Hudson Valley Events to Pencil In for November

November in the Hudson Valley hums with creativity. Across the region, artists, filmmakers, and musicians are lighting up local stages and screens with stories that shimmer between the intimate and the epic. From Sondheim’s Follies to a live-orchestra Jurassic Park, drone-metal meditations, and radiant ambient rituals, the month offers a kaleidoscope of sound, movement, and imagination, here are the Hudson Valley events to have on your radar in November.

Pine Plains Festival of Shorts

November 1-2 at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains

The Pine Plains Festival of Shorts spotlights the talent of Hudson Valley filmmakers across two nights of inventive storytelling at the Stissing Center. This year’s lineup features a wide range of voices and visions—from intimate documentaries and heartfelt dramas to imaginative animation. Highlights include Hollywood’s Mermaid: The Esther Williams Story, a luminous portrait of the MGM swimming star; the lyrical Memories/Dreams; and Our Farms, Our Farmers, rooted in the region’s agricultural life. Each short is followed by a filmmaker Q&A, creating a lively exchange between artists and audiences—a celebration of local creativity projected on the big screen. 7pm and 5pm.

Acoustic Alchemy

November 7 at Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk, Connecticut

Blending light jazz, new age, classical, flamenco, and folk, British band Acoustic Alchemy centers on the playing of guitarists Nick Webb and Greg Carmichael. Formed in 1981, the group found steady work, appropriately enough for their sound, as the in-flight entertainment for Virgin Atlantic flights between the UK and the US. Webb passed away in 1998, but with Miles Gilderdale having taken his place the band continues to keep its smooth style sailing along. (John Splithoff spins his spell November 1; Max Creek makes moves November 28.) 7pm. $47.42.

“Follies”

November 7-23 at Phillipstown Depot Theater in Garrison

Past and present collide in “Follies,” Stephen Sondheim’s elegiac portrait of fading glamour and fractured dreams. Directed by John Christian Plummer and starring Lisa Sabin and Maia Guest, the musical follows a troupe of former showgirls reuniting in a decaying Broadway theater on the eve of its demolition. As they relive old performances and confront the ghosts of who they once were, memory becomes melody—bittersweet, dazzling, and sharp as regret. With Sondheim’s inimitable blend of wit and melancholy, “Follies” captures the ache of time passing and the beauty of what remains when the spotlight dims but the song lingers on.

Earth

November 8 at No Fun in Troy

Pacific Northwestern instrumental ambient metal project Earth, led by founder and guitarist Dylan Carlson, has been cited as a formative influence by the likes of Boris, Sunn O))), and other stoner rock gods. A sometime running buddy of Kurt Cobain, Carlson has struggled with and staved off personal demons while building a discography of suitably dark, drone-heavy work. The band has changed formats since its 1998 beginnings, and in 2019 it became a duo with Adrienne Davies on drums. (Blood Lemon squeezes November 5; Daddy Long Legs leaps November 14.) Opening acts TBA. 7pm. $24.62.

“Catenary”

November 8-9 at PS21 in Chatham

In “Catenary,” boundaries between sound and movement dissolve. Developed during a PS21 residency, this new interdisciplinary work unites violinist Hannah Epperson, choreographer Rebecca Margolick, and composer-pianist Niloufar Nourbakhsh in an experiment of mutual creation. Epperson’s looping violin lines, Margolick’s fluid physical vocabulary, and Nourbakhsh’s darkly lyrical compositions intertwine until dancer and musician are indistinguishable—each gesture shaping sound, each note shaping motion. The result is a living structure of tension and release, like the architectural curve from which the piece takes its name: suspended, balanced, and breathtakingly human. “Catenary” makes its world premiere at PS21 after a two-week residency. 7:30pm and 3pm.

