Town Of Saugerties

Saugerties - A Community for All Seasons

Nestled in the Hudson Valley, Saugerties borders the Hudson River to the east, and offers views of the Catskill Mountains to the west.  Making up the Northeast corner of Ulster County, Saugerties offers a blend of history, sports activities for participants, cultural events, arts, an historic business district, a large river that runs through it (the Esopus Creek) with a large, impressive dam and waterfalls, and much more.  Saugerties has things going on, season to season ... all year round!

Come to Saugerties in the Spring, and you'll be part of a beehive of activity, as locals shake off the winter, and get their businesses and properties prepared for another year.  The crack of baseball hitting bat can be heard at the outstanding Town park called Cantine Field (in full, it's "Cantine Veterans Memorial Complex").  The manicured, professional-quality ball field here host hundreds of tournaments each year, for all ages, from T-ball to Babe Ruth, American Legion and softball teams galore.  And for those interested in equestrian events, there is no area with better accessibility to world-class horse events, put on by HITS Horse Shows - Saugerties. Their season begins in May ... and runs through mid-September.

Saugerties recreational opportunities don't end there . . . as the gateway to both the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, it offers great conditions for hikers, kayakers and canoeists.  At the western end of town, in the Platte Clove area, hikers will find trails with cascading waterfalls, pristine swimming holes and breathtaking vistas from Catskills cliffs.  Kayaking and canoeing are really taking off, both on the Hudson and on the upper Esopus Creek, now home to the beautiful Esopus Bend Nature Preserve.

In summertime, the living is easy, as well as being filled with tradition, good food and fun.  Saugerties is fortunate to have a good number of people interested in farm-fresh, healthful food, including Barry Benepe, who is the founder of the Greenmarket program in New York City.  So, beginning in late May and running into October, the Saugerties Farmers Market is in operation on Main Street, next door to the Kiersted House, located at 119 Main Street, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. for all the serious foodies out there.

Many communities are proud of their Independence Day Parade and Fireworks, and there is no prouder community than Saugerties.  People visit from miles around to see the parade wind through the Village, and wind up at Cantine Field, where music, food and booths keep folks entertained until dusk, when the fireworks start.
Each summer that goes by, Saugerties' summertime Street Art has become more and more popular.  In the past, visitors have seen how local artists have gotten creative with horse, lighthouse, and most recently butterfly figures.  In 2023, the Saugerties Village and Town streets were decorated with local artists painted/decorated figures of horses (relating to the equestrian events at Horse Shows - HITS.   In 2024, the plans seem to be aimed at painted/decorated dove figures (in honor of a planned celebration in Saugerties of the 30th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival that took place here! 

The Kiersted House, a 1727 stone house that serves as the home of the Saugerties Historical Society, occasionally features band concerts on their lawn, under the shade of centuries-old locust trees.  The festival season starts in summer, with the Sawyer Motors Car Show in July, the Hudson River Regional Festival in August, a free series of "Sunset Concerts" (first Fridays of June, July, August and September), and the ultimate festival around these parts -- the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival™ -- where typically over 50,000 garlic lovers descend upon Saugerties over the course of a weekend, to enjoy the show that the Saugerties Kiwanis Club puts on.  This festival has been mentioned in "USA Today" as a top regional food festival in the United States.  On the heels of the Garlic Festival is the even more traditional October Mum Festival and the Columbus Day Italian Festival.

A fun, enriching August event is the Saugerties Artists Studio Tour, when more than 2 dozen fine artists working in nearly as many media open their studios to the public for a weekend. Come see a wide variety of works that give testimony to the fact that, in Saugerties, the arts community is alive and well.

Autumn foliage is always a big attraction in the Northeast U.S. and Saugerties is no exception when Mother Nature works her magic on the wide variety of deciduous trees in the area.   As mentioned under the "Summer" heading, the Saugerties Farmers Market runs Saturdays, until mid-to-late October, and by the Fall, there are some great, late season fruits and vegetables available.

History buffs will find this area a wealth of history in general, and in the Fall, the Saugerties Historical Society holds its annual History Day in October at Historic Kiersted House.

Opus 40, a monumental bluestone earth sculpture by Harvey Fite, is open year-round. No matter what season you choose to visit this beautiful work of art, you'll appreciate how it offers testimony to the creative spirit, pays homage to the bluestone industry of Saugerties, and provides a restful place for contemplation. Visitors can walk the beautiful grounds and on the sculpture itself.

Come to Saugerties in Winter and you'll have access to the town's Kiwanis Ice Arena, for beginner through expert skaters, with hockey games and occasional visits from professional and semi-professional hockey players.  There are also figure skating opportunities as well, for expert skaters and learning classes for beginners.

If skiing is your pleasure, stay in Saugerties for the friendly, historic atmosphere and access to first-rate restaurants, and visit ski facilities within a half hour drive.

Each year, Saugerties welcomes the holiday season in style with special decorations and lighting of the antique street lamps that were part of the Village beautification program, with a special annual lighting of the tree and most of the rest of Seamon Park as well, and an event-filled  and fun-filled "Holiday in the Village", with entertainment, a parade of firetrucks, and fun events and treats for any child who stops by.

Winter's as good a season as any to stroll the charming streets of our Nationally Registered Historic Business District, famous for antique stores, but now boasting three bookstores, clothing, homeware, pottery, jewelry and much more. We've got an old-fashioned hardware store, family-owned for generations, and a shoe store (Montano's) known for miles around, where you can have a pedorthist fit you perfectly for some great shoes on offer.

3 special winter days for strolling the Village's streets will be Friday, February 25th, 2024 through Sunday, February 27th.  2024 will be the 2nd year for a fun festival called the Snow Moon Festival.  To shake off the winter doldrums a bit, the festival's inventors have absolutely filled these 3 days with exhibits, moonlight hikes, crafting, shows, a parade of lights, cook-offs, bake sales, magic shows, a scavenger hunt, cornhole and of course a bonfire.  Oh yeah ... there's plenty of hot chocolate to be had, too!

And any time you visit Saugerties Village's fine shops, you will not only be rewarded with some great buys that you can't find elsewhere, but you'll also be rewarded by choosing among the many food choices Saugerties offers, from casual dining to fine continental cuisine.