City of the Hills Festival Puts Local Artists, Community at Center Stage
By JAYLEN LAMPRON
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA
The City of the Hills Festival will bring artists, students, and residents together Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, for a two-day celebration of Oneonta’s regional creative work.
The free festival, presented by the Community Arts Network of Oneonta, runs from noon to 5 p.m. both days along Main Street, including activity and performance areas at Mueller Plaza and the corner of Ford Avenue and Main Street. The event, held in various forms since 1971, is marking its 55th year and has stretched to two consecutive days since 2023.
Hope Von Stengel, CANO’s executive director and a former volunteer festival director, said the event connects residents of different ages with artists and with one another.
“It brings out people of all ages,” Von Stengel said. “There’s something for everyone. And I think that’s really important: to reach different demographics.”
About 60 vendors are expected across the weekend. And most participating artists and sellers are local or have regional ties.
“We have between both days, 60 vendors—which is very great,” said Von Stengel. “All of them artists and makers, with the exception of the four food trucks. But all our food trucks are Oneonta based! Because we want to support Oneonta businesses.”
Programming is expected to include live music in two locations, art demonstrations, dancers, drag performers, face painting, children’s activities, college clubs, a stilt walker, and a downtown art walk. Organizers estimate the event involves close to 150 artists and creatives.
This year, organizers are placing added emphasis on hands-on art.
“For example, we’ll have a tiny art gallery where a local artist, Sarah Christophe, is making a huge board that will say ‘Tiny Art Gallery’ and then community members will be able to create little works of art and post it to them.”
CANO’s festival committee includes board members connected with SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College, along with artists and community volunteers. College groups also help staff the event, and student performers and clubs contribute to the schedule.
Founded in 1970 and formerly known as the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts, CANO is a nonprofit that works to promote the arts, support artists, and engage the community. At the Wilber Mansion and its studio, located at 11 Ford Avenue in the City of Oneonta, the organization facilitates exhibitions, concerts, literary programs, events, and art classes for children and adults.
For participating artists, the weekend also provides a chance to reconnect.
Vendor Georgia Renne of The Mint Homestead said, “I look forward to the City of the Hills Festival every year, of course because of the community and customers I see return year after year. But also because I get to see my artist friends and what they’ve been up to all year!”
Von Stengel added that the gathering can help make Oneonta’s year-round creative community more visible. “It really helps spotlight all of the really amazing artists in this area too, which I think is really important because we do have so many awesome makers and creatives here.”
“It’s nice to see Main Street lively for two days!” said Von Stengel. “It’s just a great community event.”
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
