Traveling exhibit features Dutch explorers, settlers

A special Quadricentennial text and graphic exhibit featuring early Dutch explorers and settlers is being shown in three Dutchess County locations today through mid-October.

The exhibit was created by the New Netherland Institute and is being presented free of charge thanks to Dutchess County Tourism and four partners in Dutchess County.

"Light on New Netherland," openstoday at the Lathrop Center in Pawling where it will stay for a week before moving on to Rhinecliff and then Beacon.

The exhibit has 14 double-sided panels with text and graphics, each panel tackles one historic topic, including Patria, Seaborne Empire, Ships and Sailing, the Atlantic World, the West India Company, New Netherland, New Amsterdam, Fort Nassau, Fort Orange and Beverwijck, Patroons, Wiltwijck, Long Island, New England, New Sweden, Schenectady, Sewant, Agriculture, Personalities (Hudson, Minuit, and Stuyvesant), the People of New Netherland, Family Life, Religion, Slavery, the Fur Trade, Relations with the Indians, Education, and the Dutch Legacy.

Robert E. Mulligan, retired history curator at the New York State Museum is the curator.

Many of the illustrations are the work of Len Tantillo, premier artist of New Netherland, and original graphics are by Chuck Gravina. Len Tantillo is an Albany artist who specializes in Hudson Valley maritime and Colonial New York art.

Flotilla to come through Dutchess County

A flotilla of Dutch ships, including the replica, Onrus, will sail the Hudson recreating Henry Hudson's trip and pass through Dutchess County Thursday, Sept. 17, between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon.
Check them out from the river bank.

Through a Photographer's Eye

Celebrating the Quadricentennial of the Hudson River, "Salute to the Hudson River: Through a Photographer's Eye,” opens Saturday, July 11 and runs through Aug. 3 at RiverWinds Gallery, 172 Main Street in Beacon. The exhibit features the photography of Robert Rodriguez, Jr., Linda T. Hubbard, Claudia Gorman, Karl LaLonde, Mike Sibilia, and Brian Tervenski.

An artists' reception takes place from 5-8 p.m. Saturday. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Mondays, from noon to 6 p.m., and from noon to 9 p.m. on the second Saturday.

Here is more from the organizers:

The camera clicks, but it is the photographer's sense of light, depth, composition and passion that tells the story of this famous river. These six Hudson Valley artists are each unique, well-known and have their special interpretation of the Hudson.

Robert Rodriguez Jr is an award winning professional landscape photographer specializing in landscapes of the Hudson Valley. Seeking to capture the beauty, or convey the emotional qualities of a place or moment in nature, his images have elicited responses ranging from evocative, to spiritual and breathtaking. His images have appeared in numerous publications including the NY Times, and his work has been used by many non-profit organizations including the Mohonk Preserve, and Audubon Society. His photography is also featured extensively by Scenic Hudson, a non-profit organization dedicated to land and nature preservation in the Hudson Valley. In addition, he has edited and produced documentary films highlighting the natural beauty of the region. Robert is a respected educator in all aspects of photography including field work and digital editing and printing. He gives seminars in the region on a regular basis, and has been an invited speaker to industry associations.

Linda T. Hubbard is a photographer known throughout the Hudson River Valley and beyond. "I love to capture the beauty, peace and serenity of the river - its changing light and seasons. I also love to include an element of architecture, a chair, something that states how humans and the river interrelate". A tireless promoter of the arts in the Hudson Valley, Linda is also a champion for enjoying the beauty of this river and its unique characteristics.

Michael Sibilia has been practicing the art of photography for over thirty years and he brings a definite point of view to his photography of the Hudson River. "We live in a country that exists because it was rich in natural resources, discovered at a time in the world when these materials were most needed to fuel a growing civilization. Now the same resources that should be feeding us, seem to be strangling us.” Michael captures this paradox by creating images of the river and mankind.

To Claudia Gorman, “Photography is an art form that I have always enjoyed studying and creating with alternative processes such as hand coloring black and white photographs, platinum/palladium printing, and creatively working with Polaroids. Hand coloring a river photograph allows me to create an image according to my own personal perception of the river. I start by printing and toning a black and white negative, and then paint it with oils. Polaroid emulsion lifts and image transfers also enable me to expand the visual and emotional range of the original river photograph.

Karl LaLonde is a photographer and painter. He uses both of these talents in taking river photographs and then enhancing them, highlighting a color or a shape to bring out the uniqueness of the river. Using Photoshop techniques he plays with the light on the river, altering its mood and image.

Brian Tervenski's brings to the show charming images of people using the river for commerce and enjoyment. A Beacon resident, he is a retired English teacher. And he just loves playing with his photographs and the computer.

