Magical Rhinebeck, New York Holiday Celebration Canceled for 2024

A magical holiday festival that kicks off the holiday season every year in Dutchess County is hitting the pause button in 2024.

Have you ever been to the Sinterklaas Festival in Rhinebeck, New York?

What is Sinterklaas and Why is it Celebrated in Rhinebeck, NY?

Every year, at the very beginning of December, the streets of Rhinebeck are lined with decorations, and thousands of people begin to pour in. As the sun goes down, the Sinterklaas Parade fun begins.

But what is Sinterklaas? And why is it celebrated in Rhinebeck?

Sinterklaas, according to the festival website, the celebration made its way to Rhinebeck 300 years ago with the Dutch settlers from the Netherlands. The festival is a celebration where "children are transformed into Kings and Queens and honored as the bringers of the light at the darkest time of year."

The organizers of Sinterklaas write "In Rhinebeck we turn the Old Dutch tradition upside down and transform negative symbols into empowering ones" adding:

We move away from the commercial Santa and back to the wonders that began the legend—The Good King, the Noble Soul, the one who brings light out of darkness, befriends children and animals, and inspires our souls.

Children will not be judged on if they are naughty or nice "but celebrated as the future of our Town and our most beloved treasures."

Needless to say, Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck is a great way to get the whole family involved in the holiday season. Sadly, the festival won't be back in 2024.

Sinterklaas Festival Canceled for 2024

HVNY is reporting that Sinterklaas will be put on pause for the 2024 season. In a social media post, Organizer Jeanne Fleming explained to HVNY  Fleming "cited the loss of several key volunteers (including her husband, “a Grumpus extraordinaire”), as well as “a significant budget deficit.”

Fleming tells HVNY that the Sinterklaas planning committee has been "asking themselves if they could pull a rabbit out of the hat to make it happen." However, there would need to be "many significant issues" resolved and the Sinterklaas team along with the Village of Rhinebeck decided that the festival would not take place in 2024.

The statement goes on to say that this year the Sinterklaas committee will take time to "reach out, rethink and reimagine" the Sinterklaas Festival. You can read the full statement at HVNY on Instagram.

We've reached out to the Sinterklaas staff and will update this article with any new information.

Sinterklaas of Years Past

We'll miss the energy Sinterklaas brings to the Hudson Valley for the holiday season. Many in and around the mid-Hudson region see Sinterklaas as the kickoff of the holidays and rightfully so.

What better way to welcome the holiday spirit than with a huge parade and celebration?

Take a peek at all of the Sinterklaas fun back in 2021 below: