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Fall is on the horizon here in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley, and September is a wonderful time to visit Dutchess County.
Views of the Hudson River and the surrounding highlands are especially beautiful when set ablaze by fall's colorful splendor. Our acres and acres of rolling farmland are offering up their bountiful harvests and supplying our many world-class restaurants with plenty of fresh farm-to-table produce. It's prime picking season for apples and pumpkins at our local farms — including Barton Orchards in Poughquag; Cedar Heights Orchard in Rhinebeck; Dykeman Farm in Pawling; Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction; Greig Farm in Red Hook; Mead Orchards in Tivoli; Meadowbrook Farm in Wappingers Falls; and Rose Hill Farm in Red Hook — and a hayride with the family and some cider donuts on a crisp autumn afternoon is a memory that will last a lifetime.
Here is a list of 10 (okay, 11) guaranteed-to-please events in Dutchess County this September. Always keep that camera handy, and feel free to share your photos here and tag @dutchesstourism on social media.
Plus, check out our Labor Day Spotlight for tips on making this holiday weekend a memorable one here in Dutchess, and use our guide to Fall Food, Craft Beverage and Harvest Festivals when planning your autumn getaways.
Happy travels!
Throughout September at various locations
The annual Hudson River Valley Ramble is a popular event series that highlights the fascinating history, diverse culture, plentiful natural resources and awe-inspiring landscape of the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and the Hudson River Valley Greenway. Hinchey, a native New Yorker, served for 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993–2013 and was a vocal proponent of environmental protection and conservation. The “Ramble” events are generally outdoor events that celebrate the splendor of the Hudson Valley and Hinchey’s efforts to preserve it. There are quite a few “Ramble” events scheduled in Dutchess County, including nature hikes, farm tours, historic site visits, music festivals, pollinator seminars, canoe excursions and so much more. Click here for details. Several “Ramble” locations are also participants on the Dutchess Tourism Zen Finder Outdoor Experience Trail, a curated itinerary of one-of-a-kind outdoor experiences. Click here to obtain your free pass.
Related: Top 10 Hidden Gem Hikes in Dutchess County
• Art Studio Views Open Studio Tour (Aug. 31 and Sept. 1): Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to enjoy this free, self-guided tour featuring more than 30 artists — including painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramic artists, textile artists and mixed media artists — in Northern Dutchess and Southern Columbia counties. Click here for details.
• Wassaic Project Open Studios (Sept. 14): Explore the studios of the Wassaic Project’s September residents in Luther Barn. Click here for information.
• Rhinebeck Arts Walk (Sept. 21): On the third Saturday of the month from June through October, galleries, studios and businesses with exhibition spaces in Rhinebeck open their doors and allow visitors to learn about a variety of artistic styles and mediums and explore the creative process. Click here for a list of participants and their hours of availability.
• Poughkeepsie Open Studios Art Tour (Sept. 28 and 29): Enjoy a free, self-guided art tour in Poughkeepsie and meet local artists in their studios! Partake in family-friendly art-making activities, artist demonstrations, interactive experiences and more. You’ll meet dozens of artists working in a wide range of mediums in various studios. For a list of participants and locations, click here.
• Public Art in Poughkeepsie Tour (By appointment, April through October): Led by award-winning muralist Franc Palaia, this tour includes 35 indoor and outdoor murals, sculptures, historical monuments and works of stained glass in downtown Poughkeepsie. Highlights include the New Deal-era murals commissioned by Franklin D. Roosevelt, large-scale contemporary murals, the Civil War and Vietnam War monuments and more. Call (845) 505-3123 to make reservations.
Every Sunday in September, noon and 2 p.m., at Mount Gulian Historic Site, Beacon
History is, quite literally, at your fingertips this September at one of the Hudson Valley's most fascinating historical sites. At Mount Gulian's exclusive White Glove Tours, you will have the opportunity to examine artifacts representing 300 years of Mount Gulian's history dating back to the time when Indigenous people inhabited the banks of the Hudson River. Put on a pair of white, cotton curatorial gloves, and you can hold items from the museum collection, including precious family letters; documents and artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries; English and Dutch family bibles; women’s and men’s Victorian Era clothing; military artifacts and more! The White Glove Tour includes a tour of the Verplanck family homestead, the circa 1730 Dutch Barn, and the Heritage Garden. Call (845) 831-8172 or email info@mountgulian.org to book your White Glove Tour.
Sept. 13–Oct. 6 at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Tivoli
The picturesque 153-acre campus at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park provides the wonderfully serene backdrop for the Annual Festival. Spread over four weekends, the festival is a celebration of all sorts of artistic styles and media in both indoor and outdoor settings. The festival begins on Sept. 13 with a screening of the film "Merce/Misha/More," which highlights decades of friendship and collaboration between iconic ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and renowned choreographer Merce Cunningham. Other festival events feature author Francine Prose; Vanity Fair correspondent Joe Hagan; curator Hilary Greene and artists from Kaatsbaan's 2024 Visual Arts Exhibition; the Gaia Music Collective; the new music ensemble Contemporaneous; the Limon Dance Company; the Boca Tuya shape-shifting duet; and the tap dancers and musicians of Music from the Sole. The final weekend (Oct. 5 and 6) features the Kaatsbaan debut of multi-award-winning British choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor and his work "Autobiography" on the outdoor Mountain Stage. For show times and ticket information, click here.
