What’s On This Memorial Day Weekend?
The Veterans Memorial Building, 413 Main Street.
If you’re wondering what the forecast is for Memorial Day weekend in Beacon, you can expect Main Street to be lively with plenty to satisfy every taste. We’re certainly no experts when it comes to predicting the weather, but we do know where to go and what’s on in the city.
Annual Memorial Day Ceremony
Monday, May 26th, 2025, marks the 129th Commemoration of Memorial Day. It’s a time to honor and remember those who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. armed forces. Beacon’s Veteran Groups include American Legion Post 203, Veterans of Foreign Wars - Private William B. Wilson Post 666, Marine Corps League - Carmen Ramputi Detachment 861, Nam Knights of America - Iron Horse Chapter, and Guardian Revival. Join these groups on Monday to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here’s the schedule:
8:00 AM: Colors to Half Staff
10:00 AM: A service at East Main Street Bridge commemorating those who died in the U.S. Naval Forces. There’ll be a wreath laying on the water and a rifle salute.
11: 00 AM: The 159th Commemoration of Memorial Day will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building (413 Main Street) and includes remarks given by retired Army officer John MacEnroe and In Flanders Fields read by MSGT Jeannet Passons, U.S. Air Force.
12:00 PM: The ceremony will end with an unveiling of a new Veterans Memorial Building historic marker provided by the Pomeroy Foundation alongside the building.
Visit an exhibition
The Opening Reception for KuBe Art Center’s new group exhibition, Half the Sky, is on Saturday, May 24th. In 1968, Chairman Mao Zedong declared “women hold up half the sky.” It was a political commitment to the essential role of women in society. Decades later, Joan Lebold Cohen, pioneering art critic and curator, conceived of an exhibition focused entirely on Chinese women artists. While it was not shown at the time, it’s now come to life thanks to Joan’s son Ethan Cohen.
The exhibition is presented by Ethan Cohen Gallery, runs until August 30th , and features a diverse range of work from 11 groundbreaking Chinese artists including Cai Jin, Cui Fei, Edie Xu, Guo Zhen, Katinka Huang, Li Daiyun, Lin Tianmiao, Shen Ling, Xiao Lu, Xing Fei, and Yin Mei. The opening reception and exhibition will take place at 20 Kent Street, Beacon.
A very different Beacon
The west end of Main Street, 1982. By Patrick Prosser.
It’s no exaggeration to say we’re a little obsessed with the current Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street) and Beacon Historical Society presentation of an evocative exhibition called Work in Decay: The Renaissance of Beacon, Then and Now. The show features the late Beacon photographer Patrick Prosser’s 1982 collection of images depicting a very different Beacon to the one we know now. Prosser’s stark representation of a gritty city in decline is contrasted with the work of some of Beacon’s contemporary photographers. There’s no denying the touching soul and character found in Prosser’s 1982 portraits.
The show runs from April 19th to July 21st. We’ll be visiting this exhibit a few more times before it closes. This weekend, the Howland will be open Saturday and Sunday, 1 PM to 5 PM, and possibly on Memorial Day.
More Shows to See
This weekend will be the last opportunity to see artist and filmmaker, Steve McQueen’s stunning, immersive installation, Bass, at Dia Beacon (3 Beekman Street), which closes on Monday, May 26th. See it if you haven’t already.
BAU Gallery (506 Main Street) is hosting three separate shows in its intimate space that’s always worth checking out. On view is Daniel Berlin’s Swallowing the Sun; a group exhibit called In This Place, and Iain Wall’s Precious Stones. The shows will run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until June 8th.
Distortion Society (155 Main Street) is displaying Inner Excess, curated by Evan Paul English. The exhibit includes works by Jared Freschman, Emma Jackson, Gracelee Lawrence, Sam Reeder, Kat Ryals, and Colleen Rae Smiley.
Super Secret Projects’s (484 Main Street) The Hard and Soft of It is about the moments that mark us all, and it reflects on the “layered emotional terrain of lived experience.” Runs until June 7th.
