Welcome to our new Sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog’s Adult Classes Guide, Firefly Yoga and Juice Bar! With their support, we are able to show you inside their beautiful studio, feature regular and special classes, and promote to this Guide in general, showcasing many small businesses in it. See all the pictures and offerings by hitting our Adult Classes Guide right here!
Nicole from the hit Netflix show “Nailed It.”
Ideally, I’d like you to have heard that “Helloooo” in the voice of Nicole from “Nailed It,” but since that’s not likely we will move on immediately to…
At my new full-time job, I surveyed women I work with, who are surviving working with me, in order to bring you these highly skilled and marketable reading recommendations. To keep their persons anonymous, I have revealed them only by nicknames.
The HBIC sent an email marked with High Importance and instructions not to delete her cosigning of Karen Moning’s “Highlander” series (this co-worker is indeed a fan of all things magic and supernatural and Irish).
The Chorus Line duo is all about jazz hands. One is reading “The Alienist” by Caleb Carr, which combines suspense, historical fiction and justice (what more does one really need?), while the other is feeling the women’s empowerment of “We” by Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel.
The Little Bird is making sure her glam new highlights didn’t fry any brain cells by staying up all night reading “Neverwhere” by sometime Hudson Valley resident Neil Gaiman and feeling very dreamy about it.
And the Silver Fox is multitasking as usual, with “Purity” by Jonathan Franzen and “All About Love” by bell hooks (also on my list).
As for myself, I just started “The Ticking is the Bomb” by Nick Flynn and am withholding comment until later because I’m cold-hearted like that.
So what’s going on in the writerly corners of the Hudson Valley that you can get out to, since we are all about to lose our minds in the weather soup that is March?
GARRISON INSTITUTE
A new game in town (at least to me) is the Writer’s Circle at the Garrison Institute on Wednesday, March 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, looking super lovely and free of charge. Bonus round: It includes time for meditation, reflection, writing, and sharing.
BINNACLE BOOKS BOOK CLUB
Binnacle Books in Beacon is doing its boozy book club at Denning’s Point Distillery on Wednesday, March 13, and you want to be there. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah (of The Daily Show) is what’s on the menu. Get 10% off the book at the store, and $5 cocktails to sip whilst you tilt your head thoughtfully.
P.S. EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you Binnacle Books for becoming a regular sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide! It’s quite an honor to have an independent bookstore show their appreciation and value with a sponsorship!
HUDSON VALLEY WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Hudson Valley Writer’s Workshop has their monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 6, and a Facebook page full of other things to investigate.
SPLIT ROCK BOOKS
Split Rock Books in Cold Spring is on winter vacation until Monday, March 4, with limited hours until then. I’m personally pleased as punch for any small business owners who take a little time to recharge. And they are going to need it for March, because whatever your book club preference may be (History, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Kids Club) they have you covered this month. Also on tap in March: a drawing night, fermentation workshop, and readings by locals and beyond.
ADULT STORIES AT OAK VINO
John Blesso is hosting the second Adult Stories reading series at Oak Vino on Friday, March 8, with a great lineup of writers telling “true stories of an offbeat, edgy, or emotionally-challenging nature told without notes or pages.” $5 and please arrive on time at 7 pm so as not to interrupt. (I’m side-eyeing myself here, if that’s anatomically possible.)
GET LIT AT OAK VINO
Get Lit on Sunday, March 10, features two speakers about award-winning children’s literature power couple James Ransome (illustrator) and Lesa Cline-Ransome (author). In addition to their collaborations on books about Serena and Venus Williams, Harriet Tubman, Louis Armstrong and Alvin Ailey, James is also the artist behind the beautiful mural at the Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie.
GET LIT WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Lucky us! Get Lit founder Julie Chibbaro is doing a an ongoing writing workshop for teens called “Write Your Own Adventure” for ages 12-15 on four Thursdays (March 7-28), and an adult writing intensive on Saturday, March 30, at the Howland Library in Beacon. Also free! See here for details.
WRITING WORKSHOP AT QUINN’S
Stop in to Quinn’s on Tuesday, March 12, and stay a while as readers from Ruth Danon’s Live Writing workshop take to the stage at 7 pm. I am not reading this time, but I will be eating some pickled plum and clapping like mad for them.
