The Beat

Community Invited to Witness ‘Raising’ of Truss on June 24, 2025

Cooperstown, N.Y. – Fenimore Art Museum is proud to present a remarkable cultural and educational installation: a full-scale replica of Truss No. 6 from the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The ceremonial ‘raising’ of the truss will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 24, 2025, and the truss will remain on public view on the museum’s back lawn overlooking Otsego Lake through September 8, 2025.

Saratoga Springs, NY: Following the celebration of Juneteenth, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will present an evening virtual program "Galveston’s Juneteenth Story: And Still We Rise" on Tuesday, June 24, at 7pm. The evening virtual program will be presented by historian Tommie D. Boudreaux in collaboration with the Galveston Historical Foundation.

Saturday, June 21, 2025, 1 p.m.

Coney Island, N.Y. (June 12, 2025) — Coney Island USA, the non-profit multi-arts organization headquartered in the heart of Coney Island’s famed amusement district, will hold its 43rd Annual Mermaid Parade on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Singer for Gypsy Punk band Gogol Bordello, Eugene Hütz and New York based singer, songwriter and performance artist, Queenie Sateen will serve as King Neptune and Queen Mermaid, respectively, the organization announced.

A New Play About Change Amid Social Upheaval and a Shifting Moral Landscape

New York, N.Y. (June 12, 2025) – True Repertory Theatre announces the New York premiere of Ellen’s Boys, a new play by James Sullivan about accepting change amid social upheaval and a shifting moral landscape. Donald Sheehan directs a cast of nine, including Victoria Bond, Julie M. Butler, Patrick Dean, Avery Fischbach, Kylie Logan, Aria Martinelli, Donald Sheehan, Kyle Silver, and Elias Wettengel.

New VR experience, student art, and accreditation highlight a legacy of connection and conservation.

Niagara Falls, N.Y. (June 12, 2025) – The Aquarium of Niagara is diving into its 60th anniversary with bold new offerings and accomplishments including a 60-foot mural, VR shark dive, and recent accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The nonprofit institution, founded in 1965, commemorated six decades of facilitating connections to the aquatic world at a public event this morning.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (June 13, 2025) — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College announces a series of public events in conjunction with the new exhibition Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow. These programs aim to provide deeper insights into the exhibition, which honors the 50-year history of Black Dimensions in Art Inc. (BDA), the Capital Region’s longest-running Black arts collective.

Final Saratoga Belmont Stakes Paves the Way for Grand Reopening and 2027 Breeders’ Cup at Reimagined Belmont Park 

Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will return to historic Saratoga Race Course in June 2026 for a third and final year to allow for the on-time and uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Orange County, NY - County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus invites you to a wonderful summer evening featuring the Black Dirt Bandits, Julia Roome, food trucks, bounce houses, and, of course, fireworks! Orange County’s beloved Freedom Fest is back on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, NY - and it’s shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.

Norwich, N.Y. – The Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS) will host its annual Summer Barn Party from 6-8:30 p.m. on June 26 at 43 Rexford St. An evening of fun, food, and friends to benefit the museum, this year’s celebration is inspired by the newest Community Gallery exhibit: “Creativity in Bloom: The Storied Illustrations of Suzanne Bloom.” Live Event NY returns as the event’s Premium Sponsor, with festivities specially designed to reflect the evening’s theme.

Utica, N.Y. (June 12, 2025) – Oneida County Tourism (OCT) is proud to announce the release of its 2025 Destination Guide. A key resource for visitors and a go-to reference for locals, the guide showcases the very best Oneida County has to offer. Created in partnership with Sentinel Media, the annual guide features special events, Erie Canal Bicentennial highlights, a seasonal bucket list, family-friendly attractions, agritourism activities, and more.