Hudson Valley Venues Continue Region’s Musical Legacy
The Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock. Photo by Lilian DeFilippis '26
On Aug. 15, 1969, Richie Havens opened up what is now regarded as one of the most iconic music festivals of all time, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The festival attracted an estimated crowd of over 450,000 to a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, for three days of performances.
With 32 acts and a lasting legacy, Woodstock remains a landmark of sixties counterculture, a symbol of peace, and perhaps the starting point for the unique music culture and rich history of the arts in the Hudson Valley.
The Hudson Valley is home to a plethora of music venues that continue to further the musical culture of the region through their concerts, festivals, events and programs, one of which is on the exact site of Woodstock 1969.
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts began its transformation to the highly regarded facility it is today in the 1990s when Alan Gerry acquired the land of the original Woodstock festival. He founded the Gerry Foundation to create an arts center and produced the “Day in the Garden” music festival in 1998.
Now, on 1,000 acres of land, Bethel Woods is a landmark not only for its Woodstock history, but also for its amphitheater, museum, indoor event gallery, campground, conservatory, studios and extensive programs for visitors of all ages.
According to their mission statement, Bethel Woods is a nonprofit organization “committed to building upon our rich history of peace by providing extraordinary experiences and access to the arts,” holding the belief that “the world can be made better through the power of music and the arts.”
Upcoming concerts at the Bethel Woods Pavilion this summer include artists James Taylor, Paul Simon, Thomas Rhett, Brandi Carlile and more.
Less than 60 miles northeast of Bethel is another notable music venue, The Bearsville Theatre, which lies within the town of Woodstock.
Founded by the music entrepreneur and manager Albert Grossman, the property first served as a community to bring artists together to live and work. Grossman built cabins, established Bearsville Records in 1970, and eventually built Bearsville Theater.
Grossman’s musical community attracted young artists including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Allen Ginsberg, Johnny Cash and George and Pattie Boyd, who all moved to Woodstock.
The Bearsville Theater was designed to be a cultural landmark and, according to their website, aims to provide “an exceptional and unique setting for artists from around the globe to sojourn to, to perform to an audience in our intimate, acoustically perfect auditorium.”
The theater continues to foster a new era of artists with the same community and creativity it was founded on. The Bearsville Theater’s upcoming events include the Bearsville Bluegrass Festival on May 24, with “bluegrass, delicious food, nature, community and that unmistakable Bearsville energy,” along with many more upcoming concerts.
Across the river, another 60 miles southeast is Daryl’s House, a restaurant and live music club in the town of Pawling, NY.
Owned by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall of the duo Hall and Oates, the club was inspired by Hall’s series, “Live from Daryl’s House,” which emerged on the internet in 2007. The series hosted guest artists for a relaxed environment for musical collaboration.
On the Daryl’s House website, Hall describes his club as “the perfect venue where artists, bands and I can hang out, drink some wine, have a good time and make some great music,” adding, “why not just play music at my house and let people see what musicians are really like, when they are relaxed and among friends.”
Events at Daryl’s House include local, regional and nationally touring bands, continuing the original vision of Hall’s series.
Lastly, 60 miles north in the town of Hudson is a repurposed factory, which is now the unique venue, Basilica Hudson.
Originally a foundry for steel railways in the 1880s, the building transformed into a glue factory, which it remained until previous owner Patrick Doyle bought the building in 2000. He stripped, renovated and transformed it into what he called a building for “unconventional art experiences.” Patti Smith performed Basilica Hudson’s first benefit concert, but the venue now hosts music festivals, markets, film screenings, an artist residency program and a weekly concert and art series.
Basilica Hudson’s upcoming events feature Ty Segall’s US Tour, Dry Cleaning and The Wallflowers, as well as a farm and flea market event.
Like many of the Hudson Valley’s music venues, “Basilica Hudson supports the creation, production and presentation of independent arts and culture,” inspired by the region's history of art and culture, which continues to be fostered through local venues that preserve the rich musical tradition.