the program's artistic director.

The 1885 Tarrytown Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, is the oldest theater in Westchester County, where it serves as a cultural-arts center known for its wide array of musical performers in different genres. With only 843 seats, it's an intimate setting for recent performers like Rick Springfield and Sinead O'Connor. Theater, opera, dance, and film round out the offerings.

This is the premier live-music venue in the region. Bookings span all musical styles and include up-and-coming local bands as well as popular, internationally known performers.

Residing in a beautifully restored 1927 art-deco movie palace, the Ulster Performing Arts Center is home to the 1,500-seat Broadway Theater and hosts local groups, such as the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, as well as well-known performers like Sheryl Crow, Joan Rivers, Elvis Costello, and Bryan Adams.