April’s Second Saturday Weekend Is Here
New Art, Theatrical Performances, Live Music, and More
Outdoor dining and drinking will soon be back.
April showers have set the stage for this month’s Second Saturday weekend; spring’s green shoots and blossoming trees are turning Beacon into a living outdoor gallery.
And that’s before we even get to the weekend’s main attractions: new exhibitions, theater, improv, celebrations, and live music all worth stepping out for come rain or shine.
Here’s what’s on in Beacon, NY this weekend.
New Art Show Openings
Three New Shows On Main Street
Where: BAU Gallery (506 Main Street)
When: Saturday, April 11th, Opening Reception 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Shows run until Sunday, May 3rd
Join BAU Gallery and its presenting artists for three new shows opening this weekend.
Nate Hill's inaugural exhibition at the gallery, The Loop Trail, presents a series of biomorphic wooden sculptures created from locally sourced walnut trees scavenged from roadsides or shared by arborist friends.
The Unfinished History of Dennings Point— George Kimmerling's latest project—explores the cultural landscape of Denning’s Point, which is the 64-acre site on the Hudson River in Beacon. Now a state park, the location has a complicated and distinctly American history.
Once owned by Dutch enslavers, Denning's Point is indelibly marked by racial and class conflict, unbridled industrialism, and environmental degradation. The show includes new black-and-white landscape photographs, works based on archival materials, and studies for new historical markers.
Awaken! is an aptly titled group show from BAU’s Gallery Artists. Described as “a call to action, a spiritual goal, a plea,” this show has a rich set of meanings, all of which seem spot on for this moment in time.
Participating Artists include Robin Adler, Karen Allen, Bob Barry, Joel Brown, Dan Florin, Nate Hill, Nataliya Hines, George Kimmerling, Linda Lauro-Lazin, Nansi T. Lent, Síle Marrinan, Soli Pierce, Eileen Sackman, and Ilse Schreiber-Noll.
Be A Member With Benefits
Curator and Artist-led Closing Tour of Meg Webster Exhibition
Where: Dia Beacon (3 Beekman Street)
When: Saturday, April 11th, 11 AM to 12 PM
Dia Beacon members can join Dia curator and co–department head Matilde Guidelli-Guidi and artist Meg Webster for a private tour of Webster’s popular long-term exhibition before it closes on Monday, April 13th. Hear Webster’s insights on her practice, her relationship with Dia, and the nature-derived sculptural works on view. Email membership@diaart.org for more information.
Plus, A New Show At Dia Beacon
Agnes Martin: Painting is not making paintings, now on at Dia Beacon, 3 Beekman Street.
Where: Dia Beacon
When: Long-term show. Friday to Monday, 10 AM to 5 PM (Summer hours).
Agnes Martin: Painting is not making paintings at Dia Beacon opened at the beginning of April. This is the first time the influential Canadian American abstract artist’s work has returned to Dia Beacon’s galleries in nearly a decade. This serene, strangely calming show draws primarily from Dia’s extensive collection of Martin’s canvases to focus on the artist’s output during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as significant works from the latter decades of her career.
Book tickets for Dia Beacon here.
Spaces Between Color continues at Distortion Society
Where: Distortion Society (155 Main Street)
When: Show ends Sunday, May 3rd
Spaces Between Color—a stunning group exhibition focused on the process of the traditional Japanese craft of katazome—continues at Distortion Society. Be sure to catch it before it closes.
Last Weekend To See The Howland Cultural Center Art Show
Bannerman Island and the Mighty Hudson River Exhibition
Where: Howland Cultural Center (HCC) (477 Main Street)
When: Now on. Show ends April 12th
HCC and the Bannerman Castle Trust’s second annual collaborative Hudson Valley landscape fine art show wraps up on Sunday, April 12th. Stop in to admire these unique fine art paintings, watercolors, prints, photography, and mixed media works in genres ranging from traditional and representational works to abstract masterpieces. And make sure to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this much-loved Victorian Gothic historic building while you’re there.
See The New Exhibition Celebrating Beacon’s Role In The American Revolutionary War
From Mount Beacon to the Hudson River: Beacon During the American Revolution
Where: Beacon Historical Society (61 Leonard Street)
When: Now until December 31st, 2026
The Beacon Historical Society’s (BHS) exhibition celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary and Beacon’s role in the American Revolution continues throughout the year. Stop in and learn something new.
A Night Of Music At Beacon’s Newest Venue
Rees Shad and Owen Walsh
Where: Lucky Dog (333 Fishkill Avenue)
When: Saturday, April 11th. Doors open 7 PM. Show starts at 7:30 PM. Tickets.
Beacon’s newest and most intimate music venue presents a night of folk and Americana with Rees Shad and Owen Walsh in a show called Have Songs Will Travel.
Shad is a musical storyteller who blends contemporary folk with Americana. His catalogue includes 17 solo albums spanning more than three decades. Owen Walsh, a folk singer and songwriter from rural Pennsylvania, brings his unique mix of folk, rock, blues, and Americana to audiences from Nashville to New York City.
Celebrate Hudson Valley Brewery’s Nineth Anniversary
Where: Hudson Valley Brewery (7 East Main Street)
When: Saturday, April 11th, 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
It’s not easy being a small business owner. That’s why The Beacon Beacon always aims to celebrate Beacon business anniversaries. (Let us know if you’re a Beacon business owner with an anniversary coming up soon!) Kudos to Hudson Valley Brewery which is marking its Nineth Anniversary in style this weekend with DJ sessions, lobster rolls, and oysters from Oyster Party. Cheers to another nine years (at least!).
Lose Yourself In The Big Funk
Savage Wonder Arts Center, 139 Main Street.
Where: Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street)
When: Saturday, April 11th, 6 PM
There are only three chances left to catch Savage Wonder Art Center’s latest and boldest experiential production yet: The Big Funk by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley (who also wrote the Academy Award-winning Moonstruck screenplay). This surreal fable of grit and grace, set in the 1990s, is a deeply human story of longing, fear, and the stubborn hope that change is possible.
The show runs every Saturday in April. Tickets are inclusive of themed food and cocktails.
Embrace An Evening of Movement, Music, And Connection
Ecstatic Dance With OMAR AENA
Where: St Andrew & St Luke Church
When: Saturday, April 11th at 7 PM
Ecstatic Dance is a judgement-free, sober night of music and dance in an environment where you can connect with others through the universal language of movement. All you have to do is be present. No phones. No cameras. Just you. Tickets here.
Turn Your Bizarre Day Into A Comedy Show On The Spot
Duke Comedy Theater’s Your Bizarre Day Improv Comedy Show
Where: Passion The Adult Dance Studio (473 Main Street)
When: Saturday, April 11th at 8 PM.
Join Duke Comedy Theater for their monthly show in which audience members share their “bizarre day” only to have it turned into a comedy improv show right before their eyes. Tickets.
An iced matcha latte with oat milk from Håkan Chocolatier, 462 Main Street.
Come for the entertainment this Second Saturday weekend, but stay for the 90+ one-of-a-kind shops on Main Street, everywhere to eat & drink, and the early blossoming trees. And as temperatures slowly climb, so will the outdoor dining options.
So, in anticipation of warmer times ahead, explore our up-to-date directories for everywhere to shop, eat and drink, and stay and play in Beacon, NY.
If you need to park, we can help with that, too. Find all the city’s free parking lots and EV charging stations here.
And subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to keep on enjoying the best of Beacon.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