Kingston, a city in Ulster County at the gateway of the Catskills, has three area neighborhoods: the Stockade District, in the Uptown area which was where the first capital of New York State was located; the Midtown area, known for the Ulster Performing Arts Center and the historic City Hall building; and the Downtown area, which is the Rondout-West Strand Historic District.
The Rondout is an artist community considered by Business Week (online) as one of America’s Best Places for Artists. Numerous art galleries and festivals are based in the Downtown area of Kingston.
The Kingston Film Festival offers a wide range of quality film making: feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, and experimental films. This annual event presents juried independent films from all over the world. On Saturday, August 6, at 6 pm, there will be live music and dinner, before watching independent shorts and features. On Sunday, August 7, from 10 am-12 pm, the audience will have a chance to meet the filmmakers and ask questions.
The 9th Annual Wall Street Jazz Festival will present a spectacular lineup of musicians at a family event with a new concept: Headliners Who Are All Women. On Friday, August 31, at 8pm: The Art of the Duo, held at Backstage Productions, a 19th century vaudeville house on Wall Street. On Saturday, September 1, at 6pm: a four-hour concert on the corner of Wall Street and North Front Street. Some of the musicians come from New York City, some have international fame. All are pros.
