17 Things To Do In Beacon This February
And that’s not counting Valentine’s Day
Chinatsu Nagamune’s Selves As Vessels from Spaces Between Color at Distortion Society, opening February.
February doesn’t have to be all hearts and romance. You’ll also find a different kind of love in Beacon in the coming weeks—one found in packed music venues, immersive performances, exhibition openings, and meaningful cultural moments from Black History Month programming to Lunar New Year and spring festivals. There’s even a speakeasy soirée. And we’re here to help you discover them.
That said, we also have you covered if you are looking for what’s on this Valentine’s Day.
Music That’ll Leave You Wanting More
Internationally acclaimed and admired classical pianist Yefim Bronfman takes the stage at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street) on Wednesday, February 4th. Bronfman is a regular touring partner with the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors. In recent years, he’s worked with the Pittsburgh and NDR Hamburg symphonies on tour in Europe, and with the Vienna Philharmonic in China and Japan. In advance of a spring Carnegie Hall recital this year, his program will also be heard in Austin, St. Louis, Stillwater OK, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Washington DC, Amsterdam, Rome, Lisbon, and Spain.
Expect to hear pieces by Schumann, Brahms, Debussy, and Beethoven.
Folk music lovers should head to the Towne Crier Café on Friday, February 6th where folk world luminaries Bruce Molsky and Beppe Gambetta are coming together for a rare duo appearance and to support local food justice organization Fareground. Molsky, a long-time Beacon resident, is celebrated across the folk music world, mostly for his old-time fiddle and banjo playing. His take on tradition has landed him in collaborations with some of the world’s most highly respected players from roots to rock. He also holds the title of Visiting Scholar in the American Roots Music Program at Berklee College of Music. Gambetta is a musician and ambassador of art who has worked with Norman Blake, Mike Marshall, John Jorgenson, and David Grier across more than four decades.
Head to Dennings Point Distillery (10 North Chestnut Street) on Saturday, February 21st at 7 PM. Once you’re there, grab a craft cocktail, sit back, and enjoy The Costellos latest CD release show. Known for their genre-blending “Maverick Pop” sound, this is the official release of their much-anticipated eight-track album, Everything Reminds Me, which is available now on all major streaming platforms. Hailing originally from the Jersey Shore and Hudson Valley respectively, Lynn Johansen and Bobby C have supported Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Crash Test Dummies, and America over the years.
There’s an indie double-bill at Industrial Arts Brewing Company (511 Fishkill Avenue) on Saturday, February 28th, starting at 7:00 PM with Big Shrimp and Dreams Of Delphi.
Big Shrimp is described as a young, hungry quartet out of Bridgeport, CT. Formed in 2024, the band blends high-energy musicianship with well-crafted, diverse songwriting. They’re already making a major splash in the modern funk and indie rock scene.
Local band, Dreams of Delphi—an emerging jam-funk-indie trio formed in 2025—blends a groove-heavy, high-energy vibe and an exploratory sound rooted in improvisation. They describe themselves as “a controlled chaos where no two performances are ever the same.”
Beacon’s February Art Scene
Do I Scare You at the BAU Gallery (506 Main Street) is a timely, one-on-one, face-to-face interactive performance by Marcy B. Freedman. In conjunction with the exhibition CRAZY, which is curated by Jaime Ransome, Freedman will be in the gallery to converse with anyone willing to share thoughts and feelings about the state of our union today. The performance takes place on Sunday, February 1st and Sunday, February 7th between 2 PM and 6 PM.
Spaces Between Color, a stunning group exhibition focused on the process of katazome opens on Saturday, February 7th with a reception between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM at Distortion Society (155 Main Street).
Katazome is a traditional Japanese craft that uses cut-stencil and rice paste resist (a mixture applied through the stencil to block color from penetrating the surface) to develop imagery and design while celebrating the beauty in nature, objects, and life. Spaces Between Color is a dynamic look at how traditional craft shapes contemporary practice.
This group show, curated by Erina Pearl, features artists Erina Pearl, Chinatsu Nagamune, mizosasora, and Natalie Siu Munro, and it showcases a collection of 13 works embodying the meticulous nature of the technique that helped shape the folk-art movement in Japan.
Beacon Open Studios Winter Art Show opens on Friday, February 13th between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane). Titled Power in Numbers, this is a curated group show about unity and togetherness. In the spirit of the show’s theme, artists were invited to “come with a plus one,” and submit a piece by a fellow artist.
Performances To Lose Yourself In
The Parlor at Savage Wonder during January’s run of In The Bar Of A Tokyo Hotel.
Every Saturday in February, Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street) will transform its Parlor space into an intimate French salon experience of elegance, manipulation, and danger for an immersive performance reading of Molière’s classic comedy, Tartuffe.
In the play—adapted by veteran Richard Wilbur—hypocrisy preys on innocence, lust disguises greed, and one man’s obsession with power tests the bounds of love and loyalty. These Saturday evening events tend to sell out swiftly, and limited seats are available. So, don’t wait too long to buy tickets if you’re interested.
In late 2025, the reading performance of Jeannie Zusy’s Turkish Delight sold out at Savage Wonder faster than a New York minute. Lucky for us, there’s a repeat performance on Sunday, February 15th at 3:00 PM. This powerful love story that captures the resilience of the human spirit is set in Istanbul, 1953. It is written and performed by Jeannie Zusy, directed by Lee Brock, and presented by Hit House Creative.
