As Evelyn Kanter, the author of Car & Travel’s July article  “Going Dutch: The 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s Discovery,” says, “When Henry Hudson sailed west from Amsterdam in April, 1609, he was looking for a shortcut to the Orient for shipping and trading firm, The Dutch East India Company, which was funding his expedition. Instead, he found what would become New York City and the Hudson Valley.” The rest, as they say, is history, and it’s being celebrated in exhibitions and events along the length of the river in this quadricentennial summer.

Want to join in the fun? The staff at Car & Travel has tilled the fields, combed the backstreets and searched both high and low to bring you as many of our area’s quadricentennial celebrations, in chronological order from July 1, 2009, as we can.

Go forth on your own discoveries.

What: Top to Bottom: Hudson River Arts Map Installation
Where: Edward Hopper House Art Center, 82 N. Broadway, Nyack
When: Now through Aug. 9
About: The exhibition will comprise work in all media, including drawing, painting, photography, prints and sound pieces, all of which have been inspired by the Hudson River. The work will be organized by region and thereby create an “art map” of Hudson River creativity.
More information: 845/358-0774; www.hopperhouse.org

What: The Formation of Government
Where: Ulster County Office Building, 240 Fair St., Kingston
When: Now through Aug. 31
About: This exhibit displays historic county documents spanning 350 years, from the 1661 charter of the Dutch Court at Kingston to the new Ulster County Charter. A video exploring the fascinating uses of these archives, from genealogy to underwater archaeology, also is part of the proceedings.
More information: 800/342-5826; www.ulstertourism.info

What: Grand Walkabout
Where: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Ulster counties
When: Now through Sept. 30
About: Enjoy hundreds of miles of foot trails that scale mountains, meander through meadows, explore historic towns and cities and look back down at the river from where Henry Hudson gazed upon our countryside. Celebrate the Henry Hudson Quadricentennial by exploring foot trails in New York State’s Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Ulster counties—some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll find anywhere in the world. Register with Grand Walkabout, track your miles and trails traveled through September 30 and earn awards for your efforts. The organizers will send you a pedometer, while supplies last, to help you keep track, and there are no charges imposed on any of the trails.
More information: 840/255-7742; www.grandwalkabout.com

What: Cairo’s Bears & Butterflies and the Henry Hudson Quadricentennial Quest
Where: Main St., Cairo
When: Now through Oct. 4
About: Basing festivals around differently interpreted statues of one particular animal has been the rage now for more than 20 years. Cows started the trend, but other animals have followed. For Henry Hudson, organizers have chosen bears, butterflies and cats. So how are bears and butterflies connected to an Englishman sailing on behalf of the Dutch? Well, a Cairo map will reveal the locations of the bears, and somewhere on each bear is a butterfly, and inside the butterfly is a clue, and the clues are about Hudson and his life and voyages, and if you get them all right, you might be up for a prize. Simple!
More information: 518/622-3939; www.cairosbearsandbutterflies.com

What: Cat’ n Around Catskill 2009: A Quadricentennial Celebration
Where: Main St., Village of Catskill
When: Now through Oct. 4
About: Cairo has bears, while Catskill, probably obviously, has cats. Approximately 60 painted, fiberglass felines will be scattered along historic Main St., and children will be encouraged to find and photograph them. This celebration concludes with the Cat’s Meow Auction & Gala, at the Historic Catskill Point on the Hudson River, where the cats will be auctioned off. And what do cats have to do with Hudson? I guess there must have been one or two on the Half Moon to take care of the rats and mice.
More information: 518/943-0989; www.cat-n-around.com

What: The 2009 Byrdcliffe Sculpture Show
Where: Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Upper Byrdcliffe Rd., Woodstock
When: Now through Oct. 12
About: In this show, a dozen Hudson Valley architects will design and construct “memorials” to Henry Hudson, who, due to his crew mutinying and leaving him stranded, never received a proper burial. The outdoor installations, the artists’ interpretations of Hudson’s historic voyage, will “serve to enrich his voyage’s meaning and update its significance,” according to organizers. On any given day, the work will be enhanced by popular song, poetry, dance, puppetry and scholarly discourse.
More information: 845/679-2079; www.woodstockguild.org

What: Mannahatta/Manhattan: A Natural History of New York City
Where: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Av. (at 103rd St.), Manhattan
When: Now through Oct. 12
About: This major exhibit, organized in cooperation with the Wildlife Conservation Society, will reveal the island of Manhattan (known in 1609 as Mannahatta) at the time of Henry Hudson's arrival—a fresh, green new world at the moment of discovery. Through multi-media and historical artifacts and maps, Mannahatta/Manhattan will re-imagine the quiet, wooded island at the mouth of a great river that was destined to become one of the greatest cities on Earth. Another major exhibition at this museum is Amsterdam/New Amsterdam: The Worlds of Henry Hudson, which runs to Sept. 27.
More information: 212/534-1672; www.mcny.org

What: Dutch Culture in the Hudson Valley
Where: Hurley Heritage Society, 52 Main St., Hurley
When: Now through Oct. 31
About: The title of this exhibit more than likely is self-explanatory, but it might be worthwhile to think back to an age when the most prominent language spoken in the whole region from New “Amsterdam” York to Albany, apart from local languages, was Dutch.
More information: 845/338-1661; www.hurleyheritagesociety.org

What: Hudson-Fulton Take Two
Where: Friends of Historic Kingston Museum, Main and Wall sts., Kingston
When: Now through Oct. 31
About: This exhibit looks at memorabilia from the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration and the inspiration that these historical documents have given to works created by 10 local artists. Painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, prose and art composed of fiber and metal make up the show.
More information: 845/339-0720; www.fohk.org

What: Albany Aqua Ducks & Trolleys
Where: Quackenbush Sq., Albany
When: Now through Oct. 31
About: The Aqua Ducks—part car, part boat—are celebrating Henry Hudson and the year 1609 with special appearances on board by Henry Hudson himself! Well, OK, by actors dressed to look like him—Hudson would be 444 years old today, but anyway, try and defy belief and listen to “his” stories of Albany and the Hudson River all those years ago.
More information: 518/462-3825; www.albanyaquaducks.com

What: Celebrate: The 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration
Where: Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston
When: Now through Oct. 31
About: This museum, which celebrates Hudson and his legacy with exhibits every year, really pulls out the stops in this anniversary year. Present at the museum will be a re-creation of Henry Hudson’s aft cabin on the Half Moon and a display of event memorabilia from the historic Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909.
More information: 845/338-0071; www.hrmm.org

What: Before Hudson: 8,000 Years of Native American History & Culture
Where: Historic Huguenot Street, Huguenot Historical Society, 18 Broadhead Ave., New Paltz
When: Now through Dec. 20
About: An exhibit that marks the quadricentennial by exploring and documenting the culture and history of the Native Americans who greeted Henry Hudson and the many Europeans who followed. Inspired by Native American artifacts found during recent archaeological digs at Historic Huguenot Street, this conference delves into the 8,000-year history of the native peoples of the Hudson Valley and offers historians, teachers and others interested in local Native American history the opportunity to learn more about our region’s first inhabitants.
More information: 845/255-1660; www.huguenotstreet.org

What: Dutch New York: The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture
Where: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers
When: Now through Jan. 10, 2010
About: This major exhibition will explore New York’s Dutch roots and the differing ways Dutch-influenced culture has been interpreted throughout New York’s long history. The exhibition will explore five key moments of Dutch influence: 1609, when the Half Moon entered New York harbor; 1709, during a period when Dutch culture continued to thrive under English rule; 1809, when Washington Irving’s popular stories began to romanticize Dutch heritage; 1909, when the Hudson-Fulton Celebration attempted to create a common Dutch past for a rapidly growing nation; and 2009, at a moment when the very concept of historical “celebration” is increasingly debated.
More information: 914/963-4550; www.hrm.org

What: Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art & Culture
Where: Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany
When: Now through Jan. 10, 2010
About: This major exhibition commemorating Henry Hudson features hundreds of pieces of art, artifacts, interactive displays and rare archival documents from the Albany Institute’s renowned collection. The Hudson River Panorama encompasses five major themes relating to the many agricultural, industrial and cultural influences of this historic waterway: Community and Settlement; Natural History and Environment; Transportation; Trade, Commerce and Industry, and Culture and Symbol.
More information: 518/463-4478; www.albanyinstitute.org

What: 1609
Where: New York State Museum Cultural Education Center, 3023 Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza, Albany
When: July 3, 2009 to Mar. 31, 2010
About: This large exhibit will re-examine Henry Hudson’s voyage, the myths that surround it and the legacies of his unexpected discovery. It will be presented in four parts: 1) What life was like for both the Dutch and native peoples of New York before 1609 and the events of that year; 2) The myth that Hudson planned to come here and that Native Americans greeted him and his crew with joy and awe; 3) The short-term impact of the voyage and the consequences for the Dutch and the Native Americans; 4) The long-term legacy of discovery and how it affected subsequent historical events and American culture today.
More information: 518/474-5877; www.nysm.nysed.gov

What: Henry Hudson & Friends Historical Puppet Show
Where: Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, 25 Quackenbush Sq., Albany
When: July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 19; Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19
About: Aimed at younger historians (ages 4 to 7, with family members welcome), this program uses puppetry to tell the story of stars, planets, comets and constellations in the night sky and how Henry Hudson used these celestial bodies to navigate his boat here in 1609. A second puppet show (July 8, July 22, Aug. 5 and Aug. 19) tells the story of the Hudson River, the Mohicans and Mohawks who lived on its shores and the historic arrival of Henry Hudson and his crew. Children will journey back 400 years to meet Nawa, a Mohican girl, Anna and Pieter, early Dutch settlers, and Henry Hudson himself. The program includes time for a paper puppet craft project to take home.
More information: 800/258-3582; www.albany.org

What: Quadricentennial Celebration: A Living History Timeline, 1609-1809
Where: Knickerbocker Historical Society, 132 Knickerbocker Rd., Schaghticoke
When: July 11-12
About: This event takes in three anniversaries, including Henry Hudson’s. It celebrates 400 years of Dutch heritage with the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s voyage, the tercentennial of the 1709 settlement of the Knickerbocker Family in Schaghticoke and the bicentennial of the 1809 publication of Washington Irving’s book, A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty (for this book, Irving used a pseudonym, Dietrich Knickerbocker).
More information: 518/459-5098; www.knickmansion.com

What: Mutual Strangers
Where: Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, 28 Deveau Rd., North Salem
When: July 17
About: More puppets! And each puppet in this memorable show truly is a work of art. With stunning visuals and live music, the Arm-of-the-Sea puppet troupe re-imagines, from multiple points of view, Hudson’s voyage on the river that now bears his name. Based on the log of first mate Robert Juet and the oral traditions of Lenape and Mahican native peoples, this show presents a collage of overlapping narratives to mark the 400th anniversary of this world-changing voyage. The show is designed to engage audiences of many ages.
More information: 914/669-5033; www.hammondmuseum.org

What: Quad Celebration Day
Where: Town of Esopus
When: July 25
About: The one-day party in Esopus includes narrated boat rides from the marina in Connelly to the Esopus lighthouse; trolley bus tours to a slave cemetery, a covered bridge and Dutch-influenced homes; an exhibit on the naturalist John Burroughs at Port Ewen Library, along with a rare chance to see his log cabin, Slabsides; a colonial Dutch luncheon at the Town Hall in Port Ewen; a tour of the Environmental Center of Esopus Meadows Park, and a concert at George Freer Park.
More information: 845/331-9124; www.esopus.com/feature.html

What: The Namesake Celebration
Where: Waterfront Park, Hudson
When: July 24-26
About: Proud of its name of Hudson, this town will celebrate Henry with its Waterfront Festival, which will coincide with a three-day visit by the replica of the ship, Half Moon. Activities include free tours of the ship, food and crafts demonstrations with stall holders in period costume, a farmers’ market and even a Henry Hudson lookalike contest. In addition, there will be children’s circus workshops and folk singers from Holland. Watercraft will be invited to join the festivities, and the culmination of the festival will be a Saturday evening concert, fireworks and a light show.
More information: 518/828-1030; www.cityofhudson.org/content/Generic/View/31

What: 2009 Esopus Creek Puppet Suite
Where: Tina Chorvas Waterfront Park, E. Bridge St., Saugerties
When: Aug. 14-15
About: (See “Mutual Strangers” (July 17) above, for the puppets are coming to Saugerties.)
More information: 845/246-7873; www.armofthesea.org/calendar/index.php?id=321

What: Bethlehem Voyage 400 Festival
Where: Henry Hudson Town Park, Barent Winne Rd., Selkirk
When: Aug. 16
About: This day-long festival will feature family entertainment, including waterfront activities, historical exhibits and tours, music, vendors, performers in period costume and children’s entertainment.
More information: 518/439-4955; www.townofbethlehem.org

