As a local of New Paltz for 6 years and a liberal arts major, the Hudson Valley has some wonderful outlets to get your art freak on. A couple of my favorite hot spots are listed below:
Music
As a huge music fan I am also a bigger fan of FREE music. Yes, actually I am a fan of anything Free. The sample ladies of Costco actually have to cut me off after my third loop around. Be that as it may, The Falcon in Marlborough is an incredible music venue. Tony Falco is a major music buff, and acts range from jazz to percussion to rock. Even better, all proceeds go directly to the musicians. How awesome is that? My advice to get there early, grab a table and settle yourself in for great food, music and wine.
http://www.liveatthefalcon.com/
For some local venues for concerts these are the best bets that feature a range of artists. Make sure to keep checking back, because oftentimes Ticketmaster is not quick on the uptake. For all the 90's babies out there Jay and Silent Bob are performing at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie aww sookie sookie!
Poughkeepsie/ Kingston: http://www.bardavon.org/
http://www.midhudsonciviccenter.com/
New Paltz: Baccus, Oasis, and Snugs are your best bets. There is usually a 3-5 dollar cover charge, but there are some great local bands that are always on rotation there. My favorite is Snow Bear and The Big Takeover. Look for these artists on facebook with links to upcoming shows and venues.
http://www.bigtakeoverband.com/ *I will definitly be attending the Reggae Festival, Mountain Jam, and Tannersville.
Bearsville/ Woodstock: This is probably my all time favorite place to go. I have seen many different artists here, it's completely standing room, and all tickets are affordable. http://www.bearsvilletheater.com/
There are two big festivals that the Hudson Valley has to offer:
One- Mountain Jam- A MUST, MUST, MUST. Mountain Jam has grown to epic proportions over the years and the local greats and some of the big names make the trek to Hunter Mountain to perform for an entire weekend. Music Festivals are so much more than just the music, it's about a community of people just wanting to have a good time. Definitely make it a point to camp out and get dirty like the inner hippie we know you are.
http://mountainjam.com/
Two: Belleayre Reggae Festival- A smaller scale, but The Big Takeover is playing there this year. http://www.belleayremusic.org/
One of my favorite music festivals is Grassroots in Ithaca, about four hours away, but Ithaca is an amazing place to visit and camp. Imagine New Paltz times 1,000. It's over the summer, make sure you take off of work for the week for this one, it's the big daddy out of the three so drink your gatorade and get ready. If you get up to this one officially consider yourself "going native" as you noodle arm your way, puff puff pass, and bathe in a creek nearby. http://www.grassrootsfest.org/festival/
*An important factor of these festivals is that you can volunteer at them and earn free admission. So for about 4 hours of work, you get to enjoy free camping and free music. Doing good never felt so good!
Albany: If you are willing to make the trek, Albany has a myriad of great venues. The three I am most familiar with are:
http://www.theegg.org/ <Esperanza Spalding just performed here!!
http://www.helsinkihudson.com/schedule.html< Great place and great food also.
http://www.thedublinunderground.com/
Movies
I do enjoy the blockbuster hits on an IMAX and overpriced tickets every now and then, but for the true movie buff the Hudson Valley has a multitude of independent film theaters that feature both better movies and cheaper tickets. The main vein of the independent theater world in the Hudson Valley is Upstate films. With theaters in Rhinebeck, Rosendale, and Woodstock it is worth it to sign up for their weekly movie lists. It gives you all the movies playing, where they are playing, and their summaries. The Rosendale theater is probably my favorite as it transforms you in a time capsule to a time of red-velvet seats and thick curtains. Not to mention these are run by the community, and all proceeds go to keeping it running.
Rosendale Theater- http://www.rosendaletheatre.org/
Upstate Films- http://upstatefilms.org/
The second great in the Hudson Valley is the Downing Theater in Newburgh. As you walk in you are not sure whether you are seeing a movie or plan on speaking in tongues in a church basement. You enter a room, and there are only about 12-15 comfortable reclining chairs with pillows and diesel arm rests. It's a wonderful experience as you can experience great movies in what appears to be the comfort of your own living room.
Downing- http://www.downingfilmcenter.com/
For a great experience, Poughkeepsie has one of the only Drive-in movie theaters in the area that is still running and playing blockbuster movies in the summer time. This is definitely something you have to do as a Hudson Valley local. Even better, one ticket gets you two movies. So, grab your sweetheart and cuddle as the seats go down and the movie plays right from your radio.
Overlook Drive-In- http://www.driveinmovie.com/NY/Overlook/schedule/
