Summer has arrived at Clermont!
- Friends of Clermont
- Jun 19
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 26
It's a jam-packed summer at Clermont! Whether you're enjoying a concert, creating masterpieces at Crafty Kids, or taking a leisurely stroll through our formal gardens, it's bound to be a memorable summer at Clermont.
All-day, Every-day
There's always something to do at Clermont, so pack a picnic, stroll the gardens, see the wildlife, and take in the sunset.
Have you heard about New York State Parks' Wellness Challenge? Throughout the year, immerse yourself in a variety of wellness activities at state parks and historic sites across the Empire State. All of the activities listed below count toward your goal of completing 25 activities.
1
Leisurely garden strolls
Clermont is home to three historic gardens: the Walled Garden (near the mansion), the Wilderness Garden and the Reflection Pond, and the Cutting Garden (near the Children's Playhouse).
2
Picnics under shady trees
What better way to celebrate the arrival of summer than enjoying a picnic under a shady tree with views of our gardens and the Hudson Valley? At Clermont, we have picnic tables scattered throughout the site, most of which are conveniently located just off our visitor parking lot.
No table? No problem! Check out our Clermont picnic blankets.
3
Wildlife
With our 500 acres of woodland, landscaped gardens, and hiking trails, Clermont is home to a wide array of wildlife, including birds, chipmunks, frogs, turtles, foxes, and deer.
When enjoying the great outdoors, please stay on the path, carry out your litter, and please do not touch the wildlife. Remember to take nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints.
Did you know that Clermont is part of the New York State Birding Trail? Learn more about bird watching at Clermont.
Download our free trail map.
4
Summer sunsets
Clermont is known for its stunning views of the majestic Catskill Mountains and the mighty Hudson River. These views grow more intense as the sun goes down!
Concerts
Our beloved concert series, Harmonies on the Hudson, is back this summer!
1
Colonial Crossroads
Sunday, June 22
1 p.m.
Free, registration required
Musical group Carla & Keyes (Carla Lynne Hall and Jim Keyes) present a family friendly interpretation of African and European traditions and instruments that influenced each other during the Colonial and Revolutionary years. Instruments include baroque guitar, mountain dulcimer, recorders, Shekere, Djembe, and more.
Come for the music, stay for a free tour of the mansion!
Free tours sponsored by Friends of Clermont.
2
Harmonies on the Hudson: The Hammerhead Horns
Thursday, July 10
6 p.m.
Free, registration required
With their Roots, Ragtime and Barrelhouse Blues, The Hammerhead Horns are a five-piece band from the New York Capital District thrilling audiences from the Hudson Valley to the Adirondacks.
Interactive and engaging, the band creates an atmosphere of a packed club in New Orleans on a Saturday night. The Hammerhead Horns will have you dancing and singing on your feet to energetic percussion, plunger-driven brass and blues-soaked vocal renditions of music by Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters and more.
All Harmonies on the Hudson concerts are weather permitting. It is recommended that attendees bring their own seating. Picnics are encouraged!
This concert is generously sponsored by Bank of Greene County.
3
Harmonies on the Hudson: Yankee Brass Band
Thursday, July 24
6 p.m.
Free, registration required
We are approaching the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. This milestone commemorates the conflict that began in 1775, when the Thirteen Colonies rose up against British rule, leading to the birth of the United States in 1776.
Since 1987, the Yankee Brass Band has entertained audiences in New England and beyond with historically informed performances of nineteenth-century American brass band music. Using antique brass and percussion instruments from the period, painstakingly restored by their owners, the Yankee Brass Band presents the music of the “Golden Age of Bands” played in much the same manner as in the mid-to-late nineteenth century.
To recreate this music, the band pays close attention to the aesthetics, performance practice, and concert attire of an earlier time. For one week each summer, the members of the Yankee Brass Band assemble from across the country to preserve this unique musical legacy through a series of live performances. Each year’s concert repertoire is developed through careful study of period programs, personal papers, manuscripts, and early printed music, along with a variety of band artifacts.
All Harmonies on the Hudson concerts are weather permitting. It is recommended that attendees bring their own seating. Picnics are encouraged!
This concert is generously sponsored by Hudson Valley Credit Union.
4
Harmonies on the Hudson: Sova
Thursday, August 28
6 p.m.
Free, registration required
For Sova — the stage name of New York-based pianist/composer Sophia Subbayya Vastek — the piano has always been home. A second-generation pianist, she holds a deep reverence for her collective history, coupled with an exploratory ear, and moves quietly between musical worlds. Over the years, her intuitive playing style — rooted in tenderness, improvisation, and classical training — has evolved into a dynamic, cinematic sound. Described as performing with "passion and profound tenderness” (Second Inversion) and “serene strokes and lyrical beauty” (Brooklyn Rail), her music is quietly devastating, blossoming into ambient-inspired soundscapes that range from whisper-soft echoes to expressive cascades. Equally important to the music itself are the spaces in which Sova’s music exists. Whether she is performing or presenting, she is dedicated to creating musical experiences that are grounded in care and intentional gathering. In that spirit, she is a co-curator of the popular Lift Series at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, currently in its sold-out fifth season. She also hosts concerts in her home — a converted church-space in South Troy called Troy Listening Room. In 2022, Sova was recognized as a composer by the New York State Council on the Arts and New York Foundation for the Arts (NYSCA/NYFA) as a Music/Sound Fellow, a statewide program focused on the evolution of contemporary art. Her music has been featured on NPR, BBC, and KEXP, and she has performed across three continents.