Image above: Robert Rodriguez Jr - Hudson River Pallettes

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome marks 50th year

Intrigued by the vintage aircraft from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome that accompanied the Quad Flotilla as it made its way up the Hudson River last month?

The Aerodrome will celebrate its 50th anniversary this weekend with music, special re-enactments on the ground and demonstrations of pioneer aircraft, including the Aerodrome’s 1909 Bleriot XI which has been flying for 100 years and is the oldest original airplane still flying in the United States.

There will also be a demonstration of Aerodrome founder Cole Palen’s original 1917 Curtiss “Jenny” JN-4D (shown above). More than 10,000 of these airplanes were built, most in a factory in Hammondsport but only two or three in the world are still flying.

The museum and grounds open at 10 a.m. with air shows on both days starting at 2 p.m. The Aerodrome has four hangars of antique airplanes and artifacts from the earliest days of aviation to explore and its two 1929 New Standard D-25 open cockpit biplanes will offer rides non-stop, except during the air shows. Directions are at the Web site.

(Photo by Don Fleming/Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome)

The Hudson River Trilogy

Ellen Kozak's work is featured from July 12 through Oct. 4 as part of The Hudson River Trilogy, a Katonah Museum of Art exhibition series celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic exploration of the river that bears his name. The three solo exhibitions during the year showcase contemporary artwork inspired by the Hudson River’s beauty, ecology and rich maritime history.

The Katonah Museum of Art is located at 134 Jay Street in Katonah.

Here is more about the artist from the event's release:

An artist with incredible focus and perseverance, Kozak has returned every summer to paint along the banks of the Hudson for the past 18 years, combining a tradition of plein air study with studio work, much like her 19th-century predecessors of the Hudson River School. Outside she records the visual “facts” of her subject—color, light, reflection, current, mist, and fog. While some paintings are completed on site, many are finished months or even a year later in her SoHo studio, thereby incorporating the elements of memory and time into the composition. Kozak is first and foremost a colorist, eliciting distinct moods in her paintings — the viewer can palpably sense whether a painting depicts an overcast morning or a bright summer day.

Kozak’s strength lies in her ability to translate direct observation of natural phenomena into lyrical paintings. Her paintings straddle the line between representation and abstraction. Without the reference of horizon lines, viewers are immersed in molten scenes of saturated hues and subtle movement. And yet her paintings are jewel-like, small and nearly square. Unlike traditional landscape, which tends toward horizontal orientations and vast vistas, Kozak’s format lends itself to intimate, abstract readings. While ostensibly her paintings depict the Hudson River, they are, in fact, explorations in phenomenology.

Notations on a River, a compilation of digital stills taken of the Hudson over the past two years, is Kozak’s first video work in 24 years. One image slowly dissolves into another in a hypnotic, rhythmic progression. Similar to her paintings, the images are close up views of the water’s surface; they are abstract and fluid and project a sense of topography, almost like aerial photographs. In two sequences, the early morning light transforms the water’s surface into a textured blanket of gray tonalities, while a third segment is as aquamarine as the Caribbean Sea.

Ellen Kozak is a professor of color and design at Pratt Institute.

Ahoy! Where Lies Henry Hudson?

Did you know that Henry Hudson never received a proper burial because his body was lost at sea after his crew mutinied? "Ahoy! Where Lies Henry Hudson?" an outdoor exhibition of Henry Hudson memorials designed by 16 area architects and curated by Linda Weintraub, will be on exhibit at the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony as part of the Quadricentennial celebration through Oct. 12. Hours are from dawn to dusk daily. Call 845-679-2079 for information. Byrdcliffe Arts Colony is on Upper Byrdcliffe Road in Woodstock.

Ecotones and Transition Zones

"Hudson Valley Artists 2009: Ecotones and Transition Zones," will be on view until Sept. 6 in the Alice and Horace Chandler Gallery and North Gallery at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at the State University of New York at New Paltz. It is the first in a series of five major art exhibitions in the museum’s Art & The River project extending through December 2009, which coincides with the Quad.
Organized by museum curator Brian Wallace, Ecotones and Transition Zones will feature artwork, performances, gallery talks and other activities from 24 area artists who connect global issues such as sustainability, ecological awareness and bioethics to the Hudson River Valley landscape.
Featured artist and artist groups include:
· Michael Asbill, Accord
· Robert Capozzi, New Paltz
· Robert Capozzi / Lorrie Fredette / Dylan McManus / Laura Moriarty / Jill Parisi (New Paltz / West Camp / New Paltz / Kingston / High Falls)
· Ryder Cooley, Chatham
· Dick Crenson, Pleasant Valley
· Simon Draper / Habitat for Artists, Cold Spring
· Dana Duke, Roscoe
· Beth Humphrey, Saugerties
· Heather Hutchison, Saugerties
· Tanya Marcuse, Barrytown
· Susan Miiller, Sparrowbush
· Wayne Montecalvo, Kingston
· Itty Neuhaus, Fishkill
· Franc Palaia, Poughkeepsie
· J. Gilbert Plantinga, New Paltz
· Emily Puthoff, Kingston
· Jill Reynolds, Beacon
· Ryan Roa, Newburgh
· Camilo Rojas, Millerton
· Thomas Sarrantonio, Rosendale
· Ida Weygandt, Germantown

