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Photo courtesy of Caramoor Center for Music and The Arts
Whether you want a quick list of must-see acts or spots to create a little art of your own, look no further than this love letter to local culture.
It almost seems like Westchester is showing off this year, with venues across the county holding many stellar performances, exhibitions, and events featuring both locally and internationally recognized names. Check out ear-catching musical acts, eye-popping art exhibits, carefree kids’ events, and much more to be found in this rollicking roundup.
Hot List
On the go and just looking for the cream of the fall arts crop? Check out this list of the region’s hottest events.
Alan Cumming
Nov 12; Tarrytown Music Hall
Catch the Emmy-winning actor, who has become a household name with spots in films like GoldenEye, Emma, and Eyes Wide Shut, wax wise onstage in Tarrytown.
Crossing Borders
Oct 14–Jan 14; ArtsWestchester Gallery
The concept of borders and the ways in which they both divide and connect us are investigated in this probing exhibition presented by ArtsWestchester.
Photo by Jenny Lewis, Courtesy of The Palace Theatre
David Sedaris
Oct 10; The Palace Theatre
Bask in the razor-sharp wit of acclaimed humorist and New York Times bestselling author of Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day.
LeAnn Rimes
Nov 16; The Ridgefield Playhouse
Grab your cowboy boots and head to a performance by this multi-Platinum country-music superstar, who was once the youngest solo artist to win a Grammy.
Jethro Tull
Nov 2; The Capitol Theatre
Welcome the British rockers known for hits like “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” when they touch down in the county with their Grammy-winning tunes.
Step Afrika!
Sep 23; The Performing Arts Center
Take a journey through the art form of stepping by way of this dance collective that blends storytelling, humor, and varied movement styles into their energetic performances.
Lewis Black
Nov 17; Paramount Hudson Valley Theatre
Need a little levity in your life? It’ll be difficult not to giggle when the Grammy-winning Daily Show alum and Accepted co-star makes his way to Westchester.
Theater
Daring drama, biography, and a boundary-pushing circus are on the menu when bellying up to these outstanding stage shows.
Omnium Circus. Photo by Maike Schulz, courtesy of The Palace Theatre
Omnium Circus
Sep 30; The Palace Theatre
Omnium is redefining what it means to be a circus performer and just who is allowed to participate in these awe-inspiring acts. The circus celebrates diversity by employing an incredible cast of multitalented and multi-abled performers in their pulse-pounding shows. These astonishing feats not only engender plenty of smiles, but they also demonstrate the extraordinary accomplishments of differently abled individuals and triumph of the human spirit.
Piaf! The Show
Nov 8; The Ridgefield Playhouse
Sit down and take a visual and auditory journey through the life of legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf during this long-running stage production. Having already held more than 400 performances in over 50 countries since its 2015 genesis, Piaf! The Show has sold in excess of one million tickets and tells the incredible story of Edith Piaf’s rise to fame through performances of her iconic songs accompanied by projections of never-before-seen images.
Photo by Anna Louizos, Courtesy of White Plains Performing Arts Center
In the Heights
Oct 6–22; White Plains Performing Arts Center
Rocketing to fame via his smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton (not to mention a fleet of songs in ultra-popular films like Moana and Encanto) Lin Manuel Miranda has become nearly synonymous with the stage. This four-time Tony Award-winning musical penned by Miranda tells the tale of a community in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood grappling with tremendous change as they struggle with the burden of carrying on family traditions.
Funky Fests
Those looking to let loose with a fun festival can take their pick from this lineup of area celebrations.
JazzFest White Plains
Sep 6–10; Various Locations
It’s time for all that jazz when this beloved annual fest presented by ArtsWestchester returns with more than 15 toe-tapping live performances spread across five days. The 2023 JazzFest White Plains features both nationally recognized jazz greats, including four Grammy Award winners, as well as rising stars, with shows taking place in various locations throughout the city. This year’s fest will include performances by John Scofield and Joe Lovan Quartet, Mike Phillips, Helen Sung, and Endea Owens, among several others.
Armonk Outdoor Art Show
Sep 30 & Oct 1; 205 Business Park Dr., Armonk
Ranked among the best arts-and-crafts shows in America, this family-friendly outdoor event once again descends upon our region with a veritable tsunami of paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings, pastels, photography, fine art, and much more. With everything for sale in an open-air environment, visitors will also find food vendors, drinks, and a tent providing free activities for kids. Plus, you can feel good about your purchase with the show’s net proceeds benefiting the Friends of the North Castle Public Library, The Armonk Players theater group, and other worthy local causes.
Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst. Courtesy of Artrider and Lyndhurst, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst
Sep 8–10; Lyndhurst Mansion
Dive into a sea of unique pieces during this autumn occasion at Tarrytown’s Lyndhurst mansion. Nearly 200 craftspeople and makers will descend upon the estate’s expansive grounds with functional and sculptural works in wood, glass, metal, and ceramics as well as paintings, prints, drawings, fashion, jewelry, photography, and more, all for sale. Plus, there are plenty of additional reasons to haul yourself over to Tarrytown, such as gourmet food trucks dishing out barbecue, seafood, and vegetarian options, craft-demos, tastings from local distilleries and wineries, and family activities.
Mooncake Night Market
Sep 23; ArtsWestchester Gallery
Introduce your family to a wealth of culture during this mid-autumn festival co-organized by ArtsWestchester and OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Westchester and Hudson Valley Chapter. Focusing on the art of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean cultures, the Mooncake Night Market will feature musical performances, food, dance, and plenty of craft activities. These include origami, Chinese calligraphy and knotting workshops, karaoke, mooncake sculpture making, Chinese folk dance, and much more.
ArtsFest 2023
Oct 19–22; Various Locations
The county comes alive with a host of exhibitions, activities, and programs held at dozens of venues throughout New Rochelle and Pelham during this anticipated annual event. Organized by New Rochelle’s Council on the Arts, ArtsFest 2023 includes live music and dance, pop-up art exhibitions, film screenings, and a classic-car show. With the theme of storytelling, this year’s fest will also include a live, open-mic Story Slam hosted by The Moth, a talk by author Emily Franklin, and interactive activities for all ages.
Photo by Gabe Palacio
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos
Oct 15; Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
Experience a vibrant Mexican holiday during this family-friendly event at Katonah’s Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Now in its third year, Celebrate Día de los Muertos offers families an opportunity to enjoy a traditional performance by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company — known for their colorful costuming and traditional stories — as well as arts and crafts activities and plenty of snacks, all on the venue’s verdant grounds. Guests are advised to bring a blanket or lawn chair to this fun introduction to a holiday dedicated to remembering those who have passed, gathering with family, and celebrating life.
Dance
Searching for your fill of fancy footwork? Look no further than this list of dance performances.
Photo courtesy of The Performing Arts Center
Step Afrika!
Sep 23; The Performing Arts Center
This dance company takes audiences on a journey through step culture, which finds its roots in African American fraternities and sororities. Founded in 1994, the company combines traditional African dances and contemporary movement with storytelling, humor, songs, and audience participation during their energetic shows.
Ballet Hispánico
Oct 20, Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
A New York institution for more than five decades, Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latine/Latinx/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States as well as an acclaimed dance company, school, and community-arts partnership. In 2020, the Ford Foundation even named the organization one of America’s Cultural Treasures. During this evening of amazing movement, Ballet Hispánico will perform selections from their signature works Línea Recta, Club Havana, Sor Juana, and New Sleep.
Bodytraffic
Nov 4; The Performing Arts Center
The LA-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC has developed a unique form of contemporary dance that is at once accessible, challenging, and inspiring, as well as a varied repertory packed with works by a host of noted choreographers. Said to have “invention, attitude, and urban edge” by The Boston Globe, BODYTRAFFIC has been working to incite positive change and get the world moving with outreach programs and performances since its 2007 founding.
Kids’ Corner
Gather the family and take the little ones out on the town with any one of these fun events tailored to tikes.
Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza
Sep 19; The Palace Theatre
Kids can scarcely ask for more when Disney Junior characters join forces with a host of fan-favorite Marvel superheroes in this live stage show. Crammed with, acrobatics, singing, dancing, and more, this concert-style show includes popular Disney songs as well as new, original music. Attendees can get an eyeful of characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy as they throw a costume party that is in need of some serious help from Spidey. The coterie of characters is rounded out by Doc McStuffins, Bo from Firebuds, the Puppy Dog Pals, and Ginny from SuperKitties.
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
Sep 30; Chappaqua Train Station
Reading is vital to children at each stage of their development, and there are few better places to encourage a lifetime of literacy than at this annual event. The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival will feature more than 180 authors, along with story-times, crafts, activities, food trucks, and much more. Headlined by children’s book author Mary Pope Osborne, the festival offers family members of all ages a chance to meet authors and illustrators, learn during writer talks, and listen as authors read from their celebrated works.
