Columbia County Tourism

04/28/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, established in 2009, has been held each year in the historic city of Hudson, NY, and strives to create, nurture, and sustain a culture of literacy in partnership with our community and schools. This free, public event fosters a love of reading as families meet and greet world-class creators of books for children of all ages.

This year, the event will be held at Columbia-Greene Community College. The book festival will host more than 75 creators and is expected to draw thousands of families.

🗓️: Saturday, May 3rd
⏰: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
🗺️: Columbia County Community College

🚍: Shuttle Buses will be running from downtown Hudson to the college. Check out the timetable and route here: https://hudsonchildrensbookfestival.org/transportation-route-schedule/

✍️: Check out the list of writers and creators here:
https://hudsonchildrensbookfestival.org/about-the-book-festival/

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆! Start here:
https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

04/24/2025

The High Falls Conservation Area includes a one mile trail that winds through hemlock ravines alongside the Agawamuck Creek to an overlook of 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹! 🏞️

This site and the Agawamuck Creek have been an important part of the development of the Village of Philmont. In the early 19th century, hydropower was industry’s chief energy source. Access to hydropower via the falls led to the growth of a bustling village called Factory Hill, later named Philmont. In Philmont’s heyday, the waterfall provided power for 17 mills. The dam above High Falls, built in 1845, is visible from the viewing area at the top of the trail.

High Falls is located 15 minutes east of Hudson and is one of ten properties owned by the Columbia Land Conservancy. These sites are open daily, free of charge, from dawn til dusk.

While in Philmont, be sure to grab a meal at High Falls Pizzeria & Tap House, The Pub, Mcnan's Variety Foods, or Local 111. Round out your visit with a stop at the Philmont Cooperative, a unique producer & consumer cooperatively-owned market, commercial kitchen, and café.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆!
Start your plan here:
https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

Find more hikes here: https://tinyurl.com/CCT-Historic-Hikes

04/21/2025

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱!

The rolling hills and Clermont State Historic Site will be alive with the sound of music, the delicious aroma of hot food, and the brilliant yarns, soaps, and artisanal goods by local makers offers a little something for everyone.

Be sure to take a stroll to the walled garden adjacent to the mansion. Members of The Orchestra Now will present a program of chamber music inspired by nature from 1 to 2 p.m. Come hear music written to evoke birds chirping, forests, streams, and flowers blooming in the springtime. Also performing is Tamarack playing a medley of traditional Irish music. You won't want to miss it!

This family-friendly event, one of the historic site’s oldest and most popular annual festivals, has become a springtime tradition for many in the area. With shearing demonstrations, farm animals, and historic reenactments, there's something for everyone! The Showcase is a great place for children, with crafts, storytelling, and the chance to meet their first sheep!

Entry: $15 per vehicle

Create your next adventure in Columbia County! Start here:
https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

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04/20/2025

Create your next adventure in Columbia County! Start your planning on our website:
https://columbiacountytourism.org/

Be sure to check out our tours:
Tasty Treats ~ Historic Hikes ~ Scenic Sips ~ Bicycling

Special thanks to our photo contributors: Ken Bovat, John Cody, Ron Mastro, Chuck Callo, Bill Gerlach and Lake Taghkanic State Park!

04/18/2025

𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮? Be sure to stop by the first outdoor farmers market of the season at the Hudson Farmers Market - a sure sign of Spring! 🐣🌷🪻The forecast says we could see temperatures in the 80's on Saturday! 🌡☀️ Sunday will be a bit cooler making for a perfect day for brunch at North Star at The Alander, The Klocke Estate or the Copake Country Club and The Greens Restaurant!

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆!
Make your plan at https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

04/16/2025

One of the oldest continuously owned and operated restaurants in Columbia County is Jo Jo's Pizzeria and they are proudly celebrating their 30th Anniversary TODAY! Everyone is invited to help celebrate starting at 4pm and enjoy complimentary menu items (as long as the dough holds out!)

JoJo's is a local favorite as well as a regular stop for many traveling the Taconic Parkway. Seconds away from Exit 80, this iconic Long Island style pizzeria will make you feel at home no matter how far away you live. (Their homemade sauce is ahhmazing!!) 🍕🍝

Join us in congratulating Carlo and his family on this great milestone!

Columbia County Chamber of Commerce

04/15/2025

Coming up this weekend in Columbia County - World Class Entertainment - and there's something for everyone!

📷1️⃣: Previously seen performing on some of the top stages in New York City such as BB Kings Club, The Brooklyn Bowl, The Iridium Jazz Club, The Cutting Room, and The Village Underground, Myles Mancuso will bring his own style of R&B to the Park Theater Hudson on Friday night!

📷2️⃣: Spottiswoode & His Enemies are a New York based rock band. Fronted by Jonathan Spottiswoode, who also writes most of the band's music, the group has an eclectic and hard to describe sound, with songs ranging from rock to folk to jazz and even gospel. Catch them at the Spencertown Academy Arts Center on Saturday night!

📷3️⃣: Visionary opera director and Hudson resident R.B. Schlather reunites with early music band Ruckus in April 2025 for six performances of Handel’s baroque blockbuster Giulio Cesare. Repeating the successful alchemy of Rodelinda (2023), Schlather brings together area residents, rising young stars, and some of the finest baroque interpreters today to share his passion for Handel in the intimacy of New York State’s oldest surviving theater, the Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House.