THE ARTICHOKE STORYTELLING SERIES
Meanwhile, The Artichoke Storytelling Series at the Howland Cultural Center, hosted by Drew Prochaska, is SOLD OUT! It features storytellers from The Moth, Risk! and Story Collider, as well as Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening. If you were considering moving to Beacon, Fishkill, or Wappingers (anywhere close to the Howland Cultural Center), this new series is a pretty compelling reason!
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH IN TIVOLI
On Tuesday, March 26, you can start your National Poetry Month festivities early (move over, St. Paddy’s Day) up in Tivoli with this brilliant mashup of poetry and philosophy at Murray’s Coffeeshop (the coffee is super good there) from Bard College and the Poetry Foundation. “The Words We Live By: Poetry and Philosophy in Conversation” features poet Fred Moten and author Robert Gooding-Williams, and looks to be a deep well. It’s introduced by this quote by Hannah Arendt: “The storehouse of memory is kept and watched over by the poets, whose business it is to find and make the words we live by.”
Phew! That was a lot of must-dos for this month. If you hear of any throughout the year, email me at phoebe@alittlebeaconblog.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Surprise! An Editor’s Note, because we couldn’t just stop writing in the Writerly Happenings section! If you love this Writerly Happening series as much as we do, and if you love helping promote writers and illustrators and books, then consider becoming a regular Supporting Sponsor! You can get your logo published bright and shiny at the top of this article, and each article we publish a month. Or, if you are a regular person with no business but really want to be a Sponsoring Individual, you can! Please see our Media Kit page for details, and other opportunities for sponsorship. All of our sponsoring advertisers help us get the word out, pay our writers, and grow this publication as a self-sustaining, family-friendly business. Thank you!
Nancy Drew Inspired art: At left, Anna West’s “Good Girl”; Top Right, Jean Noack’s “The Secret”; below Right, “Nancy Drew” by Philomena Kiernan
Photo Credit: Anna West (left) and Philomena Kiernan (right).
Imagine our delight when A Little Beacon Blog’s Second Saturday Guide editor Catherine Sweet and I received the press release that a group art show opening at the Howland Public Library will showcase works inspired by Nancy Drew in recognition of Women’s History Month.
The Howland Public Library presents “The Mystery of Nancy Drew, a Group Show.” The exhibit will be on view in The Community Room Exhibit Space from Second Saturday, March 9, through Saturday, April 6, 2019. An artists' reception will be held on Saturday, March 9, from 5 to 7 pm.
Nancy Drew Inspired Jean Noack’s “The Secret”
Photo Credit: Jean Noack
The first Nancy Drew books were published in 1930 under the pen name Carolyn Keene, and are still in print today (with several different authors publishing under that pen name). The first 23 of the original 30 books were written by Mildred Wirt Benson, who shaped Nancy’s brave and adventurous character.
Mildred was a ghost writer for the series and was not revealed as its author until the 1970s, according to this article at Smithsonian.com. Mildred was the daughter of a doctor who made house calls, and often traveled with him on his work. Keen on being a writer, Mildred was a journalist whose beat was local crimes and city corruption. She hung out at the city courthouse to find most of her stories. To learn a lot more about Mildred, read this article at Smithsonian.com.
Jan Dolan’s entry in the show imagines a “girl sleuth” dream team of Agatha Christie, Miss Marple, and Nancy Drew.
Photo Credit: Jan Dolan
Over time, the fictional character of Nancy Drew, the independent girl sleuth, has become a culture icon. The exhibit features artwork by over 20 local women artists inspired by the classic Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.
The exhibit at the library was curated by Jan Dolan and Michelle Rivas of the Howland Public Library. “This show is dedicated to all the real-life independent and creative problem-solving women in our community,” said the curators in their press release.
The show is the fifth annual exhibit from the group CoMFY, a collective of women artists from the Beacon area. Last year their show was inspired by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The group formed in 2011 when local artists Kat Stoutenborough and Jennifer Blakeslee invited some friends to a local coffee shop to talk. Inspired by their discussions about balancing life and their creative pursuits, the women began meeting on a regular basis. The group has grown and transformed over the years. “While the women do not meet in person as often as they'd like to,” the library’s press release states, “the support network created has endured.”
