Meadowlark Festival Brings Music to the Hudson Valley

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9.30.2024

In the fall, the Hudson Valley is my favorite place to be. Every fall activity is available in this area, from apple picking to attending street fairs, hearing live music, and enjoying the simplicities of life outdoors in a beautiful area. Now I can add Meadowlark to my to-do-every-fall list!

Meadowlark Festival began in 2022 in Stone Ridge, a hamlet in Ulster County. Created as a way to support Hudson Valley and national farmers through music, Meadowlark grows bigger each and every year. Meadowlark brings awareness to Farm Aid, Rondout Valley Growers, and the Hudson Valley Center for Food, Culture, and Agriculture.

Meadowlark 2024 took place over the course of three beautiful September days at Stone Ridge Orchard. We had the opportunity to cover Friday, September 13th and Sunday, September 15th, which consisted of two very different musical setups.

Friday was an intimate, indoor performance in the round, presented by Keepsake House, a NYC-based space for independent musicians dedicated to mixing songwriting with storytelling. Four solo artists from the Hudson Valley and New York City performed in the round to share songs and stories in a small, engaging setting. Artists included Ella Ray Kondrat, Jayla Kai, Jolie Holland, and Miriam Elhajli. Each musician performed one song at a time, answered questions and took turns between performances inside the Cider House at Stone Ridge Orchard.

Saturday and Sunday consisted of the outdoor performances a quarter mile from the Cider House Stage, up behind the apple trees ready for picking. We arrived at the Tree Stage at 12:00 on Sunday, where music was set to start 30 minutes later with NYC-based project Honeycrush. The Tree Stage lineup was stacked with folk-rock greats, including Honeycrush, Daddy Long Legs, Joan Shelley, Laura Stevenson, Jeffery Lewis, Slaughter Beach, Dog, and Blonde Redhead.

Back down the hill in the Cider House at Stone Ridge Orchard was The Writers Room, which highlighted emerging artists local to the area in “four sets themed around stages of growth: seed, bloom, plant, and harvest.” The 13 Writers Room artists were chosen through public requests and submissions. No matter where you wandered on the orchard, there was good music, amazing food and drinks (including ciders brewed on-site), and peaceful vibes. Everyone was encouraged to bring a blanket, a loved one, and relax for a weekend in nature!