Some Beacon Ideas
/Beacon is a very popular day trip for city folk and with good reason. It’s cool and close - it even has its own Metro North spot, making it a commuter town. For those of us in Westchester and Lower Fairfield, it’s even closer. Beacon has been “up and coming” for awhile now. Read on for some of my favorite ways to do Beacon.
Start Your Day With The Best Bagels in Beacon
We fell in love with The Mud Club on our first visit to Woodstock pre-COVID. It’s difficult not to love their handmade, woodfired bagels and their woodsy, eclectic, welcoming ambience. I was ecstatic to learn they opened a second outpost in Beacon, closer to my belly. The Beacon location lacks the Woodstock acerage for lounging but it still offers the same delicious bagels and uniquely quirky vibes. The Mud Club is also a great spot for sandwiches, pastries and coffee. No matter your mood, include a visit in your Beacon day.
Bask In the Beauty Of Large Scale Contemporary Art Installations
Beacon’s main attraction is the crown jewel of the Dia Art Foundation’s three New York sites, Dia: Beacon. Housed in a whopping 300,000 square foot industrial space, Dia: Beacon has the room to Go Big or Go Home. This famous contemporary art museum is must do for its stunning, large scale installations. And if, like me, neon makes you giddy, you’ll love the many Dan Flavin pieces on view here. You can read all about our prior visit to Dia: Beacon at this link.
Shop ‘Til You Drop
Main Street in Beacon is super appealing. It’s filled with all kinds of mom-and-pop small businesses and eateries. It’s a great area to walk around, soaking up the vibes. There is a store or two for everyone in Beacon and it feels like each time we visit, 10 more cute spots pop up.
Some great ones include Last Outpost Store for outdoorsy menswear and assessories, Raven Rose for beautiful florals, fragrances and home goods and Blackbird Attic, for really well sourced consignment apparel.
A personal favorite of mine on Main Street is Beacon Bath and Bubble, a bath and body shop that celebrates the way things were. It’s comfy and it’s retro. Heck the “Bubbles” in its name has a double meaning - also referring to the old fashion soda collection on sale here alongside the bath products. There are all kinds of soap bars on offer as well as shower gel, foaming hand soaps, lip balms and tons of items for the kiddies - bath bombs, soaps with toys inside, bubble bath in a bear shaped container. It’s a super cute local spot run by lovely women.
Tune Out The Rest Of The World With Cocktails And Waterfall Views
On a beautiful, sunny day the patio at the Roundhouse is a great place to be. The food is solid American fare, but what makes this spot must do - especially as a Beacon day-tripper - is its two stunning outdoor patios overlooking cascading waterfalls. The views are so breathtaking, you might even feel relaxed eating here with your kids. Roundhouse is actually a boutique hotel and though I haven’t stayed there, or eaten indoors at the restaurant, I can confirm that the style of the property is as equally stunning as its outdoor surroundings. It’s also situated right off Main Street, so an ideal spot to break for lunch after some shopping.
Sample Some Of The Hudson Valley’s Best Craft Beers
The Hudson Valley has long been a Ground Zero for the craft beer boom so it’s only right to include some suds in your Beacon visit. When in Beacon, you have a few options. Hudson Valley Brewery is right in the heart of Hudson. It is a MUST visit for its impossibly cool vibes and elite sours and sour IPAs.
On Fishkill Road, heading into Beacon proper, is a second location of Rockland County’s Industrial Arts. It has a nice outdoor patio, crushable IPAs and ample indoor seating. It’s also right next to District Social, a huge arcade and games complex your kids will love.
For a killer selection of all kinds of beers from the Hudson Valley, NYC and beyond AND for shockingly delicious Mexican food (!!!), head to Draught Industries on Main Street. This spot is owned by a super friendly, passionate guy who cares as much about his customers as he does about his beers. They always have about 15+ beers on tap and a great selection of cans too. The enchilladas, tacos and entire Mexican menu is killer. One of our happy places!
If wine is more your forte, check out Paul Brady Wine. It’s part wine shop, part bar and it looks totally delightful. Paul Brady Wine opened in 2021 and we can’t wait to hit it sans kids.
Indulge In Some Swedish Born Artisanal Chocolates
HÅKAN Chocolatier is another special stop while in Beacon. Håkan Mårtensson is a renowned Swedish chocolatier known for his creativity and skillful use of out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. His Beacon “chocolate speakeasy” opened in 2021 and offers exquisitely crafted bon bons, chocolate tablets (bars) and spheres, baked goods and espresso-based coffee drinks. The ambiance inside his shop is dark, sultry and inviting and the chocolate flavor pairings on offer are so interesting, elegant and exciting - think goat cheese, yuzu licorice and Japanese cinnamon. BUT no worries - there are certainly kid friendly options here too. My girls raved about their Milk and Cookie bon bon and the “Quake”.
Entertain The Kids In Nearby Fishkill
Ok so if your kids start to get REALLY antsy, it’s probably best to leave behind the adorable shops and eateries of Main Street and drive just about 15 minutes inland from Beacon to Julie’s Jungle Playground in East Fishkill/Hopewell Junction. This all abilities, accessible playground is truly amazing and offers so much more than the usual. It’s a great, free and healthy way to let the kids burn off some steam.
Also in this general area is Fishkill Farms. This is a beautiful working organic farm, offering a delicious farm store (and CYA program), a branded hard cider barn, and pretty much year round PYO fruits and vegetables. It’s a special place - tons of acreage and far more classy and legitimate than some of the other area farms that feel more like Disney attractions than agricultural destinations.
This post updates a prior October 12, 2020 post.
