Photo: Ceri Breeze / iStock / Getty Images
The annual Rosendale Street Festival will implement stricter enforcement of regulations regarding firearms and service animals at this summer's event, scheduled for July 18-19, 2026.
Festival Treasurer Kieran Liggan recently provided details about the enhanced restrictions following a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, February 11. While the prohibition against firearms isn't new, organizers are taking additional steps to ensure visitors understand the rules will be strictly enforced.
"We asked the Town Board to make a condition of the permit to designate the festival as a sensitive area and we will post on the entrances that firearms and weapons are not allowed," Liggan explained, according to the Daily Freeman.
Festival organizers are collaborating with local police agencies to craft clear signage language that avoids potential conflicts with permit holders. Co-organizer Billy Liggan described the challenge as "trying to thread through the difficult needle of Second Amendment rights and public safety."
The festival will also enforce stricter rules regarding service animals. Staff will ask two specific questions to determine if an animal qualifies as a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act: "Is this animal a trained service animal?" and "What is the task it is trained to perform?"
Organizers strongly recommend that attendees leave their pets at home, especially considering the typically hot mid-July temperatures. The festival's official website clearly states "No pets or animals" among its rules, along with prohibitions on weapons, glass containers, and outside alcohol.
The Rosendale Street Festival, which takes place along Main Street in Rosendale, features multiple music stages, vendors offering crafts, and family-friendly activities. The event is free to attend, though a $5 donation is suggested to help offset the approximately $75,000 cost of organizing the festival.
Any profits generated by the festival go toward supporting music programs in the three school districts serving Rosendale. This includes $500 scholarships for graduating seniors involved in music or community service from Rondout, Kingston, and New Paltz school districts.
For those planning to attend, Main Street will close to traffic at 10:00 AM on both festival days, with music starting at noon. The event runs until 9:00 PM on Saturday and 7:00 PM on Sunday. Free parking is available at several designated locations, with shuttle buses running throughout the festival.