All Harmonies on the Hudson concerts are weather permitting. It is recommended that attendees bring their own seating. Picnics are encouraged!
This concert is generously sponsored by Hudson Valley Credit Union.
Events
Mark your calendars for these exciting events!
1
Independence Day at Clermont
Friday, July 4
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
What was life at Clermont like during the Revolutionary War? See reenactors portray daily colonial life. There's something for everyone: take a tour of the historic mansion, make a historic craft, try out a colonial game, listen to songs and stories of Thomas Hooker Hanford, hear Frederick Douglass' famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", and enjoy delicious food from At First Bite and ice cream from Fortunes. The day will end with a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
2
Author Talk with Mary Mistler, author of Ladies of the Valley
Sunday, July 13
2 p.m.
Join author Mary Mistler for a talk and signing for her book Ladies of the Valley: Women of the Great Estates of the Hudson Valley.
This book tells the story of the women who lived on and ran the estates that line the eastern shore of the Hudson — many of whom were Livingstons. Women such as Alida Schuyler Livingston of the Manor, Margaret Beekman Livingston of Clermont, Janet Livingston Montgomery of Montgomery Place, Margaret Armstrong Astor of Rokeby, Ruth Livingston Mills of Staatsburgh, Mary Livingston Ludlow Hall and Eleanor Roosevelt of Oak Terrace, and Daisy Suckley of Wilderstein connected deeply to their family lands and had a lasting impact on the history, society, and even the geography of the Hudson Valley.
Get your copy here.
3
The Animals of Clermont - a guided tour
Saturday, July 19
2 p.m.
From Chancellor Livingston's prize Merino sheep to Alice Livingston's countless canine companions, The Animals of Clermont tour charts the timeline of Americans' evolving relationships with the animals we call our own.
Please Note: This tour takes place both inside the mansion and outside on the park grounds. Visitors should be dressed for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Please be prepared for outdoor walking.
Though this tour focuses on animals, please leave your pets at home.
4
Meet our Gardener: Mary Hughes
Thursday, July 24
10 a.m.
Visitors have noticed the remarkable transformation of Clermont’s walled, wilderness, and cutting gardens—and it’s all thanks to the talent and dedication of Mary Hughes and her team. Their care, creativity, and hard work have brought new life to these historic spaces. Now, we invite you to meet Mary in person. Join us for a special garden tour where she’ll share insights into her process and the ongoing restoration.
This is a free event, but registration is encouraged in case we need to cancel due to inclement weather.
For the past three years, Friends of Clermont has proudly supported the restoration of the gardens. We’re grateful to our members and donors who have made this work possible.
5
The Livingston's Landscape - a guided tour
Sunday, June 29 & July 19
2 p.m.
Join us at Clermont State Historic Site for a guided landscape tour. On this tour we will look back through generations of the Livingston family and explore how their role as landowners shaped the land and local communities. From the questionable land purchases from Indigenous tribes to enslaved men and tenant farmers tilling the soil, to the Livingston’s own gentleman farmers, the relationship with the land and those who worked it changed many times over the past 300 years.
6
Tea at Clermont Gardens
Saturday, August 23
4 -6 p.m.
Tea at Clermont Gardens is steeping once again. Twirling parasols, clinking teacups, and laughter on the lawn—our most charming fundraiser returns.
Delight in tea and summery sips, nibble on savory sandwiches and sweet confections, sway to live music, and revel in the beauty of our blooming formal gardens.
And yes, we're bringing back croquet—because who doesn't enjoy a bit of friendly competition!
All ages are welcome. Tickets are $60 per person for Friends of Clermont members and $75 for non-members. Children 12 and under are free of charge (just let us know they will be joining you).
Kid's Corner
Looking for creative and educational programs for the kiddos now that school's out? Look no further than Clermont this summer!
1
Crafty Kids Summer Extravaganza
Consecutive Saturdays, starting July 12
11 a.m.
Join us Saturday mornings this summer for free crafting in the Visitor Center. Each week we will work on a different craft in relation to Clermont, our history, and our local ecosystem.
2
Harvesting History Family Workshop: Herb Ice Cream
Saturday, July 12
1 p.m.
Join Harvesting History educators Leslie and Lila in making ice cream with herbs from our garden.. During this program we will learn about methods of ice cream making of the past and how it applies to our present day, ending with a tasty treat!
3
Geology for Kids!
Saturday, July 26
11 a.m.
Have you ever wondered what a Geologist does? Join educator Lila in learning the who, what and why of geology. During our discussion, we will create our own “egg carton geodes” to learn about minerals and water. This program is suitable for young science enthusiasts ages 4-14.