The Howland Public Library is located at 313 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508. The Community Room Exhibit Space is open during regular library hours. Please note the gallery may not be accessible during some library programs. Please consult the library calendar at beaconlibrary.org.
You can order almost any Nancy Drew book you want from Beacon’s local bookstore Binnacle Books, or stop into the library’s volunteer-powered bookstore, Beacon Reads, to see if they have any. And of course, check the Howland Public Library to borrow a few.
Photo Credit: “Nancy Drew,” by Philomena Kiernan
As the first bulbs of spring start coming up, artists in Beacon are busy preparing for the big day when everyone and anyone is invited to step inside of participating artist studios during Beacon Open Studios. Usually spring has sprung, and you can smell the freshly thawed ground and greening grass as you walk, drive or hop around to different artist studios. This year, the big weekend is Friday to Sunday, May 17 to 19, 2019, and A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor.
Open Studios was the first event that locked in my love for Beacon when I accidentally discovered the studios while out jogging one day. An artist had opened their studio (their garage), had the red balloon tied to their mailbox (the official sign that they are inviting you in) and visitors were encouraged to walk up the driveway to explore inside and meet the artist.
Artists of all kinds are invited to participate. If you’re in Beacon, and if you are an artist - no matter what your age, tools, art supplies, etc. - you are encouraged to register and help people get to know your art. I’m partial to jewelry designers’ studios because I like looking at their work tables. What kind of art do you make? Pottery? Sculptures? Ephemera? Let’s get you on the map and in the brochure. Register here to participate in Beacon Open Studios 2019.
Artists are often withdrawn with their art - or they are just hard to find. Beacon Open Studios is the initiative that make them approachable by everyone. You never know what kind of inspiration may hit you or your children or friends while visiting one of these studios. This is why A Little Beacon Blog sponsors Beacon Open Studios. It keeps the community churning and ideas accessible.
Sponsor Beacon Open Studios here. Or, you can simply donate!
A bunch of artists have signed up, and you still can. Here are three that we found and intend to explore during the big weekend:
Photo Credit: Beacon Open Studios
“Born Ómò Oba (Prince) Adetomiwa A. Gbadebo in Abeokuta, Nigeria; into three royal families: the Gbadebo royal family of Egba Kingdom and the Ademiluyi family of Ilé-Ifè Kingdom, as well as the Oshodi (Tapa) family from Lagos. Òmó Oba (Prince) Gbadebo uses his Yorùbá heritage and life experiences to create his pieces based on emotions and the journey that life stitches; he embodies a spiritual trance while he creates. He does not associate himself with any artistic movement; for it is with the guidance of Olódùmarè that he executes his message.” - from his artist page.
Open Studio Destination:
211 Fishkill Ave. (Old Beacon High School)
Represented by Ethan Cohen Fine Art (Ethan Cohen Fine Art owns the Old Beacon High School, where several artists have working studios or exhibit space)
Photo Credit: Beacon Open Studios
To be honest, we don’t know much about Toby - yet. Mystery artists are a favorite. Well, maybe not a mystery to you. But he remains one to us. We’ll fill you in as we learn more - possibly after a visit to his working studio on Rombout Avenue!
Open Studio Destination
186 Rombout Ave.
Working Studio
Photo Credit: Beacon Open Studios
Yali Lewis’ jewelry may look familiar to you because… her flagship shop, Lewis & Pine, is in Beacon at 133 Main Street (near Bank Square)! “Lewis & Pine Jewelry and Apothecary are created by New York-based artist Yali Lewis and are inspired by modernist design and natural beauty. Yali creates her jewelry and apothecary collections by hand in her studio in Beacon, NY. The visual and sensory landscape of the Hudson Valley meet the architectural geometry and cultural richness of New York City in Yali's work. Yali has shown in numerous juried craft fairs around the country. Yali’s work has been at the Bryant Park Holiday Village, Columbus Avenue Craft Fair, Renegade Craft Fair, Urban Craft Uprising, and many others.“ - excerpted from her website.
Open Studio Destination:
Catalyst Gallery, 137 Main Street
(an art gallery just a few doors down from Lewis & Pine’s shop)
A big Thank You to the sponsors and supporting businesses of A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide!
