July In Beacon

Your month-at-a-glance guide to what’s on across the city

And just like that, it’s July. If there’s ever a month to keep your calendar handy, it’s this one. From the July 4^th weekend celebrations—starting with fireworks in Memorial Park on Friday, July 3^rd—to a month of live music and performances beneath balmy summer skies, Beacon’s calendar is packed from beginning to end.

We recently featured a roundup of the REV250th anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Independence. You can read that feature to dig deep into the abundance of festivities taking place between Friday, July 3^rd and Sunday, July 5^th.

Here’s some of the month’s highlights outside of the holiday weekend.

Beacon’s July Music Scene

The 2026 Lyra Music Festival

• When: Thursday, July 2^nd, Tuesday, July 7^th, and Saturday, July 11th
• Where: Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street)

The Lyra Music Festival is a series of stunning classical music events that brings together world-class musicians. Founded by the Howland Chamber Music Circle’s music director, Akiko Sasaki, the festival features young string players and pianists as well professional musicians and educators for concerts, masterclasses, and student performances. Visit Lyra Music Festival’s website to find out more and get tickets.

Live Music By The River Pool

Head to the River Pool at Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park during July and August for a free outdoor evening concert series that kicks off with Beacon’s high-energy R&B ensemble Bosco & the Storm.

Bring a picnic or your swimming costume and take a dip in the pool while you’re there!

Here’s the schedule:

• Tuesday, July 21st at 6:30 PM | Angel Lau and Friends
• Tuesday, August 4th at 6:30 PM | Neil Alexander & NAIL
• Tuesday, August 11th at 6:30 PM | Jeff Koch and Friends

Eleni Mandell & Mélomane Play Lucky Dog

• When: Saturday, July 25^th, starts 7:30 PM
• Where: Lucky Dog (333 Fishkill Avenue)

Don’t miss Eleni Mandell at Lucky Dog this summer. Mandell is a Los Angeles-born singer-songwriter whose music is described as living at the intersection of noir romance, West Coast cool, and poetic wit. With a smoky voice that recalls vintage jazz singers and lyrics that rival short fiction, she has quietly built a cult following among listeners who crave a touch of sophistication with their heartbreak.

Meanwhile, Mélomane is a cinematic chamber-pop ensemble crafting lush, literate songs that blur the lines between pop, art-rock, and film score. Get tickets here.

Epic Broadway presented by Broadway In Beacon

• When: Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25^th
• Where: Bannerman Island (The Estuary Steward boat leaves from Red Flynn Drive)

Broadway In Beacon has been selling out shows across the city for the past two years with their fun, upbeat open mic nights.

This July, the Broadway In Beacon crew and a stellar ensemble will perform some of Broadway’s finest fairytale classics against the magical backdrop of the historic Bannerman residence and gardens, and under the stars. Expect powerhouse vocals, theatrical sparkle, and songs from shows including Cinderella, Shrek, Camelot, Brigadoon, Beauty & The Beast. You can snag a ticket here.

Explore our Events Guide and Music Lover’s Guide To Beacon for everywhere to enjoy Beacon’s vibrant music scene this and every month.

Art Show Openings

Here’s what we know so far. Look out for our July Second Saturday Weekend Guide for the full picture.

“12508” By Anna West Opening Reception & Exhibition

• When: Saturday, July 11^th, 4 PM to 6 PM opening reception
• Where: Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street)

Locals and lovers of Beacon, NY will appreciate “12508,” a series of Beacon-themed oil paintings by local artist Anna West. The show opens at Hudson Beach Glass on July’s Second Saturday weekend. Stop by and see how many locations you can identify. Anna has lived in Beacon since 2004 and started her artistic career in photography, shooting punk bands and eventually playing in one herself.

The show continues until Sunday, August 2^nd.

“Beg To Be Loved, Beg To Be Touched”

• When: Saturday, July 11^th, 7 PM opening reception
• Where: Distortion Society (155 Main Street)

Distortion Society presents “Beg to be Loved, Beg to be Touched,” an experience of soft sculpture installations by textile artist Holly McCabe and curated by Jaime Ransome.

McCabe works with vintage cloth and contrasts topstitching to create visceral, mounted soft sculptures. Each work is meticulously crafted from vintage materials that have been discarded and donated then revived in McCabe’s studio.

Scraps of cotton, wool, polyester, and faux leather have been salvaged by the artist and pieced together into something deserving of attention. The show runs until Saturday, October 3^rd.

“Bodies Of Work: Portraits of Labor + Food”

• When: Opening reception, Saturday, July 11^th at 4 PM
• Where: Super Secret Projects (484 Main Street)

The produce, purveyors, and workers of Beacon Farmers Market feature in the first solo photography show from the Market’s manager and visual documentarian, Amy Bandolik. And while the produce is front and center of each image, cropped photos of torsos, arms, and hands in action emphasize the human presence and impact. 100% of profits from artwork sales will be donated to support the Beacon Farmers Market food access programs.

