3 Best Performing Arts in Hudson Valley, New York

In 1990, the vivacious Carrie Haddad opened Hudson's first art gallery and put the city on the art world's map. She holds eight large exhibits a year focusing on contemporary work from local artists.

The annual Hudson ArtsWalk, sponsored by the Columbia County Council on the Arts, takes place in October. The event, a showcase for local visual artists, attracts thousands of visitors who come to ogle a wide array of exhibits and demonstrations as well as to see concerts, dance performances, lectures, and poetry readings. Most of the action is on Warren Street.

A cultural anchor in the city center, the Hudson Opera House offers a steady program of low-cost culture, including jazz, folk, blues, and classical concerts. As of this writing, a renovation of the original auditorium was planned for the near future.