The 2026 Hudson River Music Competition will highlight the legacies of American folks music legends Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan when it returns to New York’s Croton Level Park this Father’s Day.
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jesse Welles headlines the second annual occasion, which may even spotlight performances by the Guthrie Household Singers, Warren Haynes, Grahame Lesh, genre-blurring “cosmic nation” guitarist Daniel Donato and lots of others.
This 12 months’s competition introduces a slate of America 250 programming that focuses on experiences surrounding the enduring affect of American folks music and the cultural influence of artists who helped characterize the American songbook. In partnership with the Guthrie and Dylan Facilities, this weekend’s Hudson River Music Competition will highlight the legacies of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and the generations of artists influenced by their work.
Attendees could have entry to an on-site Woody Guthrie exhibit, whereas the competition’s Woody Guthrie Tent will host family-friendly artistic writing workshops impressed by the folks icon’s songwriting spirit. Offered by Harper Home Music Basis, RiverFest FPS (For Pete’s Sake), and Dayglo Presents, the returning occasion bridges folks traditions and modern Americana.
Along with the aforementioned performers, the Hudson Stage may even function Margo Worth, Cimafunk, Chaparelle, Snacktime and Toshi Reagan. In the meantime, the Rainbow Stage guarantees units by Ebony Hillbillies, Leah Tune (of Rising Appalachia), Damaris Bonita, David Abram, Tom Chapin & The Chapin Sisters and Lizzie No.
The Hudson River Music Competition traces its roots to the folks picnics organized a long time in the past by Pete and Toshi Seeger, a legacy that continues to form its mission. Past the music, organizers are emphasizing longtime parts of the Hudson Valley folks scene, together with neighborhood engagement, environmental activism, and intergenerational participation.
The competition’s family-focused programming expands to the all-new North Star Stage, the place youthful attendees will probably be drawn to performances from The Rock and Roll Playhouse, Bash the Trash, and Really feel Journey Yoga. Arts-and-crafts actions, neighborhood sing-alongs, roaming leisure all through the grounds may even be supplied alongside a large-scale puppet efficiency from Arm of the Sea. The latter features a river-themed Fish Migration that includes puppets created by artists from Jim Henson Studios.
Environmental advocacy stays a cornerstone of the competition’s id. The North Area will host nonprofit organizations, grassroots activist teams, academic displays, and a climate-focused panel dialogue, whereas organizers proceed to pursue a Zero Waste mannequin for the occasion.
Deliberately deliberate for Father’s Day, the Hudson River Music Competition goals to deliver collectively a number of generations by way of music, activism, and shared experiences. This method feels particularly becoming because the nation begins reflecting on 250 years of historical past, inspecting how folks traditions have advised the American story throughout generations, from Guthrie’s Mud Bowl ballads to the artists carrying these beliefs ahead right now.
Organizers have expanded competition facilities following the inaugural occasion, together with a bigger meals court docket, further regional distributors, and enhanced VIP choices. Kids 12 and underneath will probably be admitted free with a ticketed grownup. For tickets and extra info go to the Hudson River Music Competition’s official web site.