Friday, February 20th marks the return of Nerd Nite Hudson Valley to the Howland Cultural Center for its second show of 2026. The show starts at 7:00pm and features three experts on Vitamins, Better Communication, and Weird Animal Sex. Expect fun-yet-informative visual presentations with music, prizes, and guaranteed good company.
Dr. Anthony Basile, an evolutionary biologist, registered dietitian nutritionist, and Associate Professor of Biology at SUNY Sullivan, is presenting For the Love of Vitamins. Dawn Hunter presents Connection Before Content: The Secret Sauce to Better Communication. This presentation might provide the answers you’re looking for if you’ve ever wondered why some conversations feel like a warm hug while others are as cold as a winter breeze.
Finally, Dr. Kate Weiss, urban wildlife ecologist and Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Marist University, introduces The Birds, the Bees, and the Bizarre: Weird Sex in the Animal Kingdom. This talk will teach us about the wild and wacky world of how species across the animal kingdom “get it on.” Tickets for this show tend to sell out quickly, so don’t dither.
Honor Black History Month
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month (February 1st to March 1st)— a federal recognition for Black Americans—and Beacon will be hosting some must-see cultural programming to mark the occasion.
Chisholm 72: Unbought & Unbossed screening at the Howland Public Library during Black History Month
The Howland Public Library (313 Main Street) will be featuring a screening and discussion of the documentary, Chisholm 72: Unbought & Unbossed, on Thursday, February 12th (6:00 PM to 7:45 PM). This is the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress who also embarked on a historic presidential campaign in 1972.
The film was in the Official Selection at the Sundance International Film Festival and the SXSW Film Festival when it was originally released.
The program is presented in collaboration with Les Soeurs Amiables Civic Club. Stay after the film for a thoughtful Q and A led by Kenya Gadsden, focusing on women running for office today and the challenges and possibilities they face. Registration is required.
The Beacon Movie Theater is showing the acclaimed 2025 movie, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, on Monday, February 23rd and Tuesday, February 24th. The film’s visionary creator, Kahlil Joseph, describes it as an essay docu-fiction. A New York Times’ Critic’s Pick, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s renowned video art installation of the same name. It’s a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album and weaves fiction and history in an immersive journey in which the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois, Charlie Parker, and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats in a vision for black consciousness.
Throughout February, Beacon Movie Theater, is also showing Spike Lee’s thought-provoking masterpiece, Do The Right Thing, which digs into complex issues such as the conflict between peaceful protest and violent resistance. This is a film worth seeing on the big screen!
Plus, you can also join Beacon High School (101 Matteawan Road) for a Black History Month performance at the BHS Seeger Theater on Wednesday, February 18th, starting at 6:30 PM. This event is open to the public and free.
Celebrate The Year of The Horse In Beacon
Lantern from 2025’s Year of the Snake Beacon Spring Celebration of Light.
Welcome in the Lunar New Year on Sunday, February 15th at the VFW Hall (413 Main Street) with Asian Enough. And join them for a joyful celebration featuring a lion dance performance by Mid-Hudson Chinese Language Center, hands-on lantern-making led by Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light, and Asian-inspired treats baked by Asian Enough and available for purchase. The organizers have noted that the live drumming can be very loud, so young children and those sensitive to noise may want to wear noise-cancelling headphones. Tickets available here.
On Saturday, February 21st, head to Industrial Arts Brewing Company (511 Fishkill Avenue) for the Hudson East Asian Culture Club’s inaugural East Asian Spring Festival, celebrating the Lunar New Year, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, and East Asian culture.
The ticketed event will showcase Taiko drums, a lion dance, Tai Chi, Chinese Calligraphy and traditional music, along with Chinese tea tasting. Food will also be available to buy, with the first 60 adult tickets purchased receiving a free bao. Doors open at 2:30 PM.
Afterwards, join the Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light and continue the Year Of The Horse festivities by gathering at Polhill Park at 5:30 PM. The parade will kick off from there at 6:00 PM when everyone will walk the length of Main Street with lit lanterns, music, and cheer. Lanterns will be displayed upon arrival at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane), and neighbors will come together to celebrate the eventual arrival of spring. You can drink tea and eat tasty bites around the fire while the organizers officially send off last year’s snake lantern and welcome in the Year of the Horse in the tradition of Chinese New Year. Be sure to dress warmly, but also be ready to dance.
As February draws to an end, get your glad rags on for what sounds a fun and glamorous affair that’s for a good cause. On Saturday, February 28th, Beacon's Backyard is hosting a Speakeasy Soirée to raise funds for their programs— The Lab at the Yard, and its most well-known program—Beacon’s Backyard Kitchen.
The evening starts with a cocktail hour featuring live jazz and light bites from the prohibition era, followed by an evening full of casino games, burlesque, and other 1920s’ fun.
You can come just for the cocktail hour (5:30 PM to 7 PM), or later (7 PM to 10 PM), or join for the whole evening. Explore ticket options here. And in the spirit of a classic speakeasy, the location and password will be shared the day before the event.
Dress in your favorite 1920s garb or as an activist from the era you’d like to honor.
Explore The Beacon Beacon For Events News & More
And that’s not all. Visit our Events Guide and Events Hub on WhatsApp to get the full picture of what’s on in Beacon during February and into spring. New listings are added almost daily.
The Beacon Beacon has a directory for you to explore, whether you’re looking for an event, to shop, to eat & drink, where to stay, where to practice a little self-care, or where to find an essential service.
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Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