The Hydrosphere: Exploring Our Water World in Films, Writings & Conversations

November 9 at Upstate Films Orpheum Theater in Saugerties

Dive beneath the surface. The Hydrosphere is a one-day festival that threads cinema, literature, science, and gastronomy into a dialogue about our planet’s blue heart. The day opens with curated short films exploring ocean consciousness, followed by a panel led by documentary filmmaker Jon Bowermaster alongside authors Porter Fox and Susan Casey. Afternoon features Send Kelp!—a documentary about ecological innovation—and How Deep Is Your Love, a cinematic plunge into deep-sea ecosystems and the risks of mining the abyss. 11am-6pm.

“Memoirs from the Psyche of the Subjugated”

November 9 at Creative Legion in Hudson

Adapted from Cynthia Stephens’s House of Colorism: Memoirs Across Generations, “Memoirs from the Psyche of the Subjugated” is a one-act play that explores the pain and persistence of colorism through interwoven first-person monologues. The stories—drawn from real lives—give voice to both victims and perpetrators, exposing the emotional knots of a society where skin tone too often defines worth, beauty, and belonging. Between confessions, songs from the Negro Spiritual tradition rise like balm and benediction, connecting generations of struggle and endurance. The result is a haunting, human portrait of internalized prejudice—and the resilience that allows the wounded to reclaim their own narratives. 3pm.

Rififi

November 9 and 12 at Upstate Films Midtown in Kingston

In a smoky, rain-slicked Paris, a quartet of thieves plots the perfect jewel heist—and then, inevitably, watches it unravel. Jules Dassin’s 1955 noir Rififi remains the gold standard for caper films: Its silent, 30-minute burglary sequence still studied by directors today. Blacklisted in Hollywood, Dassin shot the film in exile, imbuing it with both hardboiled grit and tragic tenderness. The result is a masterpiece of mood and precision—a heist film that’s less about the score than the slow, inevitable collapse that follows. Sixty years on, Rififi still glimmers darkly, like stolen jewels under a flickering streetlamp. 7:30pm.

“Live and Unfinished: A Night of New Theater”

November 13 and 14 at the Rosendale Theatre

Three solo, new (and unfinished) pieces share the stage in “Live and Unfinished,” spotlighting three artists mid-creation. Jim Metzner’s “Rediscovering Poppa” follows an unexpected gift back to a shtetl past—funny, tender, and studded with rabbit holes. Jean E. Taylor’s “Return of the Wild Hare” casts a research librarian as insurgent ringleader, urging civic mischief and mindful courage before the censors reach the door. In “Bullpen,” Frank Boyd channels an eccentric minor-league lifer prepping teammates for the end of civilization—20-ish minutes of brand-new, nervy material. A lab-night for risk, voice, and the electric hum of work that’s not done yet. 7:30pm.

Sound Life Fest

November 14-15 at the Lace Mill in Kingston

Midtown artist live-work center the Lace Mill has quietly but consistently become one of the region’s most vital spots for experimental jazz and other variants of avant-garde music. This two-day festival in its gallery brings together some top talent for those who like to challenge their minds and ears with inspired improvisational sounds. The first night features Otto Kentrol, the Lucas Brode Trio, and the duo of Melora Creager and Elizabeth Clark; night two has Mike Pride with Bobby Previte and Ben Vida; Liam Grant; and MB3 featuring Michael Bisio, Jason Hwang, and Juan Pablo Carletti. 6pm. $20.

Beach Fossils

November 14 at the Bearsville Theater in Bearsville

Brooklyn indie quartet Beach Fossils makes lush, layered music that floats somewhere between early ’80s postpunk and mid-’90s dream pop. Launched as a solo project of singer and songwriter Dustin Payseur, the reverb-heavy group has released five albums since 2010, including an artistic detour with 2021’s The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads. Their latest offering is Bunny, which was ranked fifth on PopMatter’s “20 Best Pop Albums of 2023” list. Being Dead opens. (Nels Cline, John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Scott Metzger jam November 21; Lissie lands November 22.) 7pm. $37.85-$64.15.

