The national Olmsted Network invites the Newburgh and Poughkeepsie communities to its upcoming conference— Landscapes of Renewal: Olmsted, Vaux and Downing — on September 14 and 15.

The first day of the conference will take place in Newburgh’s Downing Park, the last great work of Central Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, with keynotes by scholar and author Frank Kowsky and landscape architect Sara Zewde. The day will include a community lunch and conversation with Downing Park Conservancy, a walking tour of the park, and a bus tour of Newburgh’s historic assets.

The following day will be spent at Vassar College, whose campus has been shaped by multiple generations of the Olmsted firm. It will include expert-led discussions about parks as vital public health infrastructure. Speakers include President Elizabeth Bradely and Professor Yvonne Elet, Dr. Howard Frumkin of the Trust for Public Land, Dr. Hank Schwartz of the Institute of Living, and Robert Kirkbride of Parsons School of Design.

Local community members can use the local50 discount code to receive free registration for one or both event days. Other ticketed opportunities include a trip to Stonegate Farms and Frederic Chruch’s Olana and a sunset dinner cruise along the Hudson. Please register before the deadline of Monday, September 9.