Rhinebeck Arts Festival Coming to the Duchess County Fairgrounds

Artrider Productions, the company that conducts the Spring and Fall Crafts shows at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, is producing the fourth annual Rhinebeck Arts Festival in collaboration with Chronogram, Hudson Valley Tourism, and Arts Mid-Hudson. This event will be held, rain or shine, at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck on June 25-26, 2016

The program includes live music performed by the Lindsey Webster Band, gourmet specialty foods, tastings from Hudson Valley distilleries and wineries, crafts demonstrations, and many family activities.

More than 200 craftspeople will offer their wares — the participating artists include Joseph Guida of Germantown with rustic wooden furniture, Larry Chapman of New Paltz with Hudson Valley landscape photography and Joan Ensminger of Stone Ridge with Intricately patterned glass work. Items available for purchase will include nature-inspired, sculptural, hand-carved rings created by Manya Tessler and Roumen Vragov of Cold Spring; brightly colored, felted wool bowls made by Erin Von Holdt-Gilbert of Saugerties; and whimsically painted children’s furniture made by Debra Sall of Rhinebeck.

Artists that will be performing demonstrations will include marbled silk scarf maker Patricia DiSantis, engraver and embosser Chong Lim; and wooden pen turner Don Hart.

Todd Crowley will present an interactive musical experience, the “Musical Petting Zoo,” which offers attendees an opportunity to interact with dozens of instruments from A (accordion) to Z (zither). Thorneater Comics representatives will create whimsical caricatures all weekend.

Food and beverages

Bourbon and whiskey will be offered by Hillock Estate Distillery; whoopee pies and eclairs by To The Queen’s Taste; jams and jellies by Maya’s Jams; biscotti with gluten free and sugar free options by Bella’s Home-Baked Goods; immune-boosting ginger elixirs by Immuneschein; farm-raised venison sausage and jerky by Highland Farms; and unique chocolate and chili wines by the Pazdar Winery.

The Duchess County Fairgrounds is located at 6550 Spring Brook Avenue (Route 9) in Rhinebeck, New York. Parking is free. No pets are allowing within the fairgrounds.

Show hours on Saturday, June 25 are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission costs $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $4 for children 6-16 and children under 6 are free. Group discount rates are available. for more information, go to website www.artrider.com.