February things to do and see and eat and hear

You may know Ocean Vuong as the writer behind “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” “Time Is a Mother,” and “The Emperor of Gladness.” In “Sống,” his first public exhibition of photographs, Vuong brings the same intimate attention to immigrant and working-class life into images. Ranging from nail salons and domestic interiors to a deeply personal series centered on his younger brother, made in the aftermath of their mother’s death, the show traces photography as a parallel practice to Vuong’s writing; a limited-edition artist’s book is also available. On view Jan. 31–May 10, Center for Photography at Woodstock. (Info here)

The Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival at Vassar brings a monthlong series of free screenings of contemporary and classic French cinema: “Holy Cow,” Louise Courvoisier’s raw portrait of rural adolescence and inherited familial labor, and “Red Island,” Robin Campillo’s coming-of-age drama set against the moral aftershocks of French colonialism are two highlights. Screenings run Feb. 3–24, with an opening reception Feb. 3, 5:30–6:30 p.m., followed by films at Taylor Hall; free and open to the public. (Info here)

Hudson River Maritime Museum educator Emma Foster explores how 19th-century travelers escaped booming cities for extended stays in the Catskills, when “taking the air” meant grand hotels, elaborate packing lists, and leisure prescribed just so. Her in-person presentation looks at how visitors traveled, dressed, and spent their time, and what those habits tell us about changing ideas of rest, class, privilege, and the year 2026. Wed., Feb. 4, 7 p.m.; $10 general, $5 members. (Info here)

Huxley wrote that “Ending is better than mending” in “Brave New World,” but the Mending Club at HART Textiles proves the joke. Bring a mending pile and spend the evening working alongside others: no instruction, books and supplies on hand, all levels welcome. “Think of it more as a skill share,” they describe. First Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m.; $5 suggested donation. (Info here)

A February galère poetry gathering brings Ifetayo Cobbins, Joe Fox, and Bobby Miller to the stage at Park Theater in Hudson to explore their poetry and craft. The reading centers the poet’s process and influence, but also their exposure. Thu., Feb. 5, 7–10 p.m., Park Theater, 723 Warren St., Hudson. (Info here)

Photographer Thierry Casias presents “Esperanza, Hope,” a portrait-based exhibition about migration in Athens, N.Y. looking at its history of Indigenous presence and the Underground Railroad to immigrant labor and contemporary shifts; the photographs offer document the visible (and invisible) ways immigration shapes communities like Athens all across New York. On view through Feb. 15; First Friday reception on Feb. 6, 5–7 p.m.; artist talk Sat., Feb. 7, 4 p.m. Gallery hours Sat.–Sun., 12–5 p.m., Athens. (Info here)

It’s fast fashion and furious finds as Tokyo Thrift meets the thrift shift at a pop-up supporting New Paltz Middle School’s Japanese Exchange Program. The all-ages event includes a one-day thrift sale, a kawaii café serving Japanese snacks and drinks, anime on screen, and guided drawing. Sat., Feb. 7, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., New Paltz Middle School, New Paltz. (Info here)

Vassar’s 2026 Writer-in-Residence reading features Dinaw Mengestu, author of four New York Times Notable Books and a MacArthur Fellow. Mengestu will read from his work and discuss writing, ethics, and the contemporary literary landscape. Tue., Feb. 10, 6–7:30 p.m., 212 Sanders Classroom / Spitzer Auditorium, Vassar College. Free and open to the public. (Info here)

Were there real pirates on the Hudson? Hudson River Maritime Museum digs into the river’s Gilded Age underworld with “Crime on the Hudson,” an evening combining historical lecture and live performance. The program traces 1860s–70s river crime – mercenary sloops, mansion raids, and merchant theft – then shifts into an immersive courtroom drama featuring infamous figures of the era, created with Siren Theatre Company. Thu., Feb. 12, East Gallery; $10 members / $20 non-members, with sliding-scale options available. Registration recommended. (Info here)

I’m breaking out my binoculars for this: Columbia Land Conservancy teams up with the Alan Devoe Bird Club for a guided Great Backyard Bird Count walk at Ooms. The morning contributes local observations to a global effort launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, now involving hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide each February. Slow walking, bird-spotting, winter conditions, and a chance to sharpen your eye alongside experienced birders. Sat., Feb. 14, 9–11 a.m. (Info here)

Bakers, sippers, noshers, and nerds will gather at the alter of rye for FebruaRYE, a meetup for anyone who enjoys this fine grain at Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery. Bring rye bread, cookies, kvass, or żurek to share, or just show up to taste, sample rye flights, and beat your friends at rye puzzles and trivia. A ticket includes one drink plus 10% off rye bottles. Sat., Feb. 14, 1–3 p.m., Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery, 14 Grist Mill Ln., Gardiner. (Info here)

The most famous yacht rock and smooth jazz adult contemporary band in Newburgh returns to Silk Factory, just in time for love: Yacht Lobsters bring their slick harmonies, smooth grooves, and skipper’s caps back to the stage for a Valentines dinner performance with table seating and general admission options available. Sat., Feb. 14; doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., Silk Factory, 299 Washington St., Newburgh. (Info here)

Scott Cohen, known to us all as Rory's English teacher at Chilton and Lorelai's ex-fiancé (and a Berkshires neighbor), will help launch the Crandell LIVE! 100th Anniversary Series by presenting “Serpico,” then talking with Frank Serpico himself – the real-life whistleblowing cop whose testimony led to sweeping police reforms – to talk corruption, reform, and the legacy of Sidney Lumet’s New York classic. Sun., Feb. 15, Crandell Theatre. (Info here)

PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance presents The Dark, a new winter festival of contemporary performance taking place all over Columbia County. Running just in time for winter’s darkest chill, the week brings more than 60 international artists and 80 performances of music, dance, theater, installation, and site-specific work into theaters, libraries, restaurants, saunas, and outdoor public spaces. I’m looking forward to a good excuse to get out of the house, no matter how cold it is!! Bonus ice skating, too! Festival passes offer admittance at a reduced rate. Feb. 16–22, PS21 and venues countywide. (Info here)

Singer-songwriter Crys Matthews brings her mix of country, Americana, folk, blues, and bluegrass to Park Theater. Her latest album, Reclamation, tackles questions of identity, tradition, and purpose with a forceful clarity. Thu., Feb. 19; doors 7 p.m., show 8–11 p.m., Park Theater, 723 Warren St., Hudson. (Info here)

Filmmaker-novelist John Sayles discusses his new historical novel “Crucible,” a big-shouldered story of Henry Ford and the battles – labor, politics, violence, power – that shaped Detroit from the 1920s through World War II. Tickets are required ($36 admission with hardcover + tax; $10 admission only). Thu., Feb. 19, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Morton Memorial Library, Rhinecliff. (Info here)

Blanche Lazzell makes herself known in a major exhibition at the Albany Institute of History & Art, a key but often overlooked figure in American Modernism. “Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist” brings together more than 50 paintings, prints, and works on paper to trace how Lazzell adapted European avant-garde ideas into a distinctly American visual language through painting and white-line woodblock printmaking. The show follows her path from West Virginia and Woodstock to Paris and Provincetown, where she became a major force in early American abstraction. Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, closes Aug. 2. (Info here)