Phoenicia Arts Festival Returns Labor Day Weekend

Phoenicia Festival of the Arts Returns for Third Year

Phoenicia, New York — The Phoenicia Festival of the Arts is set to return for its third year, offering a vibrant array of events, installations, and artistic experiences in the Shandaken hamlet throughout Labor Day weekend. This year’s festival will run from Thursday, August 28, through Monday, September 1, marking a shift from the extended format of the previous year.

Organizer Christina Varga explained that this year’s event has been condensed compared to the 2024 festival, which lasted the entire month of August. She noted that the shorter duration was a strategic decision aimed at reducing stress on both herself and the local community. “Maintaining enthusiasm for one thing for a month was so trying,” she said. “There’s too much fatigue when you’re doing something for that long. It’s better to have it all in one thing and have people come.”

Despite the reduced timeframe, the festival promises an equally rich lineup of artistic activities. Each day will feature live performances, workshops, and art exhibitions, ensuring visitors have plenty to explore.

A New Art Installation: Upcycled Mini Golf Course

One of the standout features of this year’s festival is an upcycled mini golf installation located in Parish Field Park. The course reimagines an art installation titled “Lucid Dreaming: In Search of Lost Time,” originally created by Brendan Bo O’Connor and Liam Singer. This unique piece has previously been exhibited at venues such as the O+ Festival, ArtPort Kingston, and Opus 40, and has now been donated to remain in Phoenicia permanently.

The mini golf course will be officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 29, at 5 p.m. Visitors can enjoy the course free of charge, with putters available for checkout at local businesses. “I think the town is going to be bowled over by people coming to play free, community, art mini golf,” Varga said. “Everybody loves mini golf.”

Additional Highlights of the Festival

In addition to the mini golf course, the festival will include a variety of other attractions. One of the main events is a variety show at the Phoenicia Playhouse on Saturday, August 30, beginning at 6 p.m. The show will feature 10 acts, including celebrated musician and artist Phoebe Legere. “I think it’s going to be incredible,” Varga said. “I’m over the moon about Phoebe Legere; she’s like a female Adam Ant.”

Another highlight is the art reception, which will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 29, with installations spread across several locations, including the VARGA Gallery, Phoenicia Arts and Antiques, Bettina Restaurant, and Ulster Savings Bank.

Daily Schedule of Events

The festival will begin on Thursday, August 28, with an intention-setting gong ceremony by HariPrakaash, a poetry reading by Sparrow, and a live Catskills music tribute by Paul McMahon. On Friday, August 29, the film “The Long Path” will be shown at the Phoenicia Playhouse.

Saturday, August 30, will include a barbecue at Parish Field hosted by Whitney Fire Hose at noon, a fire extinguisher demo sponsored by Inside+Out Upstate at 2 p.m., a “makers and creators walk” at 3 p.m., and music on the boardwalk at 60 Main St. at 4 p.m.

Sunday, August 31, will feature a farmer’s market at 10 a.m., an educational talk by Michael McKraut at 1 p.m., mushroom dress-up at 2 p.m., and film screenings of “Mixed Messages” and “The Gender Symphony” at 3 p.m.

The festival will conclude with a picnic on Monday, September 1, at the mini golf course in the park.

Artistic Workshops and Performers

Throughout the weekend, visitors can participate in a range of artistic workshops. These include shirt painting at the VARGA Gallery, collaged oracle cards with Christine Moss, Children’s EcoArt Labs with Amanda Marlowe, a poetry lab with Sparrow, a Native American sculpture demonstration with Noel Chrisjohn Benson, and plushie crochet making with River Wild Hoffman.

Confirmed performers include Gargie Verma, Forbidden Lovers, Andrea Ward, Gus Mancini’s Sonic Soul Band, Peter Head, Ava Jaross, Laszlo Lang, Shamsi Ruhe, Amanda Jo Williams, Linda Mary Montano & Paul McMahon, Elizabeth Mihaltse Lindy, and Benjamin English & John Gabriel.

Commitment to Inclusivity

Varga emphasized her goal of creating an inclusive event that welcomes everyone. “I am really excited about the trans and LGBTQ+ artists who are going to be a part of this,” she said. “Even the platform of having artists that are that diverse is something that’s really important to me.”

She also hopes the festival will provide a space where marginalized voices can be heard. “I want to make sure that marginalized or hush-hushed things are said louder, that people feel empowered to have a space to be able to speak freely,” Varga added.

Varga concluded by expressing her hope that attendees will take inspiration from the beauty of the Catskill Mountains. “There is something about these mountains,” she said. “I just want people to come here, feel it, take that back and let it ripple through and resonate through their communities.”