UPCO AT - A - GLANCE

Founded

Online via Discord: 2022
First IRL event: July 2023

WhatsApp Community Members

660 and counting!

Status

Not a non-profit or formal entity, just a community.

Leadership

UPCO operates without a formal leadership team or staff. All members are equal. A small amount of administrative support is carried out by community members. They help manage UPCO platforms and support logistics or concerns as needed.

In The Press

The HUDSY Community Awards, An award show celebrating creativity and community in the Hudson Valley
HUDSY, New York, 2026

In Saugerties, a Conversation About Seeing and Being Seen
The Overlook, New York, 2026

The Group Forging a Community of Color Upstate
Times Union, New York, 2024

F.A.Qs

  • IRL, we host happy hours around the Hudson Valley and in between we try to stay busy—check our events calendar for upcoming gatherings! Virtually, we’re chatting on WhatsApp 365 days a year and spreading the word on Instagram.

  • Our WhatsApp community acts as a chill BIPOC-centered forum to meet your upstate neighbors through conversation, resource exchange and recommendation sharing, local event promotion, and question-asking. This is a public space, we cannot say that we personally know everyone that chooses to join this community. At all times, we ask our members to use common sense and good judgment for anything that’s contributed.  

    Our number one rule: Treat all members with respect and curiosity.

    We are a group diverse in so many ways, from POLITICS to CIRCUS (those are two separate things), we host 46 groups and growing:

    • UPCO 25 AND UNDER

    • UPCO 40+

    • UPCO 40+ Lovebirds

    • UPCO AAPI

    • UPCO ACTION

    • UPCO Astrology Nerds

    • UPCO BIKES

    • UPCO BLK

    • UPCO BULLETIN BOARD

    • UPCO BUY/SELL/TRADE

    • UPCO Camping/Glamping and summer fun

    • UPCO Carpool

    • UPCO CIRCUS

    • UPCO Crafts & Fiber Arts

    • UPCO CREATES

    • UPCO DnD

    • UPCO EN ESPAÑOL

    • UPCO Entrepreneurs

    • UPCO EVENTS

    • UPCO FIREAM SAFETY AND HUNTING

    • UPCO Foodstuff Barter

    • UPCO FUR BABIES

    • UPCO GARDENERS

    • UPCO HELP 411

    • UPCO Herbalists

    • UPCO HIGHER ED

    • UPCO HIKES

    • UPCO HOMESCHOOLERS

    • UPCO Housing 🏡

    • UPCO INTRODUCTIONS

    • UPCO KAYAKING & ROWING

    • UPCO LGBTQIA+

    • UPCO Muslim Community

    • UPCO MUTUAL AID

    • UPCO Music/Dancing/Concerts

    • UPCO NERDERY/BLERDERY

    • UPCO Neurodivergents

    • UPCO POLITICAL

    • UPCO POLY

    • UPCO RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION

    • UPCO RUNS

    • UPCO SKILL SHARE

    • UPCO SPORTS

    • UPCO TECH

    • UPCO TENNIS

    • UPCO Traveling While…

    • UPCO Winter Sports + Activities

    • UPCO WRITER’S GROUP

  • Feel free to say hello and introduce yourself and your business in our WhatsApp group. We’re also building a BIPOC-owned business directory — you can add your details directly to our shared document here:

    UPCO Business Directory

  • Yes! This community is for you and we welcome like-minded people and organizations that support our mission to host and UPCO event. You can submit an event directly to our calendar OR reach out to info@upstatecolor.com to connect with our team about planning an event or accessing our toolkit. 

    Submit event here

  • Our events are designed to create a dedicated space for the BIPOC community of the Hudson Valley to connect, celebrate, and find support.

    This intentionality is central to our mission.

    While we understand the desire to share this space with trusted allies, we ask that you reflect on whether bringing a guest aligns with the purpose of Upstate Color. If their presence could shift the focus or energy away from centering BIPOC voices and experiences, we encourage you to honor the need for exclusivity.

    That said, we are not gatekeepers, nor do we seek to create unnecessary challenges around inclusivity. We trust our members to make decisions that are right for themselves and the community as a whole. We appreciate your care and thoughtfulness in supporting the mission of Upstate Color.

  • Email us at info@upstatecolor.com

OUR STORY

Upstate Color began as a simple desire: to connect with other people of color living in the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas. What started as an online call for community quickly grew into a vibrant network of BIPOC folks who wanted to find each other, show up, and build something together. After our first in-person gathering—a joyful block party at Harana Market—we knew we were onto something special. That energy helped shape a shared vision for UPCO: one rooted in making space and connections for one another.

Today, Upstate Color exists as a growing, volunteer-run community of BIPOC members connected through WhatsApp, Instagram, and in-person events. Our WhatsApp group hosts a wide range of subgroups inspired by the diverse needs and interests of our members: Herbalists, Circus, Raising the Next Generation, Political, Bulletin Board, and many more (see our FAQ for the full list!). We organize gatherings that get us into the landscape and into community—happy hours, hikes, food pop-ups, youth and family activities, and other offerings that support connection without the pressure of being the “only one in the room.”

We are here to create and hold space together. Whether you’ve joined a chat, attended an event, shared a skill, or are just getting to know us—thank you. This is a space where everyone is invited to participate, organize, and contribute in ways that feel good. We hope you’ll join us—and help shape what’s next.

EVENTS CALENDAR

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