Photo courtesy Daniel Tigers Neighborhood Live: King for a Day
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE: King for a Day
Oct 17; The Palace Theatre
Kids can learn valuable lessons like the importance of helping others, being a friend, and offering kindness during this super-fun musical based on the Emmy Award-winning PBS KIDS series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. This stage show full of magical moments and surprise guests brings the animal stars of the hit show to vivid life with a live theatrical production featuring dancing, music, and a boatload of laughter. Join Daniel, Miss Elaina, Prince Wednesday, Katerina Kittycat, and other familiar friends for a brand-new adventure in which Daniel learns that it takes kindness to truly be king.
Comedy
Get your laugh on at any one of these sidesplitting local standup acts.
Anthony Rodia
Sep 16; Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
Westchester’s own Anthony Rodia has long been making his native county proud. Rodia has amassed more than 900,000 social media followers and racked up in excess of 22 million YouTube views with his approachable jokes and sold-out appearances at comedy clubs across the country. Catch him in his native neck of the woods during this Peekskill appearance.
Kevin James
Oct 26; The Capitol Theatre
While it may seem unlikely, Paul Blart: Mall Cop remains a fond film for many a laugh-lover, and its star, Kevin James, has similarly endured. Originally finding fame as Doug Heffernan on the sitcom King of Queens, for which he received a primetime Emmy nomination in 2008, James has also appeared in feature films including Pixels, Hitch, and I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry. Fans can now catch the funnyman in the flesh in our region for some serious laughs.
Eddie B’s Teachers Only Comedy Tour
Nov 12; Tarrytown Music Hall
Already a big name on the national comedy scene, Eddie B. drew plenty of new fans during the pandemic with his series of sidesplitting videos titled, What Teachers Really Want to Say. The online videos hit a note with several educators, who saw many of their own struggles reflected back. Inspired, Eddie adapted his videos to the stage and the result is this hilarious standup show taking a frank and funny look at what it means to be a teacher.
Lewis Black
Nov 17; Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
There is quite possibly no one as adept at the art of the rant as Daily Show alum Lewis Black. The Grammy-winning funnyman and author of three bestselling books has released two HBO standup specials as well as a dozen comedy albums and is known for his work on films such as Inside Out and Accepted. Drop by the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater to get up close and personal with this comedic powerhouse.
Art
Scope out the work of acclaimed artists in Westchester.
Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art
Oct 13–Jan 14, Hudson River Museum
It’s hard to turn away when faced with a pulse-pounding shot of a lion giving chase or shark trolling the deep. This family-friendly exhibition organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art gathers roughly 50 pieces displaying the many ways in which contemporary artists use animal imagery to explore our complex relationship with the natural world. Composed of works exclusively drawn from the Museum of Wildlife Art’s permanent collection, the show divides its wild works into four thematic sections, each investigating a different way people use animal imagery to address very human concerns.
ARTWORK1 Starr Hardridge, Cycle of Abundance. Photo courtesy of Hudson River Museum © Starr Hardridge
ARTWORK2 Vicki Finkel, Olive Oil Cruet. Courtesy of Clay Art Center.
ARTWORK3 Yvette Mayorga, After Cesare Auguste Detti. Courtesy of Yvette Mayorga.
A Seat at the Table
Sep 1–Oct 16; Clay Art Center
No matter your race, gender, or background, everyone has a seat at this table. The first in the Clay Art Center’s annual series of Functional Fall Exhibitions, A Seat at the Table explores concepts as wide ranging as what it means to serve, how people come together during mealtimes, and the way a vessel’s meaning and use can vary depending on its context. Participating artists include Jocelyn Russell, Diane DiMauro, Amy Henson, Beth Lee, Richa Gupta, Michael Blair, and several others.
Yvette Mayorga: Dreaming of You
Sep 15–March 17; The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
As if taking a cue from the new film Barbie, artist Yvette Mayorga conjures up candy pink dream worlds with a deep cultural significance lurking beneath. Mayorga’s detailed, Rococo-inspired reliefs find their root in the confections her mother produced as a baker in the 1970s. In fact, the artist employs bakery-grade piping bags to apply bubblegum pink paint to her canvases. The result is a saccharine exploration of the grim realities facing many Mexican American and Latinx individuals perusing the American Dream.