“The Oldest Profession”

November 14 at Unicorn Bar in Kingston

Comedian and sex worker rights advocate Kaytlin Bailey brings her acclaimed one-woman show “The Oldest Profession” to Unicorn Bar for an evening of performance, history, and consciousness-raising around erotic labor. With sharp wit and radical empathy, Bailey reframes centuries of stigma, tracing sex work’s overlooked matriarchs from ancient temples to modern street corners. The night also features performances by Mothh and Kingston artist Ashley Molesso of Everywhere Shop, with support from Eureka! Press and The Ishtar Collective, who’ll share harm reduction resources and allyship tools. 6:30pm

Lost Leaders/Ginger Winn

November 15 at the Park Theater in Hudson

“We began as a duo 15 years ago, but our collaboration is as fun and eclectic as ever,” says Lost Leaders bassist Byron Isaacs, who performs with the Lumineers and played with the Levon Helm Band, Olabelle, and Amy Helm. “[Lost Leaders guitarist] Peter [Cole] and I are very much in sync, but we also love playing with new collaborators, and that’s why we’re excited to join up with Ginger for these two shows.” Kingston singer-songwriter Winn recently released Freeze Frame, her second album. (Western Skies and Blue Quarry get rustic November 7; Finding Lucinda screens with a set by Lea Thomas November 14.) 8pm. $21.82-$73.87.

Jurassic Park Screening with the Orchestra Now

November 15 and 16 at the Fisher Center at Bard

Hold onto your butts. Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park storms the screen with a full symphonic roar as The Orchestra Now, conducted by James Bagwell, performs John Williams’s iconic score live. The 1993 blockbuster’s blend of wonder and terror—dinosaurs resurrected, hubris punished—takes on new grandeur when the music’s soaring brass and trembling strings are brought to life in real time. It’s a rare chance to feel the tremors of both the T. rex and the timpani in your chest. A perfect reminder that sometimes the real spectacle isn’t on the screen but in the orchestra pit. 7pm and 2pm.

Marlon Wayans: Wild Child Tour

November 16 at UPAC in Kingston

Marlon Wayans isn’t just funny because he hits the punchline—he mines empathy, embarrassment, and survival. His humor pulls you in by making you feel, first, before you laugh. He trusts the sharp pain of awkwardness as much as the relief of a joke. Wayans’s comedy often straddles the line between satire and confession: he skewers stereotypes not by mocking victims, but by showing characters caught in their own absurd contradictions. His sharpest tool is vulnerability—he leans into what scares or shames us, turning discomfort into laughter that lingers in your gut. 7pm.

Laraaji

November 16 at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston

Celestial music pioneer Laraaji returns to the ether. The zither-wielding mystic, who helped define the sound of modern ambient music with Brian Eno’s Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, marks its 45th anniversary with a live performance inside Kingston’s Old Dutch Church. Presented by Ambient Church, the event transforms sacred space into sonic temple—part concert, part meditation. Laraaji’s shimmering tones and transcendent laughter meet the luminous drones of Ana Roxanne, while projection-mapped visuals ripple across the church’s stone interior. The result: a radiant convergence of sound and spirit, where stillness becomes symphonic and light hums in harmony. 7:15pm.

Hannah Cohen

November 18-19 at Tubby’s in Kingston

Earthstar Mountain, the newly released fourth album by model and singer-songwriter Hannah Cohen, was produced by Sam Evian and features contributions from Sufjan Stevens, Clairo, Sean Mullins, Liam Kazar, Oliver Hill, and others. British online magazine MusicOMH called it “a laid-back record with a strong sense of place to play just as the day is taking shape while you contemplate life over a coffee.” The bar may or may not be pouring java during her two-night stand at the Tub, but don’t sleep on tickets for this second show. With Zannie. (Orcutt Shelley Miller returns November 6; Liam Kazar crafts tender tunes December 3). 7pm. $24.72.

This article appears in November 2025.