Community Meets Luxury
Sleight Farm’s blog about building a custom home and living in Dutchess County, NY.
Spotlight on Our Neighbors: The Bardavon and The Mid-Hudson Civic Center
December 16, 2019
The Poughkeepsie area is an easy train ride or day trip to NYC, but area residents don’t have to go as far as the Big Apple to get world-class live entertainment. Dutchess County folks are lucky to have many local venues for theatre, concerts, and special performance events. Two of those, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House and the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, are located across the street from each other and make up the entertainment “heart” of Poughkeepsie. The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, located on Market Street in downtown Poughkeepsie, has a schedule that’s always packed full of live dance, music, opera, stand-up comedy, and children’s concerts, as well as film and educational programs. Here’s a little more about this truly special historic venue:
- Built in 1869, the Bardavon is the oldest continuously-operating theatre in New York State, designed by J.A. Wood and featuring a neo-classic interior.
- The Bardavon has been the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for over 40 years and also hosts the HVP Young People’s Concerts.
- The theatre offers many community-friendly programs for $6 admission, including Daytime Performances and HVP Young People’s Concerts, films, residency performances, and the Matinees & Music series for seniors – often with free bus transportation.
Learn more and see upcoming events at www.Bardavon.org.
The Mid-Hudson Civic Center is two venues in one: a 3,000 seat space for concerts, stage shows, large expos, and trade shows; and the McCann Ice Arena, which provides space for recreational and competitive figure skating and ice hockey. In 2018, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, which is a private nonprofit, was officially named the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center after a prominent Dutchess County resident and business leader.
Check out the current calendar and get ice skating information at www.midhudsonciviccenter.org.
Here are some of our other favorite venues for high-quality live entertainment and performing arts in the Poughkeepsie area:
- Rhinebeck Performing Arts Center
- Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center
- The Powerhouse Theatre – Vassar College
- The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts – Bard College
Whether you’re a longtime Dutchess County resident or relocating to the area, we hope you get a chance to make the most of all the wonderful and enriching performance experiences our neighbors have to offer!