Annandale-on-Hudson 

Beacon

Towne Crier Cafe. Bill Kirchen and Greg Trooper—April 3. Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience—April 4. John Lennon Re-Imagined Featuring The Nutopians—April 5. Joan Osborne with Ruston Kelly—April 6. Leo Moran and Anthony Thistlethwaite—April 11. Chris Smither and Milton—April 12. Teetotallers—April 13. Jimbo Mathus—April 17. Walt Michael and Company with Tall County—April 18. Rory Block—April 19. Tribecasten—April 20. Michael Torsone and Friends—April 24. Back to the Garden 1969—April 25. Chris Trapper with The Trapps—April 26. John McCutcheon—April 27. Towne Crier Cafe. 379 Main Street, Beacon. 845-855-1300. townecrier.com.

Community Free Day at Dia:Beacon. Residents of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties are invited to visit Dia:Beacon free of charge. Programs held throughout the day include collection tours, workshops for children and families, and gallery talks. Dia:Beacon. 3 Beekman Street, Beacon. 845-440-0100. diaart.org. April 12.

Beacon Second Saturday. This monthly event features art openings, special events such as concerts and poetry readings, and restaurant and bar specials. The shops and galleries of Main Street stay open late. Beacon. beaconarts.org. April 12.

Celebrating Community at Long Dock Park. Throughout the week of spring break, Long Dock Park offers a series of art and educational programming dedicated to acknowledging—and building—the Hudson Valley’s diverse communities. Long Dock Park. Long Dock Road, Beacon. 845-473-4440. scenichudson.org. April 15–April 18, 10am–1pm.

Earth Day Cleanup. Show love for Mother Earth by helping clear litter, restore planting beds, and maintain trails at Mount Beacon Park, one of Scenic Hudson's most popular parks. Projects will be available for all ages! Mount Beacon. Corner of Route 9D and Howland Avenue, Beacon. 845-473-4440. scenichudson.org. April 22, 10am–1pm.

8th Annual Beacon Barks Parade and Street Festival. This event, which draws around 1000 furry friends every year, features adoption tables, pet vendors, demonstrations, food, music, raffles, and more. Over 20 animal shelter and rescue groups will be participating. West end of Main Street, Beacon. 845-440-7652. beaconbarkery.com. April 26, 10:30am–3pm.

Clinton Corners

Clinton Historical Society Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper. Bring a dish to share at this very popular event; beverages and dessert will be provided. Creek Meeting House Exhibit Center. 2433 Salt Point Turnpike, Clinton Corners. 845-266-5464. April 4, 6:30pm.

Hyde Park

See America, Then and Now. In this exhibition, vintage posters advertising our country’s parks and other natural resources, created as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program, are juxtaposed with 50 newly designed works that reinterpret the same message for a 21st century audience. Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum. 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park. 845-486-7770. fdrlibrary.marist.edu. Exhibition on view January 11–June 30.

Hudson Valley Folk Guild Presents Sparky and Rhonda Rucker in Concert. Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, who have been performing for over 40 years, will deliver an uplifting presentation of toe-tapping tunes spiced with humor, history, and tall tales. Their music includes a variety of old-time blues, slave songs, Appalachian music, spirituals, ballads, work songs, Civil War music, railroad songs, and a few of their own original compositions. Tickets are $12. Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Corner of Route 9 and Church Street, Hyde Park. 845-229-2114. umchp.com. April 11, 8pm.

Hike Hyde Park Trails 2014 Kickoff. A guided hike will explore the Winnikee Nature Preserve via its new Arboretum Trail. Event is free and open to all. Meet at parking lot behind former Pete's Famous Restaurant. Route 9, Hyde Park. 845-454-4206. midhudsonadk.org. April 19, 12:45pm.

Hands-in-the-Dirt Gardening Workshop: Dividing Perennials. One of a series of free gardening workshops presented by the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association. Reserve a space by e-mailing info@beatrixfarrandgardenhydepark.org. Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park. 845-229-9115. beatrixfarrandgardenhydepark.org. April 22, 9am–11am.

LaGrangeville

Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Kids' Race. Sponsored by the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club, this benefit race for Miles of Hope, a Hudson Valley-based breast cancer foundation, is open to all ages 4 and up. Registration starts at $25. Tymor Park. 249 Duncan Road, LaGrangeville. 845-677-4999. milesofhope.org. April 26, 10am.

Poughkeepsie

Bardavon. Hudson Valley Philharmonic Performs Mahler's Resurrection Symphony—April 5. The Johnny Clegg Band—April 6. The Country Jamboree—April 10. The Met: Live in HD Presents Puccini's La Boheme—April 12. The French Connection Film Screening—April 18. Artbeat Presents "In The Mood”—April 24. Bardavon. 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie. 845-473-2072. bardavon.org.

Linguini and Lust: Food and Sex in Italian-American Culture. This lecture presentation by Fred Gardaphe, Ph.D., will trace the evolution of long-standing stereotypes of Italian-Americans and explore how Italian and Anglo-American attitudes toward food and sex combine to create Italian-American culture. The talk is free. Italian Center. 277 Mill Street, Poughkeepsie. 845-454-3222. artsmidhudson.org. April 3, 7–8:30pm.

Side by Side by Sondheim. This dazzling musical revue features some of Sondheim’s best-known songs from shows that revolutionized the musical theatre with their masterful craft and astounding creativity. Tickets start at $25. Half Moon Theatre. 2515 South Road, Poughkeepsie. 845-235-9885. halfmoontheatre.org. April 3–April 5, 8pm.

She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders. In this talk, transgender activist and author Jennifer Finney Boylan will read from her fiction and nonfiction and discuss media representation of the trans experience. Villard Room at Vassar College. 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie. 845-437-5370. vassar.edu. April 3, 6pm.

