A first look at summer in the city
Rodgers and Hammerstein probably weren’t thinking about this month’s Beacon events calendar when they wrote Carousel’s “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over.” But the sentiment feels especially fitting right now.
A new gallery opening (yes, a new gallery!), a literary festival, a food crawl, REV250 celebrations, and World Cup watch parties are just a taste of what to enjoy in and around Beacon in the coming weeks.
Here’s our take on June’s event highlights.
Beacon’s Newest Art Gallery Opens Its First Show
- Where: Elijah Wheat Showroom (133 Main Street)
- When: Saturday, June 13th, 12 PM to 6 PM
Empty storefronts in Beacon rarely stay empty for long. Case in point, Lewis & Pine owner, Yali Lewis, recently vacated 133 Main Street to consolidate her two locations in 520 Main Street at the east end. The storefront’s new occupants began the early work of prepping the space in only a matter of days.
And the good news is Beacon’s newest arrival is also the city’s newest art gallery: Elijah Wheat Showroom. “Dispersion”—its inaugural exhibition by E.E. Kono—opens on June’s Second Saturday weekend. This solo exhibition will run until Sunday, July 19th, 2026.
The title, “Dispersion,” references both the artist’s chosen medium in which pigment particles are suspended in egg yolk, as well as themes of generational displacement. The paintings highlight ideas of settlement and questions of belonging.
Note, make a plan to be in Beacon for the June 26th to June 28th weekend for an artists and galleries extravaganza across the city incorporating both Beacon Open Studios and Upstate Art Weekend. Expect more details to follow closer to the date.
Eat Drink Beacon Food Crawl
- Where: Multiple locations on Main Street
- When: Saturday, June 6th, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Eat, drink, and walk your way along Main Street where more than 20 restaurants, businesses, and eateries will be offering small bites and drink samples all afternoon in the fifth annual Eat Drink Beacon Food Crawl.
Ticket purchase includes samples of food, drink, and other popular items at some of Beacon’s favorites including The Beacon Creamery, Beacon Bath & Bubbles, Håkan Chocolatier, Another Door, The Chisel, Beacon Cheese Shop, and many more. Eat Drink Beacon is a rain or shine event. Get tickets here.
Since there’s more than 100 shops and 100 eateries on Main Street, you’ll want to return to explore more.
Big Literary Voices In Beacon
- Where: Multiple locations
- When: Friday, June 12th to Sunday, June 14th
Beacon LitFest returns this summer, with “big literary voices and small-town vibe” events across Beacon over three days.
Created to celebrate the literary arts in the Hudson Valley, the festival’s goal is to connect a diverse group of award-winning poets, playwrights, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers with engaged audiences. Enjoy immersive performances, mixers, and book signings.
Highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at how translators carry stories across languages and open worlds to the reader; an exploration of the power of poetry; and creative writing workshops focused on fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. There’s also a VIP loft party hosted by Hit House Creative for those with an All-Access Pass.
See our Events Guide for each event and tickets, as well as Beacon LitFest.
FIFA World Cup Watch Parties
- Where: Carter’s Restaurant (424 Main Street)
- When: Starting Thursday, June 11th until July
United FC Beacon and Carters are hosting Beacon World Cup watch parties for the biggest soccer games of FIFA World Cup 2026. Everyone is invited.
There are 35 games in total, and reservations are free. Reserve 24 hours in advance and get a bartender’s choice shot on the house (subject to availability). For Father’s Day on Sunday June 21st, there’ll be Carter’s Annual Clam Bake at the same time Spain plays Saudi Arabia. So, expect it to be busy.
Find out everything you need to know here.
See Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece, The Lesson
- Where: Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street)
- When: Every Saturday in June, 6:00 PM
Each month, Savage Wonder Arts Center presents a classic work—usually bold, absurdist, and thought-provoking in theme. June is no exception. Eugène Ionesco’s 1951 dark, comic drama tracks the moment teaching becomes domination and language becomes a blunt instrument of power.
What unfolds is funny until it isn’t. This one-act play, featuring a professor and a student, is over before you understand what just happened.
Featuring members of Actors’ Equity Association, Sturgis Warner and Sophie Kelly-Hedrick, the performance is directed by Savage Wonder’s artistic director, Christopher Paul Meyer. Expect the space’s intimate parlor to be transformed into a performance environment where audiences arrive not as spectators, but as participants in the lesson itself.
Tickets include themed food, drinks, and on this occasional, coffee.
Celebrating Pride Month
Keepin’ It Real With Bridget O’Neill
- Where: Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street)
- When: Thursday, June 11th, 7:00 PM
Keepin’ It Real with Bridget O’Neill is a monthly storytelling show with a risqué slant. Featuring four of the Hudson Valley’s top local talents and one audience member whose name is pulled from a hat, the focus this month is on honoring Pride Month. Host O’Neill will be joined by Beacon author Donna Minkowitz, James Moed, and Brooke Comegys in this last show until September. Get tickets here.
Movies for Pride Month
- Where: The Beacon Movie Theater (445 Main Street)
- When: Throughout June
The Beacon is hosting four standout movies in honor of Pride Month. See But I’m A Cheerleader (1999); The Crying Game (1992); The Wedding Banquet (1993); and Brokeback Mountain (2005). There’s also a special screening of Second Nature, a new documentary exploring the prevalence of gender fluidity in the animal world, with Dutchess County Pride Center on Thursday, June 25th. Tickets.