This is a Guide we created that includes all shops in Beacon (if we missed you, email us!), and businesses have the opportunity to stand out with a Sponsor Spot to show readers photos inside of their shops, and special events.
Supporting Sponsors include Luxe Optique, Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique, Binnacle Books and La Mère Clothing + Goods. Thank you so much! Your ongoing support helps us maintain these Guides, and produce the Happening This Weekend newsletter that everybody loves that comes out on Fridays. We’re busy working on that today!
An exciting weekend is coming up, with Second Saturday and the Parade of Green! You can always visit the Shopping Guide here, that lists all shops with addresses and links. Share with your friends who are visiting! Or use it yourself to go inside the stores! You'll be so happy you did.
If you run a business and are interested in participating, click here to our Media Kit for details.
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog
The first snowfall of March for 2019 has fallen onto lilac tree buds and hyacinth shoots. Fear not, they have been covered before.
The snow fell heavy and wet onto warm (well, not super-cold) ground, temperate from the Sunday before when the days had just started to warm up a bit.
Schools in New York City are closed, with a Hazardous Travel Advisory issued by NYC, according to WNYC. Most schools in the Hudson Valley are on a two-hour delay, with some schools on a three-hour delay, or a Transportation Delay. Some Hudson Valley Schools are simply closed for the day.
Beacon City Schools are in a two-hour delay, and our delay call came last night, which helps with planning and rescheduling. Delays have become commonplace over the years when snow is expected to be on the ground in the morning. According to Beacon Superintendent Matthew Landahl, a small team from the school’s Transportation Department goes out at 3:30 am to check the roads to make a decision, since buses start their routes at 6 am.
“Since I live here,” says Dr. Landahl, “I sometimes go out and join in on the fun.” If the team finds icy patches where the buses need to drive to transport kids in and out of the district, Landahl is inclined to call a two-hour delay. Robocalls issued by Dr. Landahl have helped to keep everyone informed along the way. This morning, a call was issued to confirm the decision from the night before: that everything was good to go for the planned delay. “See you soon,” he added, and credited the city’s Highway Department and school facility teams for getting the roads clear for everyone. To follow along with other school schedules during weather, check out the list here: http://wpdh.com/snow-closings-delays/
Well, you know what snowfall means: shoveling. And you know what shoveling means: chocolate chip pancakes! Or deep-dish French toast from Homespun, three-layer cake from BJs, a cheese danish from Beacon Bread Company, a hearty bagel sandwich from Beacon Bagel, or cut to the chase with a bacon egg sandwich from Mr. V’s or Bob’s. Permission granted to totally carb out.
Be safe! Don’t overdo it. Take breaks. And don’t stand under snow-covered heavy branches of snow. OK, that’s a lot to remember. Enjoy!
Bear Mountain Bridge on the morning commute from Beacon to New York City. Photo Credit: David Ray Martin
The east end of Main Street, before the second half of the east end of Main Street beyond Teller Avenue. Photo Credit: David Ray Martin
A few rental apartments have become available in 544 Main Street - the building on the far end of Main Street above the Green Room salon and a free municipal parking lot. This apartment comes with a sun-filled deck outside with a view of Mount Beacon, and is near the Fishkill Creek and Roundhouse.
From Gate House Realty: “One-bedroom apartment in very desirable newer building on the East End of Main Street. Hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, and laundry in basement. Approximately 550 sq feet. Pet friendly. Heat and hot water included. Available April 10th.”
PRICE: $1,650/month BEDROOMS: 1 BATHROOMS: 1
Real Estate Agent: Gate House Realty, (845) 831-9550
Details + Pictures >
“How To Edit Wikipedia” is an event at the Howland Public Library to encourage women to make edits in Wikipedia, the content producers of which are traditionally men.
WHAT: Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
WHERE: Howland Public Library
DAY: Saturday, March 2, 2019
TIME: 11 am to 3 pm
Happening today is the (so far) annual Wikipedia Editing event at the Howland Public Library during Women’s History Month. The class is provided as a means to encourage women especially to come out and edit Wikipedia, the group-sourced encyclopedia of the Internet. This local event is organized by local library advocate, Ms. Rajene Hardeman, as part of the international annual Art+Feminism campaign. As of last year, only 9% of the edits or contributions made to Wikipedia were made by women.
