The Beacon Bonfire Music + Art Festival lights up the Hudson Valley this November with five days of performance and wonder – a citywide celebration across Beacon, New York, where creativity, community, and connection burn bright. Speaking to Atwood Magazine, cofounder Kelly Ellenwood opens up about the event’s grassroots origins, its “Yestival” mentality, and what festivalgoers can expect from its radiant 2025 return!
This festival shines a spotlight on the creativity that lives, works, and plays in Beacon – it is truly astounding, and only the Beacon Bonfire could do that.
* * *
Beloved by leaf-peepers and locals alike, Beacon, New York has become one of the Hudson Valley’s most vibrant arts and cultural hubs in recent years.
Tucked between the Hudson River and Mount Beacon and just a short train ride from New York City, the small mountain city – home to about 15,000 residents – exudes a charming warmth, its bucolic backdrop alive with art galleries, local artisans, independent shops, and cafés buzzing with eclectic, youthful energy.
It’s a place where creativity burns bright – and this weekend, that flame becomes a citywide blaze.
Born from a mid-pandemic campfire where neighbors gathered for warmth, music, and hope, the Beacon Bonfire Music + Art Festival has grown into a five-day takeover of Beacon’s Main Street and beyond: Galleries, cafés, breweries, sanctuaries, and surprise pocket stages all pulsing with performance and public art. What began as a circle in the woods now radiates throughout an entire Hudson Valley town – inviting everyone to show up, lean in, and be curious.
This year’s Beacon Bonfire features more than 400 performers across 20+ venues and galleries – from local singer/songwriters and rock bands to genre-agnostic DJs, psychedelic jazz ensembles, poets, aerialists, comedians, filmmakers, and installation artists. Expect public murals, immersive light projections, short films, and spontaneous street performances stretching the full mile of Main Street. Whether you stumble upon a brass band outside a coffee shop, a contemporary dance piece in a church, or a late-night jam echoing from a brewery, the spirit remains the same: Discovery, collaboration, and connection through community.
As Beacon Bonfire’s cofounder, CEO, and president, Kelly Ellenwood says, “pretty much anything goes” when it comes to participation and performance. She describes the festival as a “Yestival” – if you want to take part in the festivities, you’re more or less guaranteed a spot. “This festival shines a spotlight on the creativity that lives, works, and plays in Beacon – it’s truly astounding,” she adds.
Beacon Bonfire’s magic is its mix of the earthy and the cosmic – a grassroots festival with big-hearted ambition, rooted in place yet open to discovery. This year’s edition adds a Film Festival at Industrial Arts Brewing, a “Buy One / Give One” pass initiative to widen access, an opening-night Syncretic Liturgy at Prophecy Hall, a full-mile Main Street activation on Saturday, and a family-friendly Sunday Reprise capped by the beloved drum circle. It’s not just programming; it’s an ethos – art as invitation, community as collaboration, and a city as a stage. All participating artists are paid, and small businesses are true partners – from themed window displays to limited-run Bonfire roasts and specials – weaving the festival into everyday Beacon life.
“The term ‘Bonfire’ is both literal and a metaphor for the festival,” Ellenwood shares, explaining the local roots behind the name. “I was initially inspired by the history behind the naming of our little city – after the signal fires for the Revolutionary War on the peaks of the Hudson Highlands chain of mountains, ending at what is now called Mount Beacon.”
“As a metaphor, it is truly the passion and abundance of creativity that is spread throughout the Festival – it warms us and brings us together, just as a literal fire does.”
Running November 5–9, 2025 in Beacon, NY, the third annual Beacon Bonfire is, true to its name, a living signal fire – lighting the way toward connection, artistry, and shared wonder.
Recently named a top-three festival in Chronogram’s Readers’ Choice Awards, it carries the spirit of those Revolutionary War beacons into the present day. Whether you’re here for the music, the murals, the late-night projections on the silos, or simply to feel part of something bigger than yourself, this festival turns curiosity into communion.
Atwood Magazine recently caught up with Kelly Ellenwood to dig into the Beacon Bonfire’s origin story, what’s new in 2025, how local venues and small businesses power the weekend, and why “yes” is the guiding force behind Beacon’s most imaginative and artist-friendly festival. Read our interview below, then grab a pass, pick up your program at Welcome Camp (Polhill Park at the corner of Main Street and 9D), and chart your own path through the Beacon Bonfire!
— —
:: purchase Beacon Bonfire 2025 tickets here ::
:: learn more about Beacon Bonfire here ::
— —
A BEACON BONFIRE CONVERSATION
Atwood Magazine: Can you take us back to that first spark – the campfire moment where Beacon Bonfire was born? What do you remember most, and how did it evolve into the festival we know today?