Here is more from the event's press release:

“In selecting the artists in the show,” said Wallace, “I wanted to play off the emphasis of art in and of the region and to show that there is an emphasis on the environment in historical styles of art such as Hudson River School painting as well as in the art being produced by the artists among us now. “
Wallace added that New Paltz is an ecotone, a place where overlapping natural and social ecologies – the river and the mountains, the cosmopolitan and the rural – exist in fragile tension. “These artists work in their own mini-environments and there is a great diversity among them even as they take from and share ideas with other artists.”
One component of the exhibition, Habitat for Artists, will offer temporary studio space and a collaborative exhibition project in repurposed structures in several locations in New Paltz. There will also be a benefit concert for Habitat for Artists and ecoartspace with Dar Williams and Nick Panasevich at 7 p.m. in McKenna Theatre on June 27 (tickets are $35 for front row and $25 for all other seats); a fishing trip and Wallkill River talk with artist Michael Asbill at 5 p.m. on June 28; and two evenings of gallery talks followed by artist performances: on July 23 beginning at 5:30 p.m., four exhibiting artists will discuss their work, and at 7 p.m., exhibiting artists Ryan Roa and Darren Jones will present their "Jones and Roa Expedition" project; on August 20, beginning at 5:30 p.m., four other exhibiting artists will discuss their work, and at 7 p.m., exhibiting artist Ryder Cooley will present her "Singing Tree" performance.

Suggested admission to museum is $5. A variety of public educational activities associated with the Art & The River project are planned throughout the summer and fall, including artist and curator lectures, docent-guided tours, school programs, field trips, readings, and musical events. For event details, reservations, accessibility, or directions, visit www.newpaltz.edu/museum or call (845) 257-3844.

Windows on Poughkeepsie will be auctioned

"Windows on Poughkeepsie," an exhibit by local artist Michael Asbill that has been featured at the Poughkeepsie Railroad Station since 2006, contains 84 images, which change, depending on the angle, from an old Poughkeepsie photo or drawing to a modern one of roughly the same subject. The art work, now at Locust Grove, will be auctioned later this year. More info is here.

Fireboat rides, light show & fireworks at Poughkeepsie waterfront

Celebrate Independence Day & the Quad on the Hudson River with a ride aboard a historic fireboat, then listen to a live band at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie. Dutchess County Tourism will offer hour-long cruises on the John J. Harvey, on Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4. (The band plays on Saturday only.)

Also on both nights, come at dusk to see the first-ever attempts to project a laser light display on the powerful wall of water sprayed by the JJ Harvey. Dutchess Tourism says this type of display has never been done before, but Dutchess County's Quadricentennial Committee has found a lighting specialist who's confident enough to take the plunge.

The boat tours leave from the Poughkeepsie Pier at Waryas Park on Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. & 6 p.m. Rides are first come, first served, with a limited number of passengers on board for each tour. There is no charge for the cruises but donations to Dutchess County Tourism are suggested.

The Michael Dell Orchestra will perform at Waryas from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, the 4th of July. Following Saturday's laser show, the City of Poughkeepsie will sponsor a fireworks display to honor the birthday of the United States of America. After the fireworks, look for more laser lights, in an experiment to synchronize the lights to music.

Here are more details from Dutchess Tourism:

Built in 1931, MV John J. Harvey, at 130 ft and 268 net tons, is among the most powerful fireboats ever in service. She has five 600 HP diesel engines, and has the capacity to pump 18,000 gallons of water a minute. Her pumps are powerful; enough so that when she and the George Washington Bridge were both brand new, she shot water over the bridge's roadway.

She was retired by the New York City Fire Department in 1994, but on September 11, 2001, she answered her nation's call when she fought the fires resulting from the terrorist strikes at the World Trade Center. First the crew evacuated some 150 people, and then tied up nearby to provide pumping capacity since hydrants were not working. She and her crew stayed on duty for 3 days, fighting fires for more than 80 hours. The JJ Harvey was bought at auction by her current owners in 1999, restored and placed on The National Register of Historic Places in June 2000.

