Hauntingly beautiful autumn scenery!
The Hudson Valley is known for its magnificent scenic beauty, which is all the more breathtaking with the season’s display of glorious colors. The autumn leaves, resplendent in red, orange, yellow, copper and gold, color the hills surrounding charming waterfront villages and harvest-laden farms. Farmers markets and fall festivals, from artsy to spooky and kooky, abound.
Beside the Hudson River just north of Manhattan, this region features some of the most visited sites in America. Explore Historic Hudson Valley’s network of homes in Sleepy Hollow Country, the US Military Academy at West Point, and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park. Just down the road, relive the Gilded Age on a tour of Vanderbilt Mansion. All have sweeping river views.
On September 21 to 23 the Fall Crafts Festival at Lyndhurst, a Gothic revival mansion, is rated one of the best contemporary craft shows in the nation. Don't miss Lyndhurst’s “Scarecrow Invasion!” From mid-October through Halloween a multitude of 700 artist- and student-created scarecrows assemble on the expansive lawn.
In Saugerties on September 29 and 30, the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, is a paradise for garlic lovers with top-chef demonstrations and garlic-flavored foods from Cajun shrimp to gelato. The celebration includes great music from blues to Zydeco. USA Today called it one of the Top 10 Regional Food festivals in the US.
The panorama of colorful fall foliage continues along Clermont State Historic Site’s wooded paths, where the “Legends by Candlelight Spook Tours” haunt the museum and grounds October 19 and 20.
For a view from the water, hop aboard a leaf peeper cruise on the Rip Van Winkle with Hudson River Cruises. Take an exhilarating stroll on the Walkway Over the Hudson, the longest pedestrian bridge in the world! You’ll be in the center of glorious fall foliage at 212 feet above the river as you watch the passing boats underneath.
Charming river towns like Cold Spring, Nyack and Rhinebeck are packed with art and antique galleries. The Hudson Antiques Dealers Association highlights dozens of unique galleries on five historic blocks. In Central Valley, Woodbury Common boasts the world’s largest collection of designer outlets.
Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck hosts nationally-known festivals including the annual Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest (September 8 and 9) and the Rhinebeck Antiques Fair on October 13 and 14. On October 20 and 21, the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival exhibits hundreds of sheep, llamas and alpacas, while artisans present wooly crafts.
You’ll definitely eat well in the Hudson Valley--from legendary country inns to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America. Or go to the source and visit the region’s abundant farm markets, artisanal cheese makers, and award-winning wineries.
For more ideas and information, see Hudson Valley’s
Culinary,
History & Culture,
Outdoors and
Water listings.
For more information visit: Hudson Valley Regional Tourism Office