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Nominees for the Collaboration Award of Distinction are businesses in Dutchess County that have worked together with other local businesses and/or community partners to significantly drive tourism to the area and strengthen their businesses.
Join Destination Dutchess in celebrating all the honorees at the 12th annual Destination Dutchess Awards of Distinction on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at The Henry A. Wallace Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park. Read more about the event and purchase tickets here.
Read on to learn more about each Collaboration Award of Distinction finalist.
• Craig Marshall, Team Leader, Quaker Meeting House Tour REV250 Project (QMHT) presented by the Pawling Historical Society, Millbrook Historical Society, Hyde Park Historical Society, Town of Clinton Historical Society, LaGrange Historical Society, Stanford Historical Society, Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project
• Peaceful Provisions, Beacon
• Mary Reynolds, David Henningsen, Julie Okoniewski, Michelle Bodden; Volunteer Organizers, Poughkeepsie PorchFest, Poughkeepsie
• Craig Marshall, Quaker Meeting House Tour: We are a collaborative of seven Dutchess County historical organizations who have come together for a truly unique project. In 2025, our nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and thanks to a grant from the Dutchess County Legislature’s REV250 program, we’re joining forces to mark this milestone in a big way. What makes our effort special is both its scale and its spirit. This is the first time so many local historical societies have partnered on a single initiative, pooling our resources and expertise to bring history to life for the public. Together — the Pawling, Millbrook, Hyde Park, Clinton, LaGrange, and Stanford Historical Societies, along with the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project — we’re creating engaging programs that highlight our area’s stories and their lasting impact on the founding of our country. By working as one, we’re able to share a richer, more connected history of Dutchess County — and invite the community to explore it with us in fresh, meaningful ways.
• M. Reynolds, D. Henningsen, J. Okoniewski, M. Bodden, Poughkeepsie PorchFest: Poughkeepsie PorchFest is a free, annual event celebrating live music, performance, and community spirit. Originally conceived during Covid as a neighborhood gathering in the Southside Historic District, PorchFest has blossomed into a festival that draws attendees from across Poughkeepsie and throughout the Hudson Valley region. Since its launch in 2020, the event has fostered connections among hosts, neighbors, and musicians, many of whom return each year to perform. Community members take special pleasure in seeing how some of our younger performers have developed and grown in the craft over the past 6 years. PorchFest showcases an impressive variety of both professional and amateur talent. With over 50 bands and solo performers on nearly 30 porches and lawns, attendees can experience everything from Scottish bagpipes, bluegrass, and R&B, to show tunes, alternative rock, jazz, classical, country, Latin, spoken word, and more. Strolling through the Academy Street Historic District, visitors are treated to a vibrant tapestry of unexpected musical styles. The event is a testament to Poughkeepsie’s rich cultural diversity and the community’s embrace of the arts.
• Peacful Provisions crafts immensely popular plant-based donuts and other desserts on Beacon's Main Street. In addition to being completely animal product-free, these desserts come in truly unique and spectacular flavors. Apple fritters, lemon poppy seed twists, old fashioned cake donuts, mango tajin donuts, salted chocolate chip cookies and are just a few of the delicious and highly Instagrammable treats. Their products often feature other local ingredients like fruit jam from Beth's Farm Kitchen, and their shop regularly hosts pop-ups highlighting other vegan makers.
• Craig Marshall, Quaker Meeting House Tour: Our collaboration has opened the door to an exciting new chapter in telling Dutchess County’s history. Together, seven local historical organizations have uncovered fresh research on the Quakers — a community whose faith, daily lives, and stance during the 18th century played a profound role in shaping our region’s history. One of the highlights of this partnership is the development of guided tours that, for the first time ever, bring visitors inside four historic Quaker meeting houses built between 1767 and 1797. Open on the first Sundays from June through November 2025, these tours offer a rare opportunity to step into spaces where early Quakers worshipped and gathered, with three of the structures still preserved in near-original 18th-century condition. Through docents, exhibits, and storytelling, visitors will discover not just the architecture of these remarkable buildings, but also the beliefs, struggles, and contributions of the Quakers during the early days of the United States and the American Revolution. Its history has been made vivid, personal, and accessible for all ages — and it’s free to the public.
• M. Reynolds, D. Henningsen, J. Okoniewski, M. Bodden, Poughkeepsie PorchFest: PorchFest is made possible by the collaborative spirit and generosity of homeowners, performers, city officials, vendors, non-profits, and community members. Hosts and musicians cooperate to keep performances on schedule and manage the sound levels. Hudson River Housing has sold and printed T-shirts on demand, helping to raise money to defray some of our costs each year. The City of Poughkeepsie plays a vital role in the planning process, lending essential support to an event that draws over 500 attendees to the Academy Street Historic District. This year, the mayor and police officers in attendance acted to close 2 blocks of Academy St for the safety and enjoyment of attendees. Christ Church, is an anchor of the Historic District and has been an invaluable partner since the inaugural PorchFest in 2020. Each year, the pastor and church community have graciously supported PorchFest, offering space for food vendors and children’s activities and allowing the festival to expand its offerings and footprint as we’ve grown.
• Craig Marshall, Quaker Meeting House Tour: Working together on this project has been as rewarding as it has been educational. Each of the seven participating organizations brought unique strengths to the table — from historical research and exhibit design to project management, graphic arts, and marketing. By pooling our skills, we were able to reach a wider audience and deliver a stronger, more engaging experience than any of us could have done alone. All on the team have learned new skills from each other.
Along the way, we’ve built more than just exhibits — we’ve built strong friendships. The collaboration has already shown clear results, with more than 500 visitors attending just the first three tours. Encouraged by this success, we’re eager to continue our collaboration by applying for future REV250 funding in 2026 and beyond. Perhaps most importantly, this partnership has proven that historical organizations can thrive when they work together. We believe our collaboration can serve as a model for other historical groups across Dutchess County, showing how teamwork can amplify impact, grow audiences, and keep local history vibrant for years to come.
• M. Reynolds, D. Henningsen, J. Okoniewski, M. Bodden, Poughkeepsie PorchFest: Through our work with local performers, organizations, and homeowners, we have discovered the unique strengths of Poughkeepsie and how people are willing to come together and help if only they are asked. This initiative began during Covid with the simple act of sliding notes under the doors of unknown neighbors, asking them to host a musician on their porch. With 12 willing hosts, we started reaching out to musicians and asking them to come and perform. The City was immediately and enthusiastically supportive. So many friendships and other collaborations have grown from this. We have been humbled and deeply grateful for the support and enthusiasm people have shown for Poughkeepsie PorchFest.