Chiffon Thomas: The Cavernous
Sep 15–March 17; The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Utilizing collage, embroidery, sculpture, installation, and drawing, Los Angeles-based artist Chiffon Thomas investigates the many intersections between gender, race, and biography through his boundary-pushing work. Thomas employs reclaimed materials recovered from abandoned colonial architecture combined with body parts cast in urethane and foam, as well as plaster and leather. In this exhibit, the artist’s solo museum debut, Thomas will produce new series of sculptures focusing on the human body fused with geodesic domes.
Address: Earth
Oct 14–Dec 9; Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art
Both acclaimed international artists and up-and-coming local creators are joining forces this fall for a new exhibit at HVMOCA with one outsize topic. Bibiana Huang Matheis, the founder and curator of Inspiration Art Group International, will mark her second curated exhibition at HVMOCA with this new show focusing on the Earth itself. Through a number of disparate works, Address: Earth will display the inventive means artists have found to address issues like climate change, sustainability, ecology, endangered species, deforestation, clean water, and many others.
Harmony Unveiled
Nov 9–Dec 29; One Martine Gallery
Humans have an undeniably fraught relationship with the environment. In a bid to investigate the positive and negative impacts of people on the natural world, One Martine Gallery is gathering artists from a wealth of disciplines, including sculpture, photography, painting, installation, and multi-media for a new, collaborative show with the Katonah Museum Artists Association. Harmony Unveiled will invite viewers to consider the many connections between the human race and the environment, with an emphasis on issues like conservation, climate change, habitat destruction, sustainable practices, and pollution.
Crossing Borders
Oct 14–Jan 14; ArtsWestchester Gallery
Borders may divide us, but the delineations of cities and countries also serve as a way for people to identify as a group. This fascinating exhibition presented by ArtsWestchester examines what constitutes a border and how these lines can define both individual and collective identities. The 16 contributing artists — including Natalia Arbelaez, Edwige Charlot, Siona Benjamin, and Anina Major — tap their individual heritage to investigate concepts of family legacy, immigration, and remembrance of the past, and hail from locations as disparate as Japan, India, Peru, Israel, and Haiti.
Film
Cinema is back in action, as evidenced by these local screenings of celluloid gems.
Glass Ceiling Breaker Films: Best of the Fest 2023
Sep 14; Bedford Playhouse
Catch the next generation of cinema during this roundup of works from the third annual Glass Ceiling Breakers Festival, which provides a platform for female-identifying filmmakers, presented by Theatre Revolution in conjunction with the Bedford Playhouse.
Teen Wolf
Sep 22 & 23; Jacob Burns Film Center
Michael J. Fox stars in this iconic 1985 coming-of-age comedy about a high school student who learns from his father that lycanthropy runs in the family. Instead of hiding, he decides to embrace his newfound werewolf abilities in this enjoyable film that encourages audiences to love what makes them unique.
Scream
Oct 6 & 7; Jacob Burns Film Center
Experience the big daddy of all meta-horror films in a new 4K restoration onscreen this fall in Pleasantville. Blowing up the genre with the tale of a teenager, played by Neve Campbell, who is stalked by the Ghostface killer, Wes Craven’s Scream still packs a punch today with its daring humor and unlikely twists.
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Oct 22; Bedford Playhouse
Buster Keaton’s beloved bonanza of death-defying special effects can be enjoyed onscreen this fall in Bedford. Accompanied by a live piano performance by musician Ben Model, this 1928 gem about a hapless son trying to impress his boat captain father remains a true masterpiece of silent film.
Coco
Oct 28; Jacob Burns Film Center
Little ones are welcome to the movie theater as well, especially when this tear-jerking masterwork returns to the screen for one night only. Originally released in 2017, Pixar’s Coco follows budding musician Miguel, who must go on a mission to find the truth behind his family’s history.
Music
Whether the night calls for some hard rock, stately classical, or smoky jazz, follow along for plenty of top-tier musical acts to enjoy this fall.
Rock, Pop, & Fusion
Photo courtesy of The Capitol Theatre
Disco Biscuits
Oct 27 & 28; The Capitol Theatre
Hailing from Philadelphia, this celebrated jam band known for pioneering the Trance-fusion genre touches down in Port Chester for two trippy nights. Known for blending electronic sounds with improvisational licks, the Disco Biscuits make for a psychedelic evening out on the town.