Central New England Railway Spring Tour. This annual bus tour explores the remaining historical sites of the Central New England Railway to gain a better understanding of the part the railroads played in the history and development of New York. Tickets are $55. Meet at Waryas Park. 1 Main Street, Poughkeepsie. 845-451-4100. jtkazyik@cityofpoughkeepsie.com. April 6, 9am.

Oakwood Friends Spring Information Session. The Oakwood Friends School, an independent, coeducational, Quaker-inspired college preparatory day and boarding school serving grades 6-12, are holding an informal meet and greet with school administrators followed by two sample classes (English literature and fractal geometry) and a tour of the school's picturesque campus. Visitors are asked to register in advance. Turner Math and Science Building at Oakwood Friends School. 22 Spackenkill Road, Poughkeepsie. oakwoodfriends.org. 845-462-4200, extension 245. April 8, 9:30am.

My Grandparent and Me Day. Visitors to the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum can enjoy two floors of interactive exhibits that explore nature, science, literacy, art, music, and the local community. Grandparents visit free when accompanied by their children or grandchildren! Mid-Hudson Children's Museum. 75 North Water Street, Poughkeepsie. 845-471-0589. mhcm.org. April 11.

Red Hook

Pitch in for Parks. In this popular program run by Scenic Hudson, volunteers donate their time to maintain public trails. Poet's Walk Park. River Road, Red Hook. 845-473-4440. scenichudson.org. April 3, 5:30–7:30pm.

Read Local! Red Hook Literary Festival. This program offers readings of picture books, young adult fiction, and adult fiction, panel discussions, book sales and signings, and lectures, in celebration of local authors. All events are free and open to the public. Presented by Red Hook Community Arts Network, Oblong Books and Music, the Red Hook Public Library, and the Bard Center for Civic Engagement. Red Hook. rhcan.com. April 11–April 12.

Story Slam at Taste Budds Café. This monthly event features a line-up of writers and storytellers engaging their audience with original works of fiction, creative non-fiction, essay and poetry. Taste Budd's Chocolate and Coffee Café. 40 West Market Street, Red Hook. 845-758-9500. tastebudds.com. April 18, 7pm.

Rhinebeck

Δ/τ Change Over Time, a Workshop with Joseph V. Cassarino. This program is designed to help the brokenhearted ease through the pain of divorce and other relationship break-ups in a healthy, productive manner. Register online; advance registration is $40. Beekman Arms. 6387 Mill Street, Rhinebeck. overcomedivorcepain.com. 845-206-8104. April 3, 7pm.

John Lennon, Iconic Photographs by Brian Hamill. Monochromatic work by Betsy Jacaruso also on display. Betsy Jacaruso Gallery. 43 East Market Street, Rhinebeck. betsyjacarusoartist.com. 845-516-4435. Exhibition on view April 5–April 27. Opening reception April 19, 5pm–7pm.

Kids on Stage Presents A Midsummer Night's Dream. As part of the 8th Annual Sam Scripps Shakespeare Festival and the Saturday Morning Family Series, the Kids on Stage afterschool theater program will present an adaptation of Shakespeare's classic comedy. Tickets are $9, $7 for children. Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. 661 Route 308, Rhinebeck. 845-876-3088. centerforperformingarts.org. April 5 and April 12, 11am.

10th Annual Taste of Rhinebeck. Guests enjoy strolling along the quaint streets of Rhinebeck, stopping to sample food and beverages provided by more than 20 restaurants, spirit shops, caterers and gourmet food stores. Tickets start at $75 and proceeds benefit the Northern Dutchess Hospital. Rhinebeck. 845-871-3505. health-quest.org/taste. April 8, 6pm–9pm.

Tivoli

Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company. With bold athleticism, dramatic nuance, and musical range, CDDC’s high-energy and technically demanding repertory uses movement as metaphor to take audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys. Tickets are $30. Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. 120 Broadway, Tivoli. 845-757-5106 Extension 2. http://www.kaatsbaan.org. April 5, 7:30pm.

2014 Annual Landscape Show. More than a dozen Hudson Valley artists display their abstract and representational interpretations of the landscape, in mediums including photography, oil, watercolor, and more. Tivoli Artists Gallery. 60 Broadway, Tivoli. 845-757-2667. www.tivoliartistsgallery.com. Exhibition on view April 4–April 27. Opening reception April 5, 6–8pm.

Buglisi Dance Theatre. According to Dance Magazine, Buglisi "works in images that seduce the eye as much as the imagination, with shapes, luminous textures, and stilled moments in time that offer an adventure in perception." Tickets are $30. Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. 120 Broadway, Tivoli. 845-757-5106 Extension 2. http://www.kaatsbaan.org. April 26, 7:30pm.

Ancient Trails, Old Roads, and Paths to the Future. A free informative lecture about the historic roads of Ulster and Dutchess County, presented by avid outdoorsman and local trail guide Dave Holden. Tivoli Free Library at Watts dePeyster Hall. 86 Broadway, Tivoli. 845-757-3771. tivolilibrary.org. April 3, 7pm.

Wappingers Falls

Tribute to the Hudson Valley at Tomàš Tapas Bar and Restaurant. For four nights, Chef Tomàš Monoši will prepare a fresh and exciting four course meal with locally sourced products while local businesses and non-profits discuss their missions. Call to pledge donations and make reservations; part of the proceeds will benefit the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, the Dutchess County SPCA, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County,  and The EllaCris Foundation for Women’s Gynecological Cancer. Tomàš Tapas Bar and Restaurant. 900 Route 376, Wappingers Falls. 845-447-1776. tomasrestaurantgroup.com. April 7–10, 6pm.

Event Highlights are compiled by Alecia Eberhardt