A statue of Sybil Ludington, the local teenage hero of the Revolutionary War, who went even farther than the 41-year-old Paul Revere to rally the troops as the British approached (40 miles to his 20-mile ride), has been undergoing a proper restoration over the past several weeks.

“The legend of Sybil Ludington is deeply rooted in Putnam County’s identity, and this restoration project is about more than preserving a statue, it’s about preserving a legacy,” noted Putnam County Historian Jennifer Cassidy.

Officials say the bronze statue depicting Ludington on her ride, which was originally unveiled in 1961, underwent surface cleaning, patina restoration, and protective finishing. The statue’s fieldstone pedestal was also inspected and repaired by the Putnam County Department of Public Works, and additional site enhancements including native plantings and landscaping improvements have been implemented in coordination with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and the Brewster/Carmel Garden Club.

Restoration is expected to be completed by July 3, 2025, with Sybil receiving a special police escort to her usual spot at Lake Gleneida at 15 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel.

250 years ago, multiple fires were lit atop one of today’s most popular hiking destinations in the Hudson Valley to warn General George Washington and his troops, who had headquarters across the river in Newburgh, of the British’s incoming.

Those signaling fires at the peak of the Revolutionary War became the namesake of the pinnacle mountain and the city of Beacon.

During this week’s celebration of America’s founding, those interested can take a trek up Mount Beacon, like Semiquincentennial soldiers, for an Independence Day hike on Saturday, July 4, 2026 beginning at 8:30am. Along the 1.2-mile trek uphill, local historian Chris Cring will discuss the history of the mountain and Beacon’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, including the story behind the famous “beacon” signal fires.

Upstate Art Weekend
Continues through June 29, 2026
Hundreds of exhibitions, performances and special events across the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Website

Visit Artist Jill Duffy's Farm & Field at Upstate Art Weekend
Continues through June 29, 2026 at 11am
Cost of admission: Free
338 Punsit Road, Chatham
Visit Farm & Field during Upstate Art Weekend for an exhibition of artist Jill Duffy’s work, alongside open studio, pigment demos, guided foraging walk, farm store, and self-guided trails across our 210-acre farm; free and open to the public. Website

Villa Isis: A Nordic-New York Immersive Art Experience
Continues through June 29, 2026
Cost of admission: Free
618 Plutarch Road, New Paltz
Presented by Villa Isis in collaboration with Oscar Galleri, Norway, and supported by the Norwegian Consulate General in New York, Villa Isis: A Nordic–New York Immersive Art Experience, is a site-specific exhibition and public program taking place during Upstate Art Weekend 2026. Bringing together artists from Scandinavia and New York, the exhibition explores the relationship between moving image, light, landscape, mythology, and contemporary storytelling. Through film, sculpture, sound, installation, and craft, participating artists examine how stories become embedded within place and how contemporary art can reshape our experience of the natural world. Website

Ashtray
On view through June 29, 2026
Cost of admission: $10
The International Museum of Dinnerware Design, 524 Broadway, Kingston
More than 100 ashtrays will be on display exploring the intersection between drinking and smoking. Website

Salsa Dancing Nights
Continues June 29, July 13, July 27, 2026 from 6:30 to 7:30pm
Cost of admission: Free
8000 Mall Walk, Yonkers
Feel the rhythm with high-energy Salsa nights at Cross County Center! Learn new moves from live instructors from Ballet Folklorico de las Americas and dance the night away with live Latin music performances on select Mondays. All events are open to the public, most are free to attend, and guests can enjoy complimentary parking in Cross County Center’s convenient open-air setting. Website

Full Moon Hike and Live Music

Monday, June 29, 2026 with gates at 6:45pm

Drayton Grant Park, Burger Hill, 3158 Route 9G, Rhinebeck

Picnics welcome. Band at 7pm, sunset at 8:34pm, moonrise at 8:52pm. Website

Tideline Discovery
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 from 9:30am to 1:30pm
Cost of admission: $15
Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow
Looking for a fun way to explore the Hudson River with your child this summer? Join Clearwater's Community Tideline Programs! These half-day, hands-on summer adventures allow families to discover the Hudson River together through science, history, music, and exploration. Search for fish and other river creatures, learn about the river's past and future, and experience the shoreline like never before. Continues July 16 and August 5 at Nyack State Beach. $15 per adult/child, $5 per additional child and $8 per additional adult. Website

Music in the Parks
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 starting at 5pm
Cost of admission: Free
Mills Mansion
Note: Two bands this week! This week’s concert starts at 5pm with That Guy Larry followed by 4 Guys in Disguise at Mills. Series continues on July 8 with Southern Dutchess Concert Band at Vanderbilt, July 15 with Bosco and The Storm at Mills, July 22 with Matt Jordan at Vanderbilt, July 29 with Flirtin’ with Disaster at Mills, August 5 starting at 6:30pm with the Way Behind The Sun at Mills, and August 12 with the West Point Military Band at Vanderbilt. Rain location: Taconic Offices, 9 Old Post Road, Staatsburg. Updates will be posted on the Hyde Park Recreation Facebook page: Website

