Quote Of The Day

Every old city carries two lives at once — the one written in its stones, and the one still being written by the people who refuse to leave it behind.

— Pete Seeger

Big Monthly Swing Dance w/the Grand Boubousse and Lesson

Kick off Labor Day Weekend with the Big Monthly Swing Dance at White Eagle Hall, featuring the beloved Grand Boubousse — an early jazz collective led by Jonathan Greene, showcasing some of the finest swing musicians from the Northeast. The evening begins with a free beginner lesson, so no partner or prior experience is needed.

Dancing continues until 10:30 PM, and early arrivers can also catch a special Technique Clinic on Intro to Balboa from 6–7:30 PM at a discounted bundle rate. Admission is $25 at the door, payable by cash, check, Zelle, or Venmo (no credit cards).

Combray Design, founded by Parisian sisters Aurélie and Laure Hug, transforms hand-embroidered textiles into architectural art — blending French craftsmanship with traditional Indian needlework to create wall hangings and custom fabrics for luxury interiors.

Aurélie's recent move from Brooklyn to Kingston, New York, has opened a new creative chapter. Surrounded by the Hudson Valley's light and seasons, she's developed emotionally charged pillow phrases like "hug me" and "tell me secrets," plus a silk moiré typography series inspired by the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech.

Now woven into Kingston's arts community, Aurélie will show her work at Art Walk Kingston on September 19 and 20 — a fitting debut for a studio where heritage and reinvention share the same loom.

Interesting Facts

Kingston, New York hides some genuinely strange and overlooked history beneath its colonial-era reputation.

• First state capital, briefly: Kingston served as New York State's very first capital in 1777, but the British burned it to the ground just months later — making it arguably the shortest-lived state capital in American history.
  
  
• Cement capital of the world: In the 19th century, the Rosendale cement mined near Kingston was considered so superior that it was used to build the base of the Statue of Liberty and the foundations of the Brooklyn Bridge.
  
  
• A city built by convicts: Much of Kingston's 19th-century infrastructure, including streets and public works, was constructed using labor from the state penitentiary system, a fact largely scrubbed from civic promotional materials.
  
  
• The only city with three historic districts: Kingston is the only city in New York State with three separate, distinct National Historic Landmark districts — Uptown Stockade, Midtown Rondout, and the Ponckhockie neighborhood — each representing a different century of urban development.
  
  
• Bob Dylan's hiding place: After his 1966 motorcycle accident, Dylan retreated to the Woodstock and Kingston area and recorded the legendary Basement Tapes sessions nearby — yet Kingston itself rarely gets credit in the Dylan mythology that overwhelmingly centers on Woodstock.

A small Oklahoma town was caught completely off guard when state crews quietly swapped out Kingston's only stoplight — at Highway 70 and Main Street — for stop signs, with no warning to drivers or local officials.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation made the mid-day change after determining the signal no longer met its standards. The rushed fix caused immediate confusion and multiple near-misses, prompting town administrator James Kuykendall to push for a safer solution.

Officials quickly switched to a four-way stop, shutting the light off entirely. ODOT has since agreed the intersection needs an upgrade and will conduct a traffic study using cameras to determine a permanent fix.

Thinking about adding a furry family member? HVARS has dogs and cats of all ages available for adoption — and every animal leaves fully vetted, spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and protected against fleas, ticks, and heartworm.

Their rescued animals come from local streets, owner surrenders, and high-kill shelters across the country. The process starts with an adoption application, which takes one to five days to review. Appointments are required, and adopters must be 21 or older.

Adoption fees range from $125 for adult cats to $500 for puppies, with a discounted pair rate for kittens.

Joke Of The Day

Someone asked me why Kingston, NY has so many antique shops, artisan coffee roasters, and vintage record stores crammed into one small city.

Apparently when you're the first capital of New York and then get passed over for Albany, you spend the next 250 years coping with style.