Hudson Beach Glass, 162 Main Street.
Visit Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street) not just for its spectacular glassworks but for its intimate upstairs gallery. Currently showing is Oceans Apart — Reconnected by Karen Bamonte and Robin Tedesco.
For the evening
Whether looking for a theater experience, improv, live music (including some Broadway tunes), you’ll find it in Beacon this Memorial Day weekend. Here’s what’s on:
Improv with a twist
Feedback | An Improv & Video Art Performance is a unique and ambitious collaboration between video artist Rooster and improv performer Don Romaniello. The performance turns a four-dimensional mirror on a cast of improvisers. Live footage of the ensemble is delayed, altered, and expanded by Rooster into new characters. Each player is launched out of their comfort zone to land in a hilarious world built by their cohorts. Featuring Lily Labe, Jennifer Lavenhar, Don Romaniello, David Schwartz, and Alec Vanacore. Taking place at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street), Saturday May 24th.
An Absurdist Reading
Savage Wonder, the basement area of the new arts center, is now open at the former Mechanics Savings Bank (139 Main Street) after a brief delay. This stunning space will ultimately serve as both an art gallery and a downstairs theater space and bar area called the Parlor. This Saturday sees the second of three readings of Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece, The Bald Soprano, on Saturday, May 24th. You’ll also be able to check out the Savage Wonderground Art Gallery’s inaugural show—entitled Radical Fun— which features the work of artists who are veterans or family members of veterans.
Broadway comes to Beacon
If One Day More or Seasons of Love counts among your favorite songs of all time, then Broadway in Beacon open mic is for you. Hosted by Will Reynolds and Jen Malenke, this Sunday’s Rising Stars event is specifically for the under-21s. Singing begins at 3 PM at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane). See our Events Guide for more details and tickets.
Beacon’s Live Music Scene
Owner of The Towne Crier, Phil Ciganer, was honored last week at the Howland Cultural Center’s Annual Gala for his 50-year-plus contribution to Beacon’s music arts scene. As he accepted the accolade, Ciganer shared how this popular Beacon music venue nearly didn’t make it here. After 25 years of operation in Pawling, NY, Ciganer was ready to call it quits for the Towne Crier. That is until a friend and real estate broker insisted he see an empty warehouse on Main Street. Something connected and Ciganer took on the space which so many locals and visitors to the city continue to enjoy 52 weeks of the year. This holiday weekend is no exception as the Towne Crier is offering an eclectic mix for every type of music lover.
The weekend kicks off with The Heartstrings Project—an indie folk and Americana group from the “woods of the Hudson Valley,” on the Main Stage.
On Saturday, May 24th, Sharkey & The Sparks full-band line up, featuring Sharkey McEwen —lead guitarist of The Slambovian Circus of Dreams—take the Main Stage while Helen Avakian, an award-winning singer and songwriter, will perform earlier on the Salon Stage.
If you enjoy music with Sunday brunch, then stop by for a bite and to listen to ukele-loving Greg Doyle and Wendy Matthews, also known as the Edukated Fleas, who’ll be playing big swing and vintage tunes, especially from the 1920s to 1950s. To round out the weekend, Woodstock’s popular ensemble The Bob Cats will be on the Main Stage Sunday evening to celebrate Bob Dylan’s birthday and music. The organizers recommend booking in advance.
The Yankee Clipper (397 Main Street), one of 90+ eateries to choose from in Beacon.
With more than 90 places to eat and drink, and over 90 places to shop, let’s not forget that a weekend of eating and shopping is also totally acceptable. Visit our Eat & Drink, Shop, and Events Guide to explore all options. You’ll find links to buy tickets for events in our Guide, too. Wondering where to park? We have that, too. If you’re looking to shop like a local, visit our Rewards club where you can score secret deals for some of Main Street’s most popular businesses. Just tell them the promo code to get your deal.
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Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡
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