There were rumors that the International Festival wasn’t going to happen this year due to the city’s economic condition. Although the rumors were false, one thing that has changed is the location. Because of road construction work the festival has to be moved from the waterfront to the newly acquired armory on S. William Street. It will take place September 4, 5, and 6th.
There will be a variety of vendors, international and local cuisine, carnival rides and games, and music by local bands. The festival will start off Friday at 5pm and Saturday and Sunday it will be from 12-11pm. The festivities will go on rain or shine! Check out this link for last years photos. I have to say, last year it was quite nice. It was great seeing all different kinds of families out enjoying the day.
A few months back when I did the Newburgh business scene survey, one person mentioned that a lot of Newburghers don’t even know that Washington Headquarters is open to the public. If you’ve never been to the Headquarters, this Saturday is your chance to go to a nice event being hosted there. Best of all, for the first 150 kids under 15 this event is FREE.
Oh, and don’t forget to support the many thriving Liberty Street businesses while you are there! Remember the 3/50 Project? Pick 3 businesses where you can spend $50 a month between the three of them! Click to learn more.
The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands will be hosting an antique sale at the Crawford House on 189 Montgomery St., Newburgh, NY. It will be on Sunday, August 22, 2010 9am – 4pm.
Vendors will be selling a host of interesting and unique antiques, collectibles and ephemera. Local artisan David O’Shea will be conducting furniture restoration demonstrations. Gary Ferguson, local numismatist and past president of the Newburgh Coin Club, will be on hand to appraise and possibly buy U.S. and foreign coins and paper money. Appraisals will be made for donations to the Historical Society.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Vendor space is still available for a $25 fee. Vendors must provide their own tables and chairs. If you are interested, please call Carla Decker at 845-565-4352.
Newburgh used to be the city where people would debut their acts before going to Broadway in New York City. Because Newburgh is only 60 miles away from NYC it was a common stomping ground for many rookies before they hit the big time; such as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Today, Newburgh will have a revivification of it’s old glory days with new professional acts coming from Broadway to New Zealand!
The West Shore Railroad Station, aka the Newburgh Train Station was once the hub of hustle and bustle. The train station brought thousands of people to Newburgh daily. It has now been abandoned for over 50 years and, was basically crumbling to bits. The building suffered a fire, the ceiling had collapsed and the façade was blanketed with graffiti. Not too long ago people were entering in and taking pictures and documenting the deplorable condition of the train station. The last train to leave the station to Grand Central in NYC was in 1958. Today the station has new life breathed into it. It’s be secured and restored in very little time compared to how long it has been abandoned. What is even better is that it has found occupants thanks to Key Properties !
Railroad Playhouse Inc, has just signed their lease with the West Shore Train Station. They are a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the revitalization of the Newburgh Waterfront and the preservation of Newburgh’s historic West Shore Railroad Station by providing a space for high-quality, artistically creative performing arts experiences. In their mission statement they state, they “will strive to provide a home for playwrights to workshop and showcase new plays; present local, national, and international artists of all genres; create partnerships with local businesses and organizations to continue revitalizing the area; implement a summer arts camp for local children; and create teaching-artist residencies and after-school programs in local schools.”
The Railroad Playhouse will be a 99-seat flexible venue with a sprung wooden floor and a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. With no permanent seating or fixed stage, the audience experience will be different for every event. Other features include dressing rooms and office space. The building will be divided into three parts: a performance space, a grand lobby, and a cafe from Nick Citera of Cosimo’s Restaurant Group. The Playhouse will also be available to rent once the beautiful renovations are complete along with catering. Their doors should open in the Fall of 2010.
If you would like to find out more information about The Railroad Playhouse, it’s mission, and it’s founders who have an awesome resume, click on this link for their website. http://www.rrplayhouse.org/ or check them out on Facebook. They are accepting donations for those that would like to help their non-profit group. Any donation can help and can go towards things like stage lighting. They will need all the help they can get to make their Fall 2010 debut opening. This is a great option for those of you who have moved away from Newburgh but still want to see your home town thrive. Click here for the direct link to make a donation.
This project brings Newburgh’s revitalization a little further up from the waterfront, although still connected. It is important to remember what this building looked like before. A lot of hard work and effort went into saving this important part of Newburgh’s erased waterfront history. This accomplishment shows that this time around the revitalization in Newburgh is really starting to come around and more and more major historic buildings are being saved. As the developments progress we will keep you informed. Stay tuned next week for a tour of one of Newburgh’s biggest restorations going on at the moment.
Hop on the bus! The art bus that is! The City of Newburgh will be launching an art shuttle from June through October 30, 2010 every Saturday. The scheduled departure times from the Newburgh Landing will be at 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 3:15 and the last run will be at 4:15.
Passengers will travel on board from the waterfront, down several of the most beautiful historic streets in the city and will make stops at the Karpeles Museum, the Ann Street Gallery, Washington’s Headquarters and the newly restored Broadway Park. The park is located at the foot of Broadway and overlooks the breathtaking vistas of the Hudson River. It’s the perfect place to sit and drink in the serenity.
Points of interest along the tour will be the David Crawford House (home of the Historic Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands), important architecture by famous 19th century architects, i.e., A.J. Downing and Calvert Vaux, the Dutch Reformed Church and the Old Town Cemetery. The “Art Bus” will travel down Liberty Street with its quaint shops and restaurants. Riders can catch the bus to return to the waterfront after their visit.
Visitors will be exposed to the broad range of beauty contained in the City of Newburgh. The City has the largest contiguous historic district in New York State outside of New York City.
For more info contact Ann Kuzmik at Cit y Hall (845) 5697354.
This Sunday, Newburgh’s 4th of July fireworks show on the waterfront will still continue with tradition. Fireworks will start at dusk over the Hudson River. The rain date is July 11th, but the forecast looks clear, and hot for now. Also, at Newburgh landing there will be an art show from noon to 6pm, and a music by The Reel Band will be playing from 7-9pm.
For more information on the Art Show or 4th of July events, or for an artist’s entry form, call Deputy Mayor Regina Angelo at 569-7301, or 565-5429, or Ann Kuzmik at 569-7354.
After you are done with your holiday weekend, don’t forget to check out the community meeting from the Newburgh Heights Association on Tuesday, July 6th. The hot topic of the Liberty School Street development is on the agenda.