Twilight Music in the Parks
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 from 6 to 7pm
Cost of admission: Free
Walkway Over the Hudson State Park
Featuring Erin Hobson. Continues July 8 with Elly Wininger, July 15 with Storm King Skyline, July 22 with O’Sullivan’s March, and July 29 with Straight Ahead Jazz. Website

Waterfront Wednesday with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater
July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29, 2026 with doors at 6pm, show at 7pm
Cost of admission: Free with suggested donation of $15 adults, $7 kids
Arm-of-the-Sea Tidewater Center, 57 E. Bridge St, Saugerties
Waterfront Wednesdays is Arm-of-the-Sea Theater’s weekly summer performance series at our seasonal cultural space, the Tidewater Center. Join us for a variety of pre-show activities and displays for all ages before the show. This year's show features a playful Dog and a thoughtful Snail who guide a disheartened Everyman through a series of medicine tales in the hope of re-sparking joy and elemental wonder. These medicine tales show the magic of DNA, the cycles of the cell, and glorious processes of photosynthesis, awakening the most downtrodden hearts. Developed with support from the Jim Henson Foundation and the Upstate Coalition for a FairGame. Opening acts TBA. Website

See fireworks across the Hudson Valley, here.

Rev250 Illuminated
July 3-5, 2026
City of Beacon
A series of outdoor digital light projections on municipal buildings and other iconic city locations.

Independence Weekend at Washington’s Headquarters
July 4-5, 2026
Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh
Featuring Revolutionary War Trivia, musket demonstrations, a special lecture on The Declaration of Independence, Tower of Victory Tours and more. Website

The Putnam County Classic Road Race
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 7am
Cost to participate: $40-$45
Mahopac
“Race the Lake” with a 5.3-mile run around Lake Mahopac. Day-of registration available. Website

Independence Day Hike on Mount Beacon
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 8:30 to 11am
Meet at the Scenic Hudson parking lot at the corner of Wolcott and Howland Avenues, Beacon
Along a 1.2-mile trek uphill, local historian Chris Cring will discuss the history of the mountain and Beacon’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, including the story behind the famous “beacon” signal fires. Website

Mekeel’s Corners Chapel Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 10am to noon
Cost of admission: Free with registration requested
Mekeel’s Corners Chapel, 321 Route 301, Cold Spring
The program will feature readings of select passages from the most important founding documents of the United States of America including the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Fred Martin and Karen Kapoor will lead attendees in the singing of patriotic songs and hymns. With great pleasure the program includes solo performances by Julie Heckert, Linda Speziale and Karen Kapoor of American songs by Aaron Copland and Lee Hoiby. Following the Service attendees will be invited to walk to the Mekeel’s Corners Chapel Cemetery to honor and remember the seven revolutionary war veterans buried there. Refreshments, Sabrage and a Cannon Salute will close the event. Website

The 4th Annual July Boat Parade
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 10am
Lake Mahopac
Website

Independence Day at Clermont
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 11am to 5pm
Cost of admission: $15
Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown
Celebrate America’s 250th Independence Day at the home of the Livingston’s in Clermont. What was life like for the people of Clermont at the dawn of the Revolutionary War? See reenactors portray the daily life of these colonists through live demonstrations. Meet the Livingston family inside the historic mansion. Make a historic craft and try out a colonial game. Be entertained by the songs and stories of the era and end the day with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Please note: The park closes at 5pm, there will be no fireworks viewing at this site.Link

Beacon Rev250 Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 11am
Cost of admission: Free
Veterans Memorial Building, Beacon
Color guard, history of the Declaration of Independence, Beacon poet laureate Ruth Danon and more.

“The Pursuit of Happiness: The Revolution Along Huguenot Street”
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 11am to 12:30pm
Cost of admission: $17.76, $13 members, seniors, students and children under 13, free for veterans, active military and their families and children under 7
Hasbrouck House, New Paltz
Explore the historic Daniel Hasbrouck House, built in 1721, while learning how the war shaped Black patriots, Dutch loyalists, and other local revolutionaries. Website

America at 250 Birthday Cake!
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 1:30pm
Cost of admission: Free
Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park
Join a special “America at 250” birthday cake celebration. No registration is required.