Head to our Events Guide where you’ll find daily updates for more Pride Month things to do.
Save The Date For Father’s Day
- Where: Across Beacon
- When: Sunday, June 21st
Look out for a future feature exploring gift ideas and where to celebrate.
Community Events In Beacon
Hop On The Bus, Let’s Explore Beacon Book Launch
- Where: Beacon Historical Society (BHS) (61 Leonard Street)
- When: Saturday, May 30th, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 11:00 AM to Noon
Local kids and parents alike will love Hop On The Bus, Let’s Explore Beacon, a new book from the Beacon Historical Society, written by BHS trustee Diane Lapis and BHS Vice President Diane Murphy.
Read along and take a ride from Mount Beacon to the Hudson River with over 50 stops at historic buildings and markers, statues, and parks. The charming illustrations and historic images from local artist, Ed Miller, capture the heart of Beacon by blending the past with the present.
BHS has also developed additional educational and hands-on projects for kids that can be found on their website.
The book is currently available to buy from BHS headquarters and also on their website. Meanwhile, look out for a Hop on the Bus! exhibition at the Howland Public Library that will run from July through August.
We asked Diane Lapis what the goal was in creating the book. She shared, “We created the book to instill a love of history for our youngest students. We hope kids and adults will enjoy walking or riding the bus together and learning about Beacon’s rich past.”
The book is suitable for kids ages seven to 10 and is $12.00.
Beacon Rising Spring Concert
- Where: St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 850 Wolcott Avenue
- When: Saturday, June 13th, 6:00 PM and Sunday, June 14th, 2:30 PM
Join Beacon Rising’s 80-strong choir for their spring concert, which also serves as a school supply drive for I Am Beacon’s “Class in a Bag,” a program that provides new backpacks and supplies to local students in need. Tickets.
Take A Nature Walk Through Hiddenbrooke Park
- Where: Hiddenbrooke Park (Depuyster Avenue)
- When: Saturday, June 6th
Hiddenbrooke Park is one of the lesser-known trails in Beacon, consisting of roughly 100 acres of forest land and meadows. Learn more about the park’s fascinating history and natural beauty this June on a walk hosted by Beacon’s Conservation Advisory Committee, the Tree Committee, and Beacon Pollinators.
Hiddenbrooke was primarily known as Nutleigh Farm in the 19th century, and it included seven farms. The City of Beacon later acquired the land to serve as a rural community park.
The tour will be conducted by Sean Merryman, a member of the Beacon Tree Committee and a forester with the New York Department of Parks and Recreation. Sean is an ISA-certified arborist trained in forest ecology, botany, and invasive species.
Plus, Shannon Murphy-Curtin will share stories of the previous owners and their imprint on this unique property. Shannon’s grandparents were caretakers of Hiddenbrooke, where she spent time growing up. Space is limited. Send an email to hogrady@beaconny.gov to register.
Enter The REV250 Tioronda Garden Club contest
- Where: Across Beacon
- When: Deadline to submit is Monday, June 15th
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Tioronda Garden Club is inviting Beacon, NY residents to enter their Patriotic Garden Contest.
Gardeners can flex their creativity and interpret how they reflect the past, present, and future spirit of the United States.
The closing date for entry is June 15th. To enter, call Kathleen, Vice President of the Tioronda Garden Club at (914) 456-6278, and leave your name, address, and contact number.
REV250 Illuminations Across Beacon
- Where: Multiple locations
- When: Nightfall, Friday, June 19, Saturday, June 20th, Friday, June 26th, Saturday, June 27th, Friday, July 3rd, Saturday, July 4th, and Sunday, July 5th
The BonfireWORKS Foundation will be presenting “Rev250 Illuminated,” a series of projections celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on municipal buildings and other iconic locations in Beacon, NY. Watch this space for news of where and when to see these colorful spectacles.
Beacon’s June City-Wide Yard Sale
- Where: Across Beacon
- When: Saturday, June 13th, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
One person’s trash is another’s treasure, as the saying goes! In that spirit, the City-Wide Yard Sale takes place Saturday, June 13th between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Hundreds of bargain-hunting residents and visitors hit the streets of Beacon seeking treasures they never even realized they needed. Full of surprises and good quality items, it’s also a fun way to explore Beacon’s back streets. See the City of Beacon to register your yard sale and to download a map of all participating households.
For a more curated experience, visit Beacon’s high-quality antique, vintage, and consignment stores dotted along Main Street. You’re sure to find some special and almost always affordable items.
More June Festival Highlights
Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival
- Where: Pete & Toshi Seeger Park, Red Flynn Drive
- When: Sunday, June 14th, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Fourth Annual Juneteenth Riverfront Festival
- Where: Pete & Toshi Seeger Park, Red Flynn Drive
- When: Friday, June 19th, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Be sure to head to our Events Guide for the full picture of live music, performances, workshops, art openings, and much more. Plus, there’s our Events Hub on WhatsApp for an on-the-go-look at what’s on.
Finally, the arrival of June also means the long-awaiting beginning of summer. Save the date for Sunday, June 21st Summer Equinox–the longest day and official start of summer. If that isn’t a reason to celebrate with an ice cream from Ron’s, I don’t know what is.
Head to our directories for everywhere to shop, eat & drink, stay, and play. Plus, if you love Beacon as much as its locals do, then share a Beacon Love Bite and celebrate the unique character of our small Hudson Valley city.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