For a weekend of peace and love, art and music (is this beginning to sound familiar?) grab your camping gear and hop the Metro North Harlem Line to the last stop. After just two hours, you’ll emerge in the hamlet of Wassaic, New York (pop. 1,200), just about as far from the urban jungle as you can imagine.

The three-day Wassaic Summer Festival — a free, multidisciplinary celebration of art, music, film and dance, now in its 7th year — will feature more than 100 artists, film screenings, 25 bands, dance performances, and more.

Housed in the unique buildings and property of the historic Maxon Mills, the festival escapes the white walls of traditional art spaces and focuses on site-sensitive installations and performances.



The festival creates a weekend-long opportunity for artists and performers in all mediums to come together, exchange ideas, learn new things, and engage in a thriving community. [Video]

Although a designated landmark, the Maxon Mills remained unusable until Anthony Zunino and his business partner Richard Berry, who both had a hand in developing the South Street Seaport Historic District, purchased and renovated the building. The historical integrity of the Maxon Mills was maintained through the renovation, which was guided by antique photographs of the building.

 

Evidence of the building’s former functions is part of what makes the Wassaic Project a unique exhibition space. Artwork is displayed alongside enormous hoppers, bucket elevators, and other machinery on walls permanently transformed by the passage of grain. The gallery spaces themselves are dictated by the shape of the seven-story building and the entire space serves as a welcome creative challenge for artists and guest curators. [More]

If you go to the Wassaic Project Summer Festival, you can camp in a grassy field (register in advance to get the discount price of $40). No camping equipment will be provided at the site, but tents, stoves, and sleeping bags can be rented at Tent&Trails (located in Manhattan) or at Thunderbird Tepee(located in Brooklyn). There are also a number of B&Bs in the area.

Performances and events are free, but visitors are encouraged to make donations to support the non-profit organization. Information and directions.

If you are interested in the Artist Residency program at the Wassaic Project, please visit the website.

The Wassaic Project, The Maxon Mills, 37 Furnace Bank Road,