A New Immersive Theatrical Performance from Savage Wonder

• When: Saturday, July 11^th, 18^th, and 25th
• Where: Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street)

Directed by Savage Wonder founder and creative director, Christopher Paul Meyer, “Black Curtain Society: A Vaudeville of Secrets & Surprises” is an intimate, immersive evening of five veteran-authored ten-minute plays. These vignettes are threaded together with live music, vaudeville acts, cocktails, and hidden encounters built around secrecy, seduction, and “elegant social trespassing.”

The show features Ana Brooks, a performer and classically trained ballerina known for blending elegant dance with the strange and unusual. The music is from Benjamin Fortier, a veteran Marine and poet, and haunting storytelling comes from indie rock and alt-country songwriter Jennifer Silva.

As always with Savage Wonder, the all-inclusive food and cocktails are an elevated, curated experience courtesy of The Grape Rebellion. Tickets.

A Coney Island Book Launch

• When: Sunday, July 12^th, 3 PM
• Where: Happy Valley Arcade Bar (296 Main Street)

Join Beacon LitFest for the launch of a new book called “Hysterical Coney Island,” an art memoir of the Coney Island Hysterical Society, written by Richard Eagan and Philomena Marano.

Author, artist, and co-founder of the Coney Island Hysterical Society, Richard Eagan will share the story of how a small, feisty band of artists saved the iconic amusement park. This is a free event with a cash bar. There will also be a costume contest for those inclined to play dress up.

A World Cup Final Extravaganza

• When: Sunday, July 19^th, 3 PM (and earlier)
• Where: Heritage Financial Park (1500 NY-9D)

The FIFA World Cup draws to a close on Sunday, July 19^th after nearly six weeks and more than 100 games. Where will we be without it? Join United FC Beacon and the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League at Heritage Financial Park—on the outskirts of Beacon—if you’re looking for a big screen stadium World Cup Final experience. There’ll be adult soccer in the morning and youth pickup soccer starting after 2 PM. The Final kicks off at 3 PM. There’s free admission for all and no registration is required. Keep an eye on the Beacon World Cup website for more details as they are announced.

For a more intimate, communal World Cup Final experience, explore our guide for all the Beacon locations showing the big game.

“Louder Than Guns” Documentary Screening

• When: Monday, July 20th
• Where: Beacon Movie Theater (445 Main Street)

Ketch Secor, the lead singer of the popular country-bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show, decided it was time to speak out on gun reform in the wake of yet another horrific U.S. mass shooting. So, he wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled, “Country Music Can Lead America Out of Its Obsession with Guns.” The op-ed caught the attention of Ketch’s friend, public radio journalist David Greene, and the two set out to kickstart an open dialog about gun rights and gun violence in America through filmmaking. The outcome was a humanization of all sides of this polarized debate. Get tickets here.

Cirque Du Creep Returns

• When: Saturday, July 25^th, 5 PM onwards
• Where: The Yard (4 Hanna Lane)

The wildly popular Cirque Du Creep night market returns with “Invasion Of Camp Cryptid.” The event promises to be an otherworldly night unlike any other.

Attendees from outside the city will be happy to hear there’s a free shuttle from Beacon’s Metro North train station. You’ll find 80 vendors, live bands, a sideshow, stilt walking cryptids, a fire show, tarot and astrology, and much more.

Get tickets here.

The Ball-Off | A Lucille Ball Pageant

• When: Thursday, July 20^th, 8 PM onwards
• Where: Industrial Arts Brewing Company (511 Fishkill Avenue)

If you love Lucy, then this is the event for you. Hit House Creative is calling for entrants in their fundraising Lucille Ball Pageant. So, if you’re up for showcasing your best Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, or Fred then enter now for a chance to perform on the night and win prizes. The deadline for entry is Thursday, July 16^th. Enter at info@hithousecreative.com.

Hit House Creative is partnering with Safe Harbors to co-produce the second annual Newburgh Fringe Festival, and this fundraiser will help support the epic three-day arts event.

You can snag early bird tickets to The Ball-Off for just $15 until July 4th. Just enter “BALLER” at checkout.

Bannerman Island Grotto Reopens

Finally, after 30 years of being closed off to the public, a magical section of Bannerman Island known as “The Grotto,” has been restored and opened. To mark the completion of the lengthy project, a special ceremony was just held at the end of June with local dignitaries and elected officials. Thanks to a calendar full of nighttime events on the island, July is the perfect month for a visit. And now, there’s yet another good reason to do so.

That’s not all, of course. Bookmark our Events Guide for the full picture of everything that’s on in Beacon this July and check back often since events are added daily. Also be sure to check out our guides and directories first for everywhere to shop, eat & drink, stay, and play if you’re planning a visit to Beacon.

Happy 250^th! 🇺🇸

Until next time…

The Beacon Beacon🧡