This can change! Half of the battle is probably not knowing where to start with how to edit. This class aims to change that. A tutorial of how to enter Wikipedia to make an edit kicks off the day, and from 12 to 3 pm, an open edit session happens, where people can sit and edit.
All people are encouraged to attend, regardless of gender, and bringing your own laptop is encouraged.
Last year, our writer Catherine Sweet wrote about the event for A Little Beacon Blog, and explored the gender gap in who is making the edits in this globally used information center.
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Photo Credit: Screenshot of Beacon Recreation’s newsletter announcing the new online registration tool.
One wouldn’t think that the announcement of the City of Beacon Recreation’s new online registration and payment tool would warrant such celebration, but it is an enhancement that saves time for everyone. Several key elements of registration are now available in one place, including payment, emergency contact information, medical information, and more.
Visiting Beacon Rec headquarters is pleasant enough - driving or walking over to the Beacon Recreation Department at 23 West Center Street is always a pleasure, because one gets to see Heidi, Mark, Nate or other employees of the Beacon Rec Department. You might even run into members of Green Teen, who also have an office in the building. But if you, like many parents, are juggling a lot of to-dos, online registration relieves a measurable amount of stress - a worthy trade-off. Plus, you can always head over to the Beacon Recreation building and play at the South Street playground, sled down the hill, or shoot hoops or hit a tennis ball on the courts below.
The pre-planning to register is involved, as one needs to fill out emergency contact information for each child when registering them each quarter for the After School Program, a popular childcare program for Beacon’s elementary schools that runs from 3 to 6 pm. To keep up with the paperwork, I’ve actually made several backup emergency contact copies at home with our printer/copier, and I’ve felt quite pleased with myself for the advance prep.
“No need for that anymore,” says Nate Smith, City of Beacon Assistant Recreation Director. “Unless you change something, contact information will be the same. Pick your days of After School Program that you want to sign your children up for, and off you go.” Tuition assistance is available to qualifying families. So do inquire if you need that. Spots do fill up fast, and each quarter is a new signup even if you were already enrolled in the prior session.
For Camp at the Camp, the popular summer program from the Beacon Recreation Department, registration forms once again are involved, and this time they include medical information.” Unlike the contact info, you’ll still need to submit the medical forms each year, Nate says. “The medical forms are purged annually. The BOH requires one dated within the last year.”
Registration for Camp at the Camp opens on Monday, March 11, 2019, and last year, spaces filled up fast. With a keyboard on your side, you’ll get ahead (don’t worry, there are plenty of amazing camp options available for different schedules, themes and ages).
For the Pool Membership, this one is pretty easy. But if you put it off, as I did last year, you might miss out on the ability to have a summer pool membership, and end up limiting yourself (and your family) to the option of buying daily passes. With last year’s seemingly endless thunder rolls, which require everyone to clear the pool for 30 minutes, it can make paying for a day pass disheartening. Thunder can be such bummer if you need to leave the pool right after you paid for your family to get in, then you have to wait 30 minutes to get back in. (BTW, this thunder policy is the same at any pool, including Beacon’s River Pool and All Sport.) Tack on maybe another 30 minutes if another rumble of thunder happens. With the seasonal Pool Membership, no need to scrape together the dollars each time.
The link to register with the Beacon Recreation Department is here: https://beaconny.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
The Beacon Recreation Department is here to help if you need it: “If you have any trouble creating an account, or need assistance during this process, please stop by the Recreation Center at 23 West Center Street, Monday to Friday between 9am and 2pm and we will help you get your account set up!”
To get alerts directly from the Beacon Recreation Department, be sure you’re subscribed to their newsletter. You can subscribe to the Beacon Recreation newsletter here.
Oh man! Looks like the Pool Pass sales have already opened! Better register online quick! Important registration dates:
Monday, February 11 - Beacon Pool Passes
Monday, March 11 - Camp @ the Camp
Wednesday, April 3- After School session 4
Photo Credit: Screenshot of the Bright Star Theatre’s website.
This just in from a flyer from the folders of Beacon’s elementary school kids:
The Bright Star Touring Theatre will be staging a free performance of “Black History Hall of Fame” on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 at 5:45 pm. This 45-minute production will take you on a fast-paced adventure through the Black History Hall of Fame, led by Dr. Daisy and Professor Paisley. Young audience volunteers and incredibly talented performers bring this show to life in every way. The Bright Star Theatre Group suggests this performance is best for kids in kindergarten to fifth grade.
