“Arts and the Great Outdoors” is the first of several suheadings in the July 3 blog post entitled “Long Weekend in Phoenicia, New York” on the Fodor’s Travel Intelligence website at www.fodors.com. With commercial development in the Town of Shandaken limited by watershed regulations protecting New York City’s drinking water, and many citizens committed to maintaining the rural character of the region by fighting big projects like the proposed megaresort at Belleayre, the arts have become a means of attracting people to Shandaken.
Artist Dave Channon was gallery-sitting at the Arts Upstairs in Phoenicia when a young couple wandered through and began asking him about the town. Ever a booster of Shandaken and the arts, Channon gave them the lowdown on Main Street’s two art galleries (the other one being Cabane Studios), theater at the STS Playhouse, dance at Mount Tremper Arts, Flying Cat Music’s monthly folk concerts at the Phoenicia train station, and the upcoming third annual Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice (August 2-August 5), organized by three local opera singers.
Only after 20 minutes of conversation did the inquisitive couple reveal that they were collecting information for Fodor’s. The blog post also highlights Main Street shops, restaurants, and the outdoor activities — fishing, hiking, biking, tubing, camping — that are vital to the town’s economy and essence. Perhaps it’s due to Channon’s enthusiasm that the arts take top billing on the blog, but certainly the presence of many creative people in town have led to a burgeoning of artistic activities.
The weekends of July 14- July 15 and July 21-July 22 are packed with events in Shandaken:
Saturday, July 14, 1 p.m., Arm-of-the-Sea Mask and Puppet Theater will present its show “City That Drinks the Mountain Sky” at STS Playhouse. The one-hour performance is free, sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension, and appeals to ages 5 through 14. STS Playhouse is located at 10 Church Street, Phoenicia. This event is free.
Saturday, July 14, 3 p.m.–8 p.m., “Meeting Point” exhibition opening at Mount Tremper Arts will be showing performances and video throughout the day by Charles Atlas, Xavier Cha, Jen Rosenblit with Spencer Yeh, and Jacques Louis Vidal. The event is free. A pig roast and dinner costing $20 will be held from 5 p.m.– 6 p.m. Mount Tremper Arts is located at 647 Old Plank Road, Mount Tremper. See https://mounttremperarts.org/ for details.
Saturday, July 14, 7 p.m., “The Main Event”, a benefit for the Phoenicia Library, features five acoustic musicians, refreshments, and a silent auction, all for $5 at the Parish Hall. Breakneck Annie Band, Robert Burke Warren, Miriam Rose Altman, Enrico “The Big Caboose” Scull, and Dave Kearney and Elly Wininger will perform.
Join the family! 