Kelly Ellenwood: It was during COVID when we were all looking to connect – Tim, I and our friends America and Christian Campbell were gathered around their backyard fire, and Christian expressed how much he wanted to create something for our community. We decided then to put together a small gathering in the woods in February 2021 – and from there the idea just took off.
Why “Bonfire”? What does that symbol represent to you – literally and spiritually – within the festival’s ethos?
Kelly Ellenwood: The term “Bonfire” is definitely both literal and a metaphor for the festival. And I was initially inspired by the history behind the naming of our little city – after the signal fires for the Revolutionary War on the peaks of the Hudson Highlands chain of mountains, ending at what is now called Mount Beacon. As a metaphor, it is truly the passion and abundance of creativity that is spread throughout the Festival – it warms us and brings us together, just as a literal fire does.
What was missing in Beacon or the broader Hudson Valley arts scene that you felt this festival could bring to life?
Kelly Ellenwood: This festival shines a spotlight on the creativity that lives, works, and plays in Beacon – it is truly astounding, and only the Beacon Bonfire could do that.
Beacon has a strong creative pulse – artists, makers, dreamers. How do you think the Beacon Bonfire both reflects and amplifies that local energy?
Kelly Ellenwood: Ha! That is exactly what we are trying to do – shine a spotlight on all of the artists, makers, and dreamers in our beautiful little city.
You’ve got 20 different venues activated throughout the weekend – from restaurants to cultural and arts centers and beyond! What role do small businesses play in shaping the festival’s ecosystem?
Kelly Ellenwood: The venues are definitely our partners in this endeavor! It’s interesting, there has definitely been a shift since the last Festival in the venues we are working with, but overall since this is our 3rd time around doing the festival, there is more awareness, and more of a willingness to join in the fun! In general, the businesses get asked for donations, etc. all of the time – just joining in on the theme doesn’t cost them anything, and brings us all together, even if they aren’t a venue with music or art. I’m thinking like The Last Outpost which has an awesome campfire window display, or Big Mouth Coffee who is roasting a special a special blend just for the weekend.
The lineup spans genres and mediums. What’s the creative philosophy behind your curation?
Kelly Ellenwood: We are a “Yestival” – we pretty much accept anyone who fills out the intake form! There is some thought behind the public art installations, and we have some basic guidelines, but pretty much anything goes.
I attended the second Beacon Bonfire in 2023, and loved the festival’s immersive experience. What can festivalgoers expect in 2025 – what new features, installations, or performances are you most excited about?
Kelly Ellenwood: Well that’s part of the fun – DISCOVERY! We do have a Film Festival component this year on Nov 6 & 7, and there is a very special installation on Eliza Street called “A Seat at the Table” that was funded in part by the Dutchess Partners in the ARts (Destination Dutchess & Arts MidHudson). There is more, but I want to encourage everyone to BE CURIOUS!
What are you personally most looking forward to seeing or experiencing at this year’s Bonfire?
Kelly Ellenwood: I am looking forward to the Syncretic Liturgy, which I missed last time, and am participating in this year. Also “Seat at the Table.” My wish is also coming true to have projections on the Silos on Tioronda… you will have to see it to understand that for sure!
For first-timers, what’s your ideal entrance into Beacon Bonfire – how would you suggest they experience the festival to truly feel its magic?
Kelly Ellenwood: Pick up their Festival Passes and program at Welcome Camp, and maybe come prepared by looking at the lineup, and figuring out what they want to see. We were able to design a proper Program Grid this time, that delineates both Time and Space (!), so it should be easier to find YOUR Festival.
How do you measure success for Beacon Bonfire – attendance, artist outcomes, local business impact, or something more intangible?
Kelly Ellenwood: Well, it would be great not to lose money! We hope that many will pitch in by purchasing a Festival Pass – the free and open to the public events are extremely important, but they definitely have a price tag, and all of the artists are paid too! But the real bottom line is that everyone who participates walks away with a feeling of belonging and that they have experienced something truly unique. There is not a Festival like this anywhere.
Lastly, what are your hopes for the next few years – how do you envision the festival growing while staying true to its roots?
Kelly Ellenwood: It will be crucial to secure an Angel investor in this project for us to move forward, grow, and make it the best experience possible – all of the pieces are in place, but to truly make this real, we will need to compensate the professionals who make the Festival happen and do the work behind the scenes. So far it has really just been a a small handful of people volunteering their expertise and time (and treasure!) to make this happen. And I would like to see the Festival have the means to commission more public art! That would be amazing.
— —
:: purchase Beacon Bonfire 2025 tickets here ::
:: learn more about Beacon Bonfire here ::
— —
— — — —
Connect to Beacon Bonfire on
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© Austin Ruffer
© Austin Ruffer