There are no advance reservations for these tours. Note to women, do not wear high heels! Children ages 12 and under must wear a life preserver at all times while on the boat. Make sure your family takes advantage of this unique opportunity to explore Dutchess County’s wonderful assets, our rich history and natural scenic beauty.

Dutchess County Tourism hosts the JJ Harvey as it docks in Poughkeepsie. Sponsors are Central Hudson Gas & Electric Company, Poughkeepsie Journal, City of Poughkeepsie and the County of Dutchess. All proceeds will be applied to promoting tourism in Dutchess County. Dutchess County Tourism is a division of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation and is funded by the County of Dutchess. Visit www.Dutchess400.com for information.

If you cannot read the poster (above), click on it to make it larger.

'Windows on Poughkeepsie' is moving

Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers took just over an hour on Tuesday to remove “Windows on Poughkeepsie,” an exhibit by local artist Michael Asbill that has hung at the Poughkeepsie train station since 2006. Don't worry -- it's being reinstalled in another part of town until the individual panels are auctioned off to benefit Walkway Over the Hudson, The Dutchess County Arts Council and Locust Grove. You can read more about it in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Life Along the River: Hudson Valley images

View beautiful images of the Hudson River (like this one!) by Poughkeepsie Journal photographer Lee Ferris through July 30 at the Hyde Park Library Annex. For more information, please call 845-229-7791.

More River Day Flotilla images

It's nice to see that more folks have added great new photos to this collection of River Day Flotilla images. That amphicar on the Rondout is interesting ...

The images are online here at the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Hudson's riverfront festival on Saturday

The celebrations at the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park in Hudson continue all summer, including this Saturday with a Summer Solstice Celebration presented by the Columbia County Council on the Arts. A crafts fair takes place starting at 11 a.m., with a children's parade down Columbia Street at 3 p.m. A concert of traditional Andean music and dance with Yarina will be held from 5-8 p.m. It all takes place rain or shine under a tent at Riverfront Park.

Other upcoming events include the July 25-26 Namesake Celebration with tours of the Half Moon, concerts, and fireworks and light show and the August 2 Henry Hudson Quadathlon.

You can see all the events on the image attached here -- click on it to make it larger -- or visit www.cityofhudson.org.

Mark O'Connor to debut Quad Quartet

Grammy Award-winning violinist and composer Mark O'Connor returns to Riverspace in Nyack tomorrow for the local debut of a string quartet commissioned to celebrate the Hudson River Quadricentennial.

String Quartet No. 3 is called "Old Time." Like "Appalachia Waltz" - his best-known solo violin work, which he performed at Riverspace in 2007 - and the six-movement "American Symphony," the new piece paints a sweeping musical picture. You can read more in this article.

17 Perspectives of the Hudson River exhibit

The Albany Institute of History & Art will host a special exhibition of contemporary paintings, Different at Every Turn: Contemporary Painters of the Hudson River, featuring the work of 17 artists, each revealing a personal connection with a different aspect of the river, from July 3-Aug. 23. Artists include Robert Berlind, Creighton, Simon Gaon, Heidi Gluck, Susanna Heller, Bill Hochhausen, Yvonne Jacquette, Herbert Katzman, Ellen Kozak, Diana Kurz, Cynthia Mailman, Peter McCaffrey, Bill Murphy, Thomas Nelson, Susan Pyzow, Sylvia Sleigh, and Sidney Tillim.

To commemorate the Quad, the exhibit will also appear at locations such as the Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York, the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. At the Albany Institute, the exhibition will be hung in the museum’s Rice House Gallery.
 
The exhibit, according to its release:

conveys 17 distinct viewpoints of a single entity — from remembrances of September 11 to scenic natural vistas that speak to the intrusion of civilization on the river’s environs, rendered in styles as varied as abstraction and realism. The exhibition, according to its curator, Virginia Creighton, “gives us a diverse array of visual images, each a small event of illumination revealing different imaginative realities of the river. These works remind us that the Hudson River is a constantly changing and inspiring force.”

Enjoy Fishkill's historic & scenic sights from bike

The Fishkill Historical Society will sponsor a bike tour of "Olde Fishkill" on Sunday, June 21 with three different bicycle tours for three different skill levels. Each tour incorporates historic sites along the way. The family tour covers 0.6 miles of even terrain and visits 8 historic sites within the Village of Fishkill. This tour can also be easily walked. The medium tour covers 4 miles, with some hills and even terrain, and visits 15 historic sites in the Village and Town of Fishkill. The extended tour covers 24 miles, with some challenging hills, and visits 26 historic sites