Bardavon Presents offers affordable, world-class music, dance, theater, Live in HD broadcasts and classic films for the diverse audiences of the New York Hudson Valley. The Bardavon provides performances by established and emerging artists, unique arts-based education programs and gathering places for community events.
Bardavon Presents owns and operates two historical theaters, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, NY and the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, NY. Bardavon Presents strives to provide programming of renowned performers that inspire, entertain and educate people of all ages, ethnicities and incomes, in an effort to make the arts accessible to all.
The Bardavon stages free arts events in our communities and consistently collaborates with historically underrepresented organizations to address the interests of our diverse region including, BIPOC, LMI, LGBTQIA, youth, senior and neurodiverse audiences.
Incorporated in 1976, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. (the Bardavon) is a New York State nonprofit corporation that owns and operates a 944-seat historic theater in Poughkeepsie. The company regularly presents at other venues such as Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Our namesake theater is the oldest continuously operating theater in the state, one of the oldest in the country, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bardavon offers affordable, world-class arts education programs, music, dance, theater, Live in HD broadcasts, and classic films for the diverse audiences of the Hudson Valley. We present renowned and emerging performers in productions that inspire, entertain, and educate people of all ages, ethnicities and incomes. We also stage free outdoor arts events in local communities. These and all of our activities boost community pride, urban revitalization and cultural tourism, strengthening the quality of life for all.
Our diverse events attract audiences from the state’s nine-county Hudson Valley Region that lies between Albany and New York City. And many of our patrons travel regularly from NYC, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and beyond.
Our performances, programs, and off-site events reach nearly 80,000 residents and visitors every year. In addition to Bardavon programming, audiences also enjoy many events hosted by outside community groups in our venues. Residencies provide 3,300 regional students with workshops and assemblies in their own schools, and the Bardavon-produced Celebration of Lights Parade draws over 5,000 to Downtown Poughkeepsie.
Through our education program, we partner with regional schools to offer unique arts-based learning experiences for students and innovative teaching tools for educators.
Among our high-quality education programs for students in Kindergarten through grade 12 over the last 20 years have been the Young Playwrights Festival, Night of the Big Bands, IABAS Traditional Brazilian Band, Circus Goes Green, Arm of the Sea Theatre, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Classroom to Concert Program, and Hip Hop Theater.
Our group sales draw a variety of special interest organizations. For just $6, patrons of all ages can attend inspiring shows such as Daytime Performances, films, residency performances, and the Matinees & Music series for seniors – often with free bus transportation. We reach out to thousands of low-income neighbors every year through ticket donations to human services agencies, inner-city schools, and a variety of other community groups.
The continued restoration and preservation of our historic theater are also vital aspects of our mission.
Not long after the Civil War, British immigrant and successful merchant James Collingwood had a vision for his adopted city of Poughkeepsie. He dreamed of building a grand theater for his community – a place where fellow citizens could gather together to enjoy splendid entertainment in a magnificent setting.
In 1868, Collingwood’s dream became a reality when construction began at the site of what was once a branch of his coal and lumber business. Eight months and half a million bricks later, the Collingwood Opera House opened for its inaugural performance on February 1, 1869.
Today a premier Hudson Valley destination, the Bardavon holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating theater in New York State, and one of the oldest in the entire country.
Known today as the Ulster Performing Arts Center, the Broadway Theatre opened in 1927 as a movie palace and vaudeville house designed by the famed New York City architect Douglas P. Hall. Purchased in 1947 by the Walter Reade Organization, the Broadway soon became a first-run movie house.
Today, the Ulster Performing Arts Center is a premier performing arts venue of the Hudson Valley, presenting a diverse year-round season of superb productions, including national and international headliners in music, dance, theater and more. With a 1510-seat capacity, it remains the largest proscenium theater between Manhattan and Albany.