Macy Gray
Oct 3; The Ridgefield Playhouse
Back on the road supporting her new album The Reset, the multi-Platinum, Grammy-winning artist Macy Gray is here to infuse a little fun into your fall. After earning worldwide fame for her hit “I Try,” Gray has continued to draw rave reviews for a varied catalogue marrying elements of heavy metal, soul, and funk.
Blues Traveler
Oct 26; The Capitol Theatre
The creators of ’90s megahits like “Hook” and “Run-Around” are still going strong, touring for more than three decades and with 14 albums in the bag. The Grammy-winning, six-time platinum rockers will be taking The Capitol Theatre stage this fall, for a night of their undeniably catchy, harmonica-laden hits.
Jethro Tull
Nov 2; The Capitol Theatre
The English rock band known for enduring hits like “Aqualung,” “Bungle in the Jungle,” and “Locomotive Breath” are celebrating nearly 70 years of music together. Performing hit songs all the way from 1968 to the present, Tull will take audiences on a trip through their rich repertoire on their Seven Decades Tour.
Peter Yarrow & Noel Paul Stookey
Sep 29; Tarrytown Music Hall
Feel like you’ve traveled back to the halcyon days of Peter, Paul and Mary when two-thirds of the legendary folk group hits the Tarrytown stage. Having performed at the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, these iconic rockers are living pieces of music history.
LeAnn Rimes
Nov 16; The Ridgefield Playhouse
It is not every day that multi-Platinum megastar LeAnn Rimes brings her patented brand of mainstream country music to our region. The two-time Grammy Award winner is also the first country artist to take home Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards and to-date has sold more than 48 million albums globally.
Ani DiFranco
Sep 22; Tarrytown Music Hall
With 19 studio albums, two Grammys, and more than three decades of touring to her name, Ani DiFranco has remained a force in contemporary music. The author of her own New York Times bestselling memoir, DiFranco is a treat for music mavens with a soft spot for the ’90s folk resurgence.
Classical, Jazz, and World Music
Photo by Jacob Lewis Lovendahl
Nicole Zuraitis Quartet
Sep 23; Jazz on Main
All cool cats are welcome to Mount Kisco’s Jazz on Main, where the New York-based vocalist, musician, and bandleader Nicole Zuraitis is taking the stage. The Grammy-nominated Zuraitis is a winner of the 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal and serves as vocalist for the Birdland Big Band as well as the Dan Pugach Nonet. Now, the acclaimed artist with four albums under her belt is making her way to the county with her own quartet for an evening of smoky, sultry jazz.
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Branford Marsalis
Oct 13; The Performing Arts Center
If you’ve ever wanted to see the world-renowned jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis in the flesh, now’s your chance. Stop by The Performing Arts Center when the innovative Orpheus Chamber Orchestra joins the three-time Grammy Award winner for a performance of Rythmé de Vie, a compelling program that blends jazz with classical music.
CMS of Lincoln Center
Oct 21; The Performing Arts Center
Get your fix of high culture when the acclaimed Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presents a program celebrating the life and work of pianist and composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Ringing in the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth this year, the CMS of Lincoln Center will trace the genesis of Rachmaninoff’s style through a program featuring works from his mentors and contemporaries alongside his own immortal pieces.
Emmet Cohen Trio. Photo courtesy of Caramoor Center for Music and The Arts
Emmet Cohen Trio
Sep 29; Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
The lauded American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is taking the stage at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Known for his weekly live-stream created during the pandemic, Live From Emmet’s Place — which has racked up millions of views worldwide over the last three years — Cohen will be joined by up-and-coming American-Armenian jazz vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan during this stop in Katonah.
Klezmatics
Nov 12; The Performing Arts Center
These world music superstars remain the only klezmer band to ever snag a Grammy Award, forming nearly four decades ago in the East Village. Performing music arising from Eastern European Jewish spirituality and culture, this singular group has turned heads with their fusion of African, Arab, and Balkan music with elements of punk and jazz.
Gipsy Kings
Nov 2; The Capitol Theatre
Rumba, flamenco, salsa, and pop mix and mingle in the songs of this Grammy-winning band famous for popularizing Hispanic music worldwide. Known for hits like “Bamboléo” and “Un Amor,” the Platinum-selling group also boasts songs in major motion pictures like Toy Story 3 and The Big Lebowski. Cofounder Nicolas Reyes will lead the group during this toe-tapping Port Chester performance.
Related: Westchester’s Artistic Venues Are Hubs for Creativity and Culture
