Columbia County Council on the Arts (CCCA) is sponsoring its 17th annual ArtsWalk, celebrating the rich array of artists and arts activities in Columbia County. ArtsWalk encourages visitors to drive up and down scenic Route 66 for activities both in Hudson and Chatham. This year, events will take place in Hudson, Chatham and Ghent and the Chamber of Commerce will have Hudson trolleys moving all the ArtsWalk crowds through town.

The celebration kicks off on Saturday, October 1st from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Basilica Hudson with a Benefit Party for the ArtsWalk Literary Series. Tickets can be purchased online at info@artscolumbia.org or at the door. On Friday, October 7th , another literary gathering at Omi International Art Cen­ter takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. On October 8th from 10:00 am-4:00 pm, CCCA, partnering with Etsy, will present the Riverfront Artist Marketplace showcasing CCCA member artworks that will be available for purchase. Saturday evening, October 8th from 6:00pm-8:00pm CCCA officially opens their 17th Annual Mem bers Show with an Opening Night Party at the Fair house on the Columbia County Fair grounds. Continuing on Sunday, October 9th Performance Arts Events starts at 4:00 pm at the Chatham Fair house with CCCA's 1st annual Student Play writing Con test. This and dozens more activities all weekend long. For a full schedule of visual and literary reading events visit www.artscolumbia.org