What: Dutch Barges on the Hudson
Where: Manhattan, Albany and points between
When: Sept. 1
About: In September, the Henry Hudson action moves to Manhattan, where on Sept. 1 a sizeable flotilla of Dutch flat-bottom boats, having sailed from Amsterdam, will enter New York Harbor. These distinctive vessels will take part in sailing races, be open to visitors, transport visitors around the harbor and, in the evening, be the guests of honor at a floating parade of illuminated ships making their way to a point opposite Battery Park. As was the case when Cunard’s former Queen Elizabeth 2 met up for the first and only time with her sisters, the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria, the place to watch this latest nautical spectacular will be the terrace of the bar of the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park. Then, up to Sept. 20, the barges will be at various points on each day (check the Website for more details), ending at Albany.
More information: www.ny400.org

What: Dutch Exchange: Artists from the Netherlands Take Up Residency in Ulster County
Where: SUNY Ulster, 491 Cottekill Rd., Stone Ridge
When: Sept. 3-25
About: Earlier this year, 10 artists from the Netherlands repeated Henry Hudson’s epic journey (well, not really, they took the plane) in order to live and work in New York’s Ulster County for between three weeks and five months. The results of their stays were pieces of unique art that incorporated elements of the environment, culture and history of their temporary adopted home but with a European perspective. The highlight of this idea will be a group art show running Sept. 3-25.
More information: 845/687-5262; www.hudsonriver400.org/dutch-artists

What: New Amsterdam Village
Where: Bowling Green Park, Manhattan (at Broadway and Beaver St.)
When: Sept. 5-15
About: In September, New York City will revert—temporarily, and in a small corner of Manhattan—to its original colonial name of New Amsterdam. To mark the change, a Dutch village will be built to include traditional Dutch canal houses, a windmill and an outdoor stage. Also present will be Dutch crafts, such as wooden shoe making, Delft blue ceramics painting and glass blowing, traditional Dutch foods, such as cheese, beer, herring and “dollar” pancakes, and Dutch flower bulbs and cut flowers.
More information: www.ny400.org

What: Peekskill Quadricentennial Celebration
Where: Charles Point Park, Peekskill
When: Sept. 6-13
About: Established in 1997, the annual Peekskill Celebration is one of the largest festivals in the Hudson Valley, attracting over 30,000 people. It’s usually held in August, but to celebrate Henry Hudson, it is this year—and only this year—moving to September to pay homage to the mighty Hudson River. The big day will be Sept. 12, which will feature a spectacular fireworks display and colorful Dragon Boat Races, as well as the illumination of historic Peekskill buildings, a downtown concert and an historic parade led by the Peekskill Fire Department.
More information: 914/736-2000; www.peekskillcelebration.com

What: The Tile Project
Where: Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, 1701 Main St., Peekskill
When: Sept. 12
About: This project receives the unofficial prize as the most innovative celebration of the life of Henry Hudson. More than 2,000 Hudson Valley school children have designed tiles depicting some aspects of the Henry Hudson story, which will be then used to decorate a new half-mile trail through the town of Peekskill. Tiles will be spaced every 10 feet or so, and the official commemoration of them and the trail is on Sept. 12
More information: 914/788-0100; www.hvcca.org/public-tile-project.html

What: The Island at the Center of the World: An Exhibition of Rare Maps and Documents
Where: South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St., Manhattan
When: Sept. 12, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010
About: Want to see the contract—probably nonsensical to the inhabitants who greeted the early Dutch pioneers and signed it—drawn up by Dutch East India Company official Pieter Schagen and which bought Manhattan for 60 guilders ($24)? The Nov. 5, 1626, document will be at this wonderful exhibition that will delight historians, map-lovers and the curious. Other important end existing documents will be on view, some of which have been lent especially for this exhibit by the Dutch National Archives.
More information: 212/748-8786; www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org

What: Harbor Day
Where: New York Harbor, Manhattan
When: Sept. 13
About: In January, New York City’s Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg formally announced that 2009 would commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Henry Hudson aboard the Dutch vessel Halve Maen to New York City. One permanent gift stemming from this special year will be the 5,000-square-foot Plein & Pavilion, a tribute to 400 years of friendship and a monument that will be many things: a small market, a public space and an information center. In Battery Park, the new piece of art will be unveiled before the end of the year. 2009 also will see the first-ever annual Harbor Day, which will feature events and activities, including free bike rental and ferry rides, to encourage New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy the City’s waterfronts districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn and on Governors Island. The idea of the day is to underline the dramatic changes the city has made in recent years to reclaim its waterfront and open harbor parks and green spaces.
More information: 212/484-1200; www.nycgo.com