Saturday, Sept. 14 in the Village of Red Hook
The streets of Red Hook will be filled with music all day and into the night during this popular annual festival. The day’s festivities start with some music and entertainment for the kiddos, followed by teen bands from Community Music Space and the Rhinebeck School of Music in the afternoon until 4 p.m. The main concerts will begin after that and will include performances by Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones, Yard Sale, Miles Taylour & The Upstate, and Phat Inc. There will be plenty of delicious food available from local food trucks, and lots of Hudson Valley cider products available in the cider tent. Click here for updates.
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Saturday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. at the Martel Recital Hall, Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie
Big Gay Hudson Valley presents a night of fun and hilarity as drag queen Nina West presents her new show called "Nina West is The Very Queen!" Enjoy selections from "Hairspray," "The Little Mermaid," "Into the Woods," and many of her own personal favorites as Nina dazzles the audience with her wit and sparkling personality. Nina is an actor, singer/songwriter, producer, author, host, and activist who won the title of Miss Congeniality on the 11th season of the hit show "RuPaul’s Drag Race." She will be joined on the piano by Paul Leschen, who regularly presents his show "Leschen Sessions" at Sid Gold’s Request Room in Manhattan. Click here to purchase tickets.
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• Traveling Vietnam Wall (Sept. 18–22 at Bowdoin Park, Wappingers Falls): Dutchess County’s Office of Veterans Affairs brings the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Traveling Vietnam Wall to Bowdoin Park. The wall, an 80 percent replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., contains the names of U.S. military personnel who died in the Vietnam War. Accompanying the Wall will be Cost of Freedom tributes to every U.S. military action since World War I, including 9/11. Click here to see a full schedule of events. The memorial will be open to visitors around the clock until 8 a.m. on Sept. 23.
• Salute2Vets (Sept. 20, 5 p.m. at the Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie): The Friends of the Walkway nonprofit organization presents this event, which will feature food trucks and free food for Veterans and their families along with music and other entertainment. At 7:30 p.m., all guests will proceed toward the Walkway's Center Overlook led by pipes and drums. Veterans from both sides of the Hudson will meet at the American flag for a ceremony to honor the nation's heroes and enjoy a fireworks show! There will be a special viewing area reserved for Veterans and their guests. Click here to RSVP.
• Flag-Changing Ceremony (Sept. 22, 12 p.m. at the Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie): American Legion Post 739 organizes the monthly flag-changing ceremonies on the Walkway. All are welcome to attend.
Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Culinary Institute of America and The Inn at Bellefield, Hyde Park
The Inn at Bellefield and the Culinary Institute of America team up to present this one-time, all-inclusive culinary experience. Learn to cook like a master chef at a two-hour, hands-on cooking class at the CIA followed by a dinner for two to enjoy the dishes you just prepared. This exclusive package also includes a tour of the CIA campus for two guests, overnight accommodations at The Inn at Bellefield across the street, and a Sunday morning breakfast buffet for two. Click here to reserve your spots.
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Sept 21 and 22 at Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds, Millbrook
There is fun for the whole family at the annual Orvis Game Fair, which features two solid days of clay-shooting competitions, fly-casting and shooting lessons; falconry, hunting dog, and game cooking demonstrations; and a variety of hands-on activities for the kids. Plus, you’ll find dozens of exhibitors and vendors, food concession and a farmers market on both days! It’s a weekend-long celebration of the fun, excitement and camaraderie of the sporting life and the great outdoors. For more details, click here.
Related: Top Fishing Spots in Dutchess County
Saturday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, Poughkeepsie
Get ready to dance and sing along and let your spirit soar! Arts Mid-Hudson presents the annual Hudson Valley Gospel Festival, a wonderful evening of gospel singers, choirs and praise dancers. Featured performers include the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival Choir, the Praise Dance Team, and Miss Rene Bailey and the Rainbow Singers. To reserve tickets, click here. Remarkably, the First Congregational Church was founded in 1837 by a group of anti-slavery activists in Poughkeepsie who were reportedly dissatisfied with their own churches’ unwillingness to oppose “the buying and selling human beings or holding them in involuntary servitude.” That is certainly praiseworthy!
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Sept. 7 at Bannerman Castle, Pollepel Island, Beacon
Relax and enjoy a scenic cruise out to Pollepel Island, home of historic Bannerman Castle, and let renowned chef Noah Sheetz and his team of experts prepare for you a special five-course dinner for you to eat on the island as you take in a live musical performance by Storm King Duo. This is a perfect opportunity to explore the island during the peak summer garden bloom and see first-hand the amazing progress the Bannerman Castle Trust has made in restoring the island’s structures. Click here to purchase tickets, which include the boat ride to and from the dock in Beacon — which is within walking distance of the Beacon train station on the Metro-North Hudson Line.
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