BEACON LITFEST 2025: June 12, 13, 14
This year’s BEACON LITFEST is planned for Thurs, Fri, Sat, June 12-14, 2025! ALL-ACCESS PASS OR individual dates available for purchase.
The Beacon LitFest celebrates the literary arts in the Hudson Valley. We bring together a diverse group of award-winning poets, playwrights, fiction writers and nonfiction writers for readings, lively conversation, performances, and connection.
Thursday, June 12 features our ever-popular kickoff party and performance at Denning’s Point Distillery. Your host is Drew Prochaska (Artichoke Storytelling). This promises to be a beautiful evening to socialize, be entertained by local writers and performers, enjoy premium signature cocktails, and dance a little!
Our Friday, June 13th signature evening event, Women In Noir, will be held at the Howland Cultural Center. Enjoy an immersive multimedia program with bestselling crime and thriller fiction authors Margot Douaihy, Jode Millman, and Julia Dahl, in conversation with NY Writers Studio’s Cynthia Weiner, and TownSquare Media’s Jackie Corley.
Our Saturday, June 14 Main Event features:
- Poetry at 10:30 am at the Beahive event space, with Dutchess Poet Laureate Ruth Danon; John Yau, winner of the Jackson Prize in Poetry; and Gregory Pardlo, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, will read and discuss their works in conversation with Andrea Talarico (Stanza Books).
- Drama/Theater at 1:30pm at the Howland Cultural Center with founders and co-directors Vieve Radha Price and Chuk Obasi of the groundbreaking NYC-based company TEA Artistry. Produced and moderated by Shane Killoran (Hit House Creative).
- Nonfiction and Fiction panels from 5pm to 7:30pm at Main St’s stately VFW Memorial Hall. We will be joined by brilliant, award-winning authors Francine Prose, Kris Jansma, Matt Schultz, Stacey D’Erasmo, and Dinaw Mengestu. Beacon’s own Caroline Eisner and the ever-entertaining Brian Mahoney (Chronogram) will guide the evening’s discussion.
- At 7:30pm, we end with a book-signing reception and cocktail party at VFW Memorial Hall.
Order All Access Passes for the Litfest or visit our website beaconlitfest.org under ‘events’ for individual ticket dates.
Create your own schedule and enjoy the shops, restaurants, galleries, and surrounding natural beauty of Beacon’s charming, historic Main St.
And, if you’re making a weekend of it, your All Access Pass also serves as a generous 100. discount voucher courtesy of Dutchess Inn and Spa, on Beacon’s Main St.
