Keith Haring and Alex Katz Art at Upstate Art Weekend in New Paltz

Upstate Art Weekend brought Keith Haring and Alex Katz to New Paltz in 2026. From June 25 to 29, The Cronin Gallery at Water Street Market hung their work in the same room as new pieces by local pop artist Ryan Cronin, and the show was free to walk into.

Upstate Art Weekend is the region's annual celebration of art. In 2026 more than 160 museums, galleries, and cultural spaces across upstate New York took part, and New Paltz had its own stops on the map.

The New Paltz show put generations of art side by side, from two major names in American art to a local painter debuting brand new sculpture, which is not something a village this size gets to see every summer.

What was on at The Cronin Gallery?

The headline show in New Paltz was What We Keep, a five-day partnership exhibition between The Cronin Gallery and Trimper Gallery, open 11AM to 7PM daily from Thursday, June 25 through Monday, June 29. It set works by Keith Haring and Alex Katz alongside Ryan Cronin and Dylan Martinez: paintings, glass sculpture, mixed-media sculpture, and works on paper, including Cronin's new sculptures built from a deconstructed home heating oil tank. Trimper Gallery rotated its pieces through the weekend, so a second visit showed something different.

The schedule around the show was the other draw. Gil Vazquez, former Executive Director of the Keith Haring Foundation, was booked to speak on Haring's subway drawing series on Sunday, June 28, and Fourth Fridays at Water Street Market was set for the evening of June 26. Ryan Cronin and Alex Trimper were slated to be on the gallery floor through the weekend, talking with visitors about the work.

Why New Paltz, though?

This town has always had more going on than its size suggests. From the Gunks and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to the indie bookstores and a gallery scene, New Paltz keeps proving it punches above its weight.

The Cronin Gallery is a good example. Ryan and Melanie Cronin opened it in New Paltz in 2015, it now sits in Water Street Market, and it has become the home base for Ryan's work and a stop on the Upstate Art Weekend map. On an art weekend, visitors wander Main Street with a program guide in hand, deciding which shows to hit first.

Make a stop at Farmers Choice

If you are spending a day gallery-hopping or making the drive up from the city for an art weekend, Farmers Choice New Paltz is right here at 1 Old Route 299, open daily from 8AM to 10PM.

That makes the barn an easy stop at either end of an art crawl, on your way into town in the morning or on your way out in the evening, with the same friendly faces and neighborhood feel you'd expect from your local shop.

We're glad you're here

Weekends like this are exactly why we love being part of New Paltz. This is a town that draws serious art because the people here care about culture, creativity, and showing up for each other. At Farmers Choice, we're proud to be a small part of that story.

So when the next program comes out, map your stops and swing by while you're in town. We're rooted in the Hudson Valley, grown for the community.

Building the art day around a stop at the barn

New Paltz makes an easy base for an art weekend, and Farmers Choice New Paltz sits right at the entrance to town at 1 Old Route 299, where Route 299 meets Thruway Exit 18. The barn is open 8AM to 10PM daily, early enough for a morning start and late enough for a stop after the last venue closes. There are about 35 parking spots and EV charging on site, which matters on a weekend when village parking fills up fast.

Order Now from the New Paltz menu if you would rather not spend gallery time at a counter. Place the order, pick your time, and pay in person when you collect it. Most orders are ready within the hour. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older, and expect everything to leave the store sealed.

More of the valley while you are here

If the weekend runs long, the rail trail and Water Street Market are both minutes away, and the Shawangunks are a short drive west. On the Dutchess side of the river, our original farm stand in Fishkill at 18 Westage Drive keeps even later hours Thursday through Saturday, until 11PM, which makes it the practical stop for anyone driving home toward Beacon or Poughkeepsie.

Planning for next year

Upstate Art Weekend comes around every year, and the organizer announces each edition's dates and participating venues on the official Upstate Art Weekend site. Check the map there for the New Paltz stops, then plan a visit to the barn around them.