What: Return of the Ship Half Moon to Albany
Where: Downtown Albany Waterfront
When: Sept. 19
About: (See “Dutch Barges on the Hudson” above, for Sept. 19 is when the Half Moon reaches as far as did Henry Hudson in 1609—today’s state capital of Albany.)
More information: www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us

What: LarkFEST 2009
Where: Lark Street BID, 245 Lark St., Albany
When: Sept. 19
About: Approximately 70,000 people are expected to attend this festival, and this year, it celebrates Henry Hudson. Visual arts, poetry, magic shows, dancing and great food will be here, of course, but many come for the musical offering, which this year will include anywhere up to 30 bands. Eight downtown streets will be closed to traffic to help on the festivities.
More information: 518/434-3861; www.albany.com/news/larkfest.cfm

What: Stuyvesant Quadricentennial Celebration
Where: Stuyvesant Falls and Stuyvesant Landing
When: Sept. 19-20
About: This two-day event will be split between the neighboring hamlets of Stuyvesant Falls and Stuyvesant Landing. It will begin with a parade and end with a fireworks display over the Hudson River at Riverview St., but it will also include guest lecturers, arts and crafts, music and food
More information: 518/758-6248; www.stuyvesantny.us

What: Gravesites of the First Dutch Settlers
Where: Albany Rural Cemetery, Broadway entrance (Route 32)., Albany
When: Sept. 26
About: Not as jolly as other Henry Hudson-related events this year, but this tour certainly puts a human spin on those 400-year-old events. At the Albany Rural Cemetery, visitors can visit the gravesites and hear stories about some of the first Dutch settlers, the Van Rensselaers, Schuylers, Bleeckers, Anneke Jans and others. Transportation is with Albany Trolleys, a division of the Albany Aqua Ducks.
More information: 518/462-3825; www.albanyaquaducks.com

What: Hudson 400 Celebration
Where: Albany Riverfront Park at the Corning Preserve, Albany
When: Sept. 26
About: Albany Riverfront Park celebrates the 400th anniversary of Albany’s discovery with music, re-enactors and an invitation to experience the 17th Century. The festival aims to take visitors back to a time when Dutch settlers and Native Americans first met. Take a tour of the Half Moon, watch and learn from blacksmiths, witness modern artisans performing traditional craft techniques and enjoy food and musical performances, including dance programs and a gigantic drum circle at sunset.
More information: 518/434-2032; www.albanyevents.org

What: Opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson
Where: The new pedestrian walkway on the former railway bridge that spans the Hudson River between Highland and Poughkeepsie
When: Oct. 2-4
About: New York loves to be biggest, highest, fastest and now longest, with the opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, a 6,767-foot-long bridge across the Hudson River between Highland and Poughkeepsie. That’s almost 1.25 miles in length, and thus the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. The Oct. 2-4 weekend will be its official opening, just in time for the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage.
More information: 845/454-9649; www.walkway.org

What: Art Meets History: Celebrating 400 Years
Where: Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, 25 Quackenbush Sq., Albany
When: Oct. 2-Dec. 31
About: The 300-member Colonie Art League will present approximately 100 original works of art featuring themes and scenes celebrating Albany’s quadricentennial. Many of the works, all by local artists, will be for sale, and an added feature will be a display of the prize-winning art works from the Colonie Art League’s invitational exhibit by student artists from high schools in Albany County.
More information: 518/434-0405; www.colonieartleague.com

What: Empire QuiltFest 2009
Where: Shenendehowa High School East, 970 Rte. 146, Clifton Park
When: Oct. 17-18
About: This quadricentennial anniversary will be marked with many events highlighting the local area. According to organizers, the show “aims to showcase how quilting can be a ‘voyage’ of self-discovery, how studying antique quilts can lend insight into the lives of those who came before us and [how] learning about modern forms of quilting can teach us about ourselves and the future.” Even if you do not want to be so philosophical about quilting, just looking at these quilts is sure to bring pleasure. There also will be luncheons and guest lecturers.
More information: http://home.earthlink.net/~empirequiltfest/index.htm