The Declaration of Independence: America’s 250th
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 1:30 to 4pm
Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, 33 Battlefield Road, Stony Point
A short lecture and reading of the Declaration of Independence by a costumed interpreter followed by the firing of musket volleys. Website

The Nimhm Washington Legacy
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 2pm
Cost of admission: $39 and up. Update – sold out!
Constitution Island, Cold Spring
Written by Evan Pritchard and featuring internationally acclaimed violinist Daisy Jopling and the prestigious Native American dance troupe Indigenous Enterprise. The Legacy of Nimham tells the story of the extraordinary bond between George Washington and Daniel Nimham, the Native American leader who saved Washington’s life during the Revolutionary War. Website

Screening of 1776 (1972)
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 3pm
Cost of admission: Free with registration required
Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park
The film version of the Broadway musical comedy of the same name. In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. Register

Celebrate Independence Symphony on the Lawn
Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 7 to 9:30pm
Cost of admission: $59, $28 kids ages 4-18, free for kids under 4
Boscobel House and Gardens, Garrison
The Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra is returning to Boscobel’s Great Lawn, where Conductor Russell Ger will be bringing his explosive artistic energy with a line-up of music inspired by fireworks and jubilation for the largest celebration in the Hudson Valley. A special feature of this year’s performance is actress Julie Ann Emery, known for her roles in Better Call Saul, Fargo, 5 Days at Memorial, and more, will be narrating Copland’s Lincoln Portrait alongside the orchestra. The concert starts at 7pm and includes a short intermission, concluding at 9:30pm. Stay for a front row seat to the West Point fireworks after the performance (weather permitting). Website

Revolutionary New Paltz
Through July 4, 2026
Cost of admission: Free
Various Locations in the Town and Village of New Paltz
The first-ever Revolutionary New Paltz, a two-month festival of family-friendly programs, tours, talks, reflections, cultural gatherings, dance classes, and exhibits. The series will explore and honor New Paltz’s history, people, place, architecture, and culture at America’s 250th. The offerings range from a walk around New Paltz to discover the different types of stone that make up the town’s buildings and an evening tour of the New Paltz Rural Cemetery to a juried art show, a performance by an indigenous storyteller with a harpist, and an artistic company depiction of key Revolutionary War events through 18th century music and songs. For lovers of music and dance, there’s salsa, line dancing, West African drumming and dance, and more. Website

Happy Birthday America BBQ Bash
Sunday, July 5, 2026 at noon
The ‘76 House, Tappan
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at the place where it all began. The ‘76 House was used as a meeting place for patriots and the tavern itself served as the 'prison' of the Revolution's most notorious spy, Major John Andre. Join us for a family-fun celebration featuring food, music, kids’ activities, beer truck, Revolutionary reenactments, musket demonstrations, and more. Website

Fireworks at West Point, the Walkway, the drive-in, fairgrounds and more.

Take note: A historical Army Air Corps flyover honoring America’s 250th is planned on July 4 with several Commemorative Air Force aircraft flying down the Hudson River from north to south over West Point’s Trophy Point between 6:30 and 7pm. Aircraft confirmed include the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, P-51 Mustang, and C-47 Skytrain.

An Extreme Heat Watch is in effect for the entire region beginning 10am on Wednesday as triple digit temperatures are forecasted across the Hudson Valley this week.

“Dangerous heat will build across the region this week with the hottest conditions on Wednesday and Thursday and possibly extending into Friday,” according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Albany. “The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will lead to an increased risk for heat-related illnesses.”

Meterologist Ben Noll says this will be the fifth time this century the Hudson Valley will see triple digit temperatures – still not as sweltering as the summer of 1933, when temperatures exceeded 100-degrees seven times, reaching 104-degrees on August 1, 1933, the region’s highest temperature on record.

Records will be tested this week as temperatures rise on Wednesday into the upper 90s, hitting over 100-degrees on Thursday – with 102-degrees forecasted in Poughkeepsie – and “blazing heat and humidity” continuing into Friday. There will not be much relief at night, forecasters say, as temperatures will steady in the 70s with humid conditions persisting overnight.

In addition to the oppressive heat and humidity, the NWS says there is a “marginal risk for severe thunderstorms for most of eastern New York and western New England, except for the I-84 corridor, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Confidence in how widespread severe weather will be is low, but severe thunderstorms at this time are expected to be more isolated Wednesday. The main threat will be damaging winds and isolated large hail.”

The Hi-Way Drive-In Movie Theater says it’s “too darn hot” in their snack bar on a normal hot summer day, so as temperatures threaten to hit 100-degrees this week, the outdoor movie spot will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to the heat. Check the HVNY calendar for any heat-related event updates.

The National Weather Service in Albany says to stay indoors, keep hydrated, bring pets indoors or provide them with plenty of shade and water, use a buddy system and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning if you need to be outside, and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest part of the day.

Need more relief? Head to your local library, the movies, a shopping center, or find a dedicated cooling center near you. Dutchess County has also announced additional funding for qualifying residents to receive a free window A/C unit as the deadline for a state program approaches.

Find some relief from the heat with a dip in The River Pool, a unique, rainbow-colored circular floating pool with a netted bottom securely installed in the Hudson River just off the coast of Beacon. Folk icon Pete Seeger and his beloved wife Toshi were founding members of the River Pool, believing that “river stewardship begins with being on, near, and in the river.”