After that performance, Bright Star will perform “Struggle For Freedom” at 7 pm. This 45-minute production seeks to honor the American Civil Rights Movement. With excerpts of famous speeches, Civil Rights-era songs and a variety of characters, this moving production has been hailed as one of “the finest touring shows available for a young audience.” The Bright Star Theatre Group suggests this performance for second graders through adults, but that is only a suggestion.
Both performances take place at Beacon High School, and are free of charge to the Beacon community!
Learn more about the Bright Star Theatre here. They are based in NC and tour all over the country.
Photo Credit: Screenshot from the Bright Star Theatre
Meal planning for Sunday dinner, placeholding with this art bookmark acquired at Dogwood during random Sunday night dinner in the kids section (aka the tables near the stage where the kids can dance, and we can only hope that no one else is in there yet). The artist is recent Beacon transplant Tara McPherson. Her art company is called Cotton Candy Machine, and the painting on the bookmark is called “Bloom.” The cookbook pictured here is Magnolia Table, purchased at Cracker Barrel on Route 9 during a pancake lunch post-doctor appointment. Beef for this bulgogi will be sourced from Barb’s Butchery on Sunday… Barb’s also has eggs for Sunday morning (or an upcoming snow/ice storm, so best stock up!).
And then Marilyn, A Little Beacon Blog’s Managing Editor - texted me to confirm: “Tara McPherson lives in Beacon!!?” So I took to scrambling into the artist’s website to learn more about her. OMG. This is why I love Beacon. You just never know who you’re going to meet! Tara has illustrated posters for Metallica, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, has collectible figures, and is just really fierce.
Here’s a few pictures of her art, and her process for setting up her studio since moving to Beacon:
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The new 2019 Beacon Theater marquee (Top left) harks back to a more glamorous time. Note the boarded-up doors In the Photo at Top right, after the decline of Beacon from its glory years of the 1930s, to the depression it endured in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The reinvigorated Beacon Theater is located at 445 Main Street.
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog
View from the storefront window of La MÈre Clothing and Goods, located across the street from the theater. She published it on her Instagram. Someone is excited!
The wait is over for one of the most anticipated Main Street openings - the Beacon Theater at 445 Main Street is now open, the marquee lights are on, the popcorn is popping, and the movies are playing.
The building that houses the theater, down on Beacon’s east end near Joe’s Irish Pub and La Mère Clothing and Goods, has been home to many businesses. According to the book Historic Beacon (pick up a copy in neighboring Beacon Bath & Bubble!), Warren S. Dibble, who purchased the hotel across the street (see our article on its major renovation a few years ago) in 1877, built a roller rink in this spot in 1884. When roller skating didn’t catch on as he had hoped, he built the Dibble Opera House by 1886. In it, he built a 1,300-seat hall, and according to the book, made “a high-class of entertainment to an appreciative public.” After that, according to Historic Beacon, the Beacon Theater was later constructed on the site. A well-known jazz bar, the Wonder Bar, also opened on the second floor of the theater.
The theater avoided being bulldozed during Urban Renewal, when many of what would have been historic buildings were demolished in Beacon and other nearby areas.
During that time, before the theater closed for good, the walls were painted purple by a church group who rented the space, then it was occupied by a storage company, and finally by a theater company, before moving into the hands of four partners who combined talents to rebuild the Beacon Theater, and open it to the public for movies and popcorn - with real butter. (!!)
Behind the operation and curation of movies shown at the Beacon Theater is Story Screen, Beacon’s original traveling, pop-up movie theater experience. Story Screen shows already-run films. Originally, they set up the projector in local establishments like Oak Vino and More Good. Tapped as a partner in this project, Story Screen now has a permanent home in the Beacon Theater.
Hankering to see an old favorite on the big screen? Send them a request! Maybe they will play it. I’m going to ask for Working Girl. A first-run showing of a locally produced documentary from Ana Sofia Joanes, Wrestling With Ghosts, is playing now, and has already sold out some screenings.