📷4️⃣: This revised, updated version of the popular 1970’s musical, and based on the amazing book by Studs Terkel about everyday exertion and everyday people. “Working” is for anyone who has punched a clock, a cow or a supervisor… or wanted to! Check it out this weekend and next at The Ghent Playhouse

Create your next adventure in Columbia County!
Plan your itinerary on our website:
https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

04/12/2025

Great article in the New York Times this week outlining a weekend getaway to the Hudson Valley that features several Columbia County businesses and attractions!

Check it out here: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/04/10/travel/things-to-do-hudson-valley.html

Kinderhook Farm Churchtown Dairy The Social Type Spotty Dog Books & Ale Jamestown Hudson The Amelia Hudson Culture Cream Kitty’s Market The Aviary Kinderhook Art Omi

04/09/2025

Spring has sprung in Columbia County! Get out and enjoy the fresh air and scenery on these Historic Hikes in the tour section of our website! Plan your visit, download hike maps and explore self-guided tours in our handy guide. How many of these historic hikes have you taken? Comment with your experiences and photos!

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 by checking out the variety of tours on our website including 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 here: https://tinyurl.com/CCT-Historic-Hikes

Austerlitz Historical Society
Clermont State Historic Site
Columbia County Historical Society
Friends of Taconic State Park
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Frederic Church's Olana
Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
Shaker Museum
The Ruins at Sassafras Farm

04/07/2025

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆!! Mark your calendar for this Friday, April 11th, as it's the first ever official 🍺𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🍻 It’s a day to celebrate and honor New York’s 500+ independent craft breweries who support 22,000 jobs and have a 4.8 billion dollar impact on the NYS economy....plus, it's just plain fun and delicious!

Head to your local Columbia County brewery and grab a pint, enjoy some food, and sample some of the greatest craft brews in all of New York State! Check out our list of local breweries here: https://tinyurl.com/Columbia-County-Brews

04/04/2025

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆! The First Shaker Community was founded in New Lebanon in the northeast corner of Columbia County in 1787. “Mount Lebanon” became the spiritual and secular heart of Shaker life, serving as the central ministry that oversaw the Shaker communities that emerged throughout New England and eventually to southern states.

At its peak in the mid-19th century, the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society reached a population of about 600 and spread across 6,000 acres, with hundreds of buildings. The community closed in 1947, and the last seven Shakers left Mount Lebanon.

Today, the site is a National Historic Landmark and a museum, preserving 91 acres for tours and exhibitions, including the Great Stone Barn pictured in this post. A brand-new state of the art museum is planned in Chatham and a groundbreaking took place today with an anticipated opening in 2026.

Read more fun facts about Columbia County here: https://tinyurl.com/FFF-4-4-25

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮! Check out our website: https://tinyurl.com/ColumbiaCountyTourism

04/01/2025

How well do you know Columbia County and Hudson? We bet there’s plenty of locals who don’t know some of these factoids! Here is our list of the 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆!

Here's a sample:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 was one of the most significant fossil finds in American history. In 1705, a Dutch tenant farmer found a massive five-pound prehistoric tooth that would later be recognized as an Ice Age mastodon tooth, the first recorded discovery of its kind.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 were a group of people with an "intense fear of strangers" who hid in the hills in the Town of Taghkanic. Rumors of witchcraft and strange superstitious rituals surrounded the community. Their only source of income came from weaving amazing baskets from strips of hardwood, which were considered superior even to Shaker handiwork.

𝗛𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 - Brothers Seth and Thomas Jenkins arrived in “Claverack Landing” in 1783 with the goal of relocating their whaling operation after being driven out of Nantucket by British forces. Together with 28 other whalers, the brothers formed a company that laid out a city grid and put into place everything a whaling enterprise would need.

Read more at the link below! How many of our factoids did you know? Let us know in the comments!

Columbia County Historical Society Columbia County Fair I LOVE NEW YORK

How well do you know Columbia County and Hudson? We bet there’s plenty of locals who don’t know some of these factoids! Here is our list of the Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Columbia County! 1. First Incorporated City – Before it was known as “Hudson”, it was called “Claverack La...

03/29/2025

Be sure to include a stop at Golden Harvest Farms this 🍁Maple Weekend🍁 and check out their wide selection of maple syrup offerings...and don't forget to check out their bakery case loaded with fresh turnovers, apple cinnamon scones and their signature homemade apple cider donuts!!

03/27/2025

🍁Maple Season 2025🍁 is coming to a close but you still have a chance to partake in the festivities and enjoy some of the most delicious products produced in Columbia County! Start your weekend by visiting Maple Leaf Sugaring in Ghent where you can tour their production facility, learn how maple syrup is crafted and enjoy some complimentary samples of their products!

Be sure to add a stop to Chatham Brewing and order a glass of their 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗲🍺 along with their Loaded Brewery Burger, voted the "Best Burger in NY". 🍔

Wrap-up your Maple Weekend with a visit to Cooper's Daughter Spirits and try their 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 🥃 or their 𝗖𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗱𝗸𝗮 🍸 along with food truck selections by Laruta del Sol 🌮 and Supreme Soft Serve🍦!

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 by starting at our website:
https://columbiacountytourism.org/