The Stagecoach Run Art Festival is turning 30!

Many great things were just getting their start in the 1990s – the Internet, the Franklin Stage Company, Bright Hill Press, and the first art tour in the Catskills, the Stagecoach Run Art Festival. The all-volunteer planning committee is working to make this Stagecoach Run the best ever!

Established in 1996, the Stagecoach Run Art Festival is a self-guided tour of venues 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 created in 1804 and eventually extended from the Hudson River all the way to Erie, Pennsylvania. Travelers on County Route 14 and State Route 357, which becomes Main Street in Franklin, can still spot the stone signposts left from those days.

The countryside around Franklin is some of the loveliest in the Catskills, and the Stagecoach Run Art Festival allows visitors to tour from venue to venue at their own pace. The 2026 Stagecoach Run Art Festival features more than 40 artists in a variety of disciplines, from painting and sculpture to ceramics and mixed media. 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.

This year’s events kick off with the opening of the Spotlight Show at Bright Hill Press in Treadwell on Saturday, June 20. The show will contain a representative work of art from each participating artist and will continue through the end of the Festival on July 12. Works purchased at the Spotlight Show support both the artist and Bright Hill.

During the festival weekend, there will be dining options in both Franklin and Treadwell. Look for details about artists, venues, and dining options on Facebook and Instagram.

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

https://www.instagram.com/stagecoachrunartfestival/
https://www.facebook.com/StagecoachRunArtFestival