a Farewell to Summer Cocktail Party Fundraiser to benefit the Stissing Center of the Arts. 

Downtown Upstate will offer a free two-part Solo Performance Workshop at The Stissing Center for local residents, led by renown performance artist Lenora Champagne! In this free workshop entitled Performing the Real: Solo and Alternative Performance, Participants will create a short solo performance and learn strategies for structuring larger pieces with exercises that engage the body, imagination and memory. Contemporary experiences, classic characters, and social concerns are integrated in a way that foregrounds each actor’s individual voice, rhythm, and dynamics. The process involves improvisation (movement and text) and re-working material. This event is free and open to the local community. Participants must register for both sessions on September 11th and September 18th, 4 - 6 pm.

You won’t want to miss distinguished author and Vassar College assistant professor Tracy O’Neill as she makes her way to the Hudson Valley! Oblong Books will be hosting the renowned author as she presents her latest and heavily acclaimed memoir titled Woman of Interest. Oprah Daily has called Woman of Interest an “…urgent, atmospheric memoir meets noir about family shadows, writing, and the pursuit of searching for answers we know we might never find.” At Oblong, O’Neill will discuss her experience trailing her birth mother across the globe, the challenges she faced amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the profound revelations she encountered in the process.

You won’t want to miss Puzzling Evidence at the Ancram Center for the Arts during the first annual Downtown Upstate Festival! Written and directed by Robert Lyons, Puzzling Evidence tells the story of two left-wing activists as they tour their “Post-Capitalist Realism” concert - singing, reciting beat poetry, and free associating an anti-capitalist manifesto. But mostly they struggle to work through their complicated relationship - on stage during the show! A quirky, funny, mini-musical with live music. Director Robert Lyons is Artistic Director of Soho Think Tank and a NYC playwright who writes dark, satirical comedies, literary adaptations, and experimental performance texts. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Showings at 7 pm on September 14th and 3 pm on September 15th.

Innisfree's day-to-night festivities include artist-led paper lantern-making, storytelling of traditional Chinese tales, mooncake samples, moon-inspired Chinese Qigong, moon and stars viewing, a lantern display, and our first-ever golden hour picnic.

Get ready for Plays at the Stissing Center for Arts & Culture during the Downtown Upstate Festival! Written by Gertrude Stein and performed by David Greenspan, this hidden gem of theatricality and wit is mesmerizing. The show will star six-time OBIE Award winner David Greenspan, a legendary downtown theater performer and writer. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students. Showings at 7 pm on September 21st and 3 pm on September 22nd.

Celebrating a 20+ year artistic collaboration, Grammy-nominated Metropolis Ensemble and composer/pianist Timo Andres present an intimate evening of solo piano works.

Since 1995, this revered event has welcomed over 1.4 million visitors into the heart of inspired private landscapes.

Join Kemmerer Farm for their Autumn Harvest Fundraising Brunch! Enjoy a beautiful autumn-themed brunch filled with delicious food, great company, and a chance to support the Kemmerer Farm rebuild. Enjoy a family style brunch w/ open bar, music, and a silent auction! Raised funds will support the purchase of a used John Deere tractor for the farm. Ticket prices start at $50. 12:30 pm - 3 pm

An afternoon of family fun in the Wethersfield orchard: enjoy a Carriage ride through the estate, pick fresh apples, and delight in kid-friendly crafts.

A family harvest celebration centered arounda all things handmade

Join Lasting Joy Brewery, Olivia Muenter, and Kinderhook Books as they host Books & Brews! This event is a grown-up book fair featuring authors, local vendors, and all the nostalgia of your favorite day of the school year. Sip on Lasting Joy Brewery’s extensive selection of beers, wine, cider, and cocktails while meeting amazing authors and perusing craft vendors. Food from Forno Rosso will also be there. 12 pm - 5 pm