First Time Ever Weekend Ferry Service For 2019 Newburgh Open Studios

Ferry service from Beacon to Newburgh Waterfront

The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s 44-foot boat, the Solaris, a solar-powered ferry service 

Updated October 2019 – this ferry service runs the weekend of The Newburgh Literary Festival: October 19th & 20th.

The City of Newburgh has announced a partnership with the city of Beacon as well as with the counties of Orange and Dutchess and the nonprofit Hudson River Maritime Museum to offer a ferry between the two cities and counties.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s 44’  25-passenger solar-powered boat ‘Solaris’ will be spending the weekend of September 28th and 29th, 2019,  ferrying passengers between Beacon and Newburgh. The Maritime Museum designed and built the Solaris.

The announcement comes in time for the annual Spirit of Beacon parade and Newburgh Open Studios, which is running in its ninth year on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29, 2019.

This service will help determine whether enough interest and passenger traffic exists to justify a more regular service.

Other benefits of increased service will be fostering the abilities of both cities to attract more regional tourism, allow for easier exchange for local residents to access strong job markets and entertainment and forge innovative relations between the City of Beacon and Newburgh.

According to the City of Newburgh’s website, this effort was a joint effort by the Cities of Newburgh and Beacon and Orange and Dutchess County, with costs shared between Orange County and Dutchess County under a tourism initiative.

City of Newburgh Manager Joseph Donat thanked his staff and the other City and County partners and said he hoped the service will encourage people and families who live on both sides of the river to discover more of each other’s neighborhoods and communities, just a 20-minute ride from each coast. He noted City Planner Alexandra Church’s tireless efforts to make the ferry a reality.

Not an MTA-connected ferry

It’s important to note that this pilot ferry is not connected to the Metro-North train schedule and that it will be running from a different dock.

How to take the ferry:

  Beacon Institute Floating Dock 

 

Take these steps in order to successfully find and take the weekend ferry to the Newburgh Waterfront:

1. From Beacon, make your way to the Beacon Institute Floating Dock (located just south of the Beacon Sloop Club) depicted above, and board the ferry. You will land on the Newburgh side at the Washington Street Boat Launch
2. From the Washington Street launch walk up Washington Street to Newburgh Art Supply and get a Newburgh Open Studios maps.
3. Note that the ferry runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
4. The Ferry’s first run departs from Newburgh at 10:00 am and then leaves from Beacon at 10:30, and continues every hour from Newburgh and on the half-hour respectively until 5:00 pm.
5. Fare is $2.00 cash

The September Open Studios event has concluded

Did you know this is Newburgh Open Studio’s 9th year of attracting a diverse group of artists?

More than one hundred artists to participate! Read more about it here

Pick up maps at Newburgh Art Supply, 5 Grand Street

Open Studio Tour Maps:

Maps will be available at Newburgh Art Supply, 5 Grand Street, Saturday and Sunday, starting at 10 am.

Newburgh Art Supply is the central location for tour information and extra studio tour maps.

This tour will introduce visitors to Newburgh’s burgeoning arts community with the opening of artists’ work studios, alternative gallery spaces, sculpture installations, and pop-up shows.

Some studios will have demonstrations and performances scattered throughout many of Newburgh’s various neighborhoods.

Next Ferry weekend: Newburgh Literary Festival

The Literary Festival is a Safe Harbors of the Hudson event.

The Festival, which will take place beginning Friday*, the weekend of October 18, is a collaborative project of Safe Harbors of the Hudson; Dr. Hannah Brooks; author Danielle Trussoni; the Newburgh Free Library; Atlas Studios; and Thornwillow Institute, as well as the MTA.

* The weekend ferry schedule pertains to Saturday and Sunday only!