Stagecoach Run Art Festival Set for 29th Year

TREADWELL – Art and artists are the focus of one of the most popular summer events in the foothills of the western Catskills Saturday July 5 and Sunday July 6 10am-5pm throughout Franklin Treadwell.

Established in 1996, the Stagecoach Run Art Festival is a self-guided tour of venues throughout the area surrounding the destination village of Franklin. The strong art community in Franklin and its sister village, Treadwell, led to the establishment of an annual event devoted to promoting the visual arts.

“Stagecoach” got its name from the Catskill Turnpike, which was officially created in 1804 and eventually extended from the Hudson River all the way to Erie, Pennsylvania. Travelers on Route 357, which is Main Street, Franklin, can still spot the stone signposts left from those days.

Today, Franklin is a town known for its creative people. It is the home of a professional stage company, and has become popular with fans of interior design and antiques.

It is home to Kabinett & Kammer (https://kabinettandkammer.com/), the shop owned by author and design artist Sean Scherer. Just next door is LAVA Atelier (http://lavainteriors.com/atelier), a boutique interior décor shop owned by Meg Lavalette, a designer featured in House Beautiful and many high end design publications. Blue Farm Antiques and Letterpress Printing (https://bluefarmantiques.com/) rounds out the shopping opportunity for antiques and furnishings, while fashion designer Gary Graham’s shop, GaryGraham422 (https://garygraham422.com/), is open by appointment.

The countryside around Franklin is some of the loveliest in the Catskills, and the “Stagecoach” allows visitors to tour from venue to venue at their own speed. Maps of participating sites are available at many locations throughout the area, and at each venue.

Artists will be on hand to discuss their work, and many pieces are available for purchase.

Food options include Yokel, the local breakfast and lunch cafe, The Tulip and the Rose, Franklin’s international dining spot. For more casual fare, there will be food trucks and local non-profit organizations will be grilling burgers.

Franklin and Treadwell are located midway between Delhi and Oneonta, about two and a half hours from the George Washington Bridge.

The Stagecoach Run Art Festival is free to the public. For more information, contact Anna Sea 607-386-1369 info@StagecoachRun.com.