Movie tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for kids, and sold on Fandango and at the Box Office [Updated 5/5/2019]. Movie times run all day 7 days a week (previously it was Thursday-Sunday, but is now 7 days). “As we get further along in our operation,” said Story Screen’s Brendan McAlpine, “we will also show first-run and indie films.”
[Update 5/5/2019: The first first-run movie the theater showed was Avengers: Endgame]. Movies currently in the lineup are already-run films, and include classics like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Moonlight, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Good Burger, Wrestling with Ghosts, Heathers, Cruel Intentions and Wall-E.
Check out which movies are playing on which weekends, see the Story Screen website and click on the row of dates above the listings.
My little assistants and I happened to come at just the right time in between shows during the theater’s soft opening last weekend, so we were able to buy a tub of popcorn and Skittles (extra sour in the green bag) and get a tour.
Let’s go inside and look around!
The theater is modernized with “incredible” sound, said Jason Schuler of Drink More Good, who is one of the Beacon Theater partners spearheading the food and drink experience. Some design elements were chosen to honor the time period of the original theater. Note the light sconces on the wall of the theater. According to Jason, the original sconces (pictured on the purple wall in a photo toward the bottom) were too far gone to completely restore, so they sought out a light that complemented the decor. The direction of the screen remains the same. People in the theater decades ago sat in the same direction to watch what was on the stage. Today, the building has two movie theaters that have stadium seating, and a third theater will be available for private rentals for various types of events.
Pictured below is the theater after it was painted purple, with gold detail, decades ago by the church. Who could blame them for using this irresistible hue - I have painted a few rooms purple in my house!
Photo Credit: The picture of the theater on the left is a screenshot from a photo published on AfterTheFinalCurtain.com.
Impressively designed bathrooms have become a big deal nationwide, and Beacon is proving no exception. You have the Japanese-inspired wallpaper for the ladies at Quinn’s, the super-comfortable setting in the Roundhouse and Melzingah Tap House, the Beacon Public Library recently renovated theirs, and the bathroom at Billy Joe’s in Newburgh is impressive. There are others, but those are the first that come to mind. Add to the collection this beautiful wallpaper and experience for the ladies (see below) at the Beacon Theater. The lit sign for “Ladies Lounge” that hangs above the bathroom door is an original piece to the theater.
Pictured here is one of the Beacon Theater partners, Scott Brenner. He is also a partner in Drink More Good.
An eatery is slated to open in the adjoining space. The partners are calling it The Wonder Bar, inspired by the original jazz bar that operated from the second floor of this theater starting in the 1930s and had a good run. Pictured to the right is the original brick wall, with freshly painted lettering. The eatery will be on the other side of that wall, and a take-out window will be open for people who want to order from a special movie menu, to bring food into the theater.
At the concession stand, you will find commercial candy, as well as real buttered popcorn and soda from Drink More Good. Spearheading this whole project is Brendan McAlpine of McAlpine Development (formerly known as High View Development Corp.), who also owns Hudson Valley Marshmallow on the other end of Main Street (see our write-up here), who bakes the marshmallows in More Good’s commissary kitchen (located behind More Good’s tea shop).
Movie munchie options are looking good - either eat a tub of popcorn, or a bag of marshmallows. Or regular candy. And finish off with some of the best, most natural root beer (or other soda flavors) around.
To learn more about all of the partners, click here for our feature story covering the start of this in 2017.
See you at the movies!
All photos are credited to A Little Beacon Blog. For permission to reprint, please contact us. If using in social media, please tag @alittlebeacon. If you are radio peeps getting leads for news clips for your listeners, please consider giving A Little Beacon Blog a shout-out as your source! We love helping local media thrive by crediting each other. Thanks!
UPDATE 2/22/2019: A followup story has been published with pictures. See it here!
The movie mystery is over at the Beacon Theater! We couldn't translate these letters that were posted on their Insta, so we went down there to take a look, and saw the popcorn and candy concession stand! Showtimes have been posted, and it looks like they are running movies in the afternoon and evening!
There was already a screening of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure at 12:30 pm on Friday, and different flicks are on the schedule.
With The Underground Beacon located across the street, holding regular group board-game opportunities, this end of town is shaping up to be a hub for great entertainment!
More pictures to come after we buy our first ticket...
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