The fifteenth annual O+ (O Positive) Festival was held on October 10–12, 2025, in Kingston. The festival characterizes itself as three days of art, music, and wellness while serving as the main fundraiser for O+, a nonprofit healthcare access organization based in Kingston.
The scope of O+ 2025 goes well beyond the moniker of “festival”; it is a transformation of Uptown Kingston into a massive creative collective — a conglomeration of twenty-seven locations showcasing a wealth of creativity: from photography to spoken word, video works to comedy, paintings to sculptures, and music, music, music.
Each year, the festival kicks off with the annual O+ parade. Starting at Keegan Ales, jugglers, stilt walkers, musicians, artists, and children of all ages cascade through the streets of Uptown Kingston, jubilantly declaring the festival has begun.
The Old Dutch Church acts as the festival’s anchor in both location and performance space. Opening night featured award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem in conversation, followed by musical sets from The Shivers and The Fiery Furnaces.
O+ puts art and medicine on the same stage—both essential, both healing—while proving that a community can power its own access to care
O+
Under the divine stillness the church offers, Saturday night’s patrons were treated to the talents of Woodstock-based singer-songwriter and pianist Rachel Yamagata. Supported by a guitarist and string section, Rachel’s powerful voice Illuminated her compositions radiating through the hall’s rafters. Earlier in evening, Leslie Mendelson performed solo, presenting songs from her musical catalog closing with an enchanting rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” on piano.
Assembly – Kingston, a recently opened Kingston concert venue, joined the festival’s roster of performance spaces. This addition of a second large stage complements the Old Dutch Church, expanding the festival’s depth and the variety of musical acts it presents.
Each night at Assembly had a distinct flavor. Friday turned the amps up to ten — it was all about rock ’n’ roll. N.Y.-based Overheard and Big Girl hit the stage with Wild Pink headlining the night. Hip-hop powered Saturday’s groove as Bronx native Kool Keith set the house on fire, sharing beats going back to his ’80s origins. OSVN journeyed to the Hudson Valley from Queens, bestowing his street-toned bars about society’s state. Sunday featured the fusion of music and comedy led by Charlene Kaye.
One act not afraid to show what they were all about was Ignite! A Live Band Burlesque Show, who performed a late-night set at Assembly. Fusing dance, drama, and comedic neo-burlesque, this no-holds-barred troupe had everyone cheering at the tops of their lungs. With a four-piece live band fueling the fire, performers were shimmying, shaking, and strutting their stuff — encouraging a joyous audience to throw dollar bills onto the stage.
Add unhinged speed dating, dance exhibitions, and a skatepark pop-up, and you still wouldn’t scratch the surface of all that O+ 2025 had to offer. But O+ is more than just music and art, it’s about wellness, the wellness of creatives.
Every wristband sold supports O+’s mission of providing healthcare to artists and musicians. Each participating artist/musician is offered the opportunity for a free health and dental checkup that may not otherwise be available to them during the year. Last year O+ expanded to providing healthcare from the three days of the festival to 365 days a year.
Power to the People
John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
The organization states, “O+ puts art and medicine on the same stage—both essential, both healing—while proving that a community can power its own access to care.” O+ offers a playbook for its health-sustainability model to other groups with the goal of aiding communities seeking quality healthcare for their creative members.
To achieve fifteen years presenting a musical or artistic event is impressive. Including the availability of healthcare to a creative community is remarkable. Insight, perseverance, and creativity can, and does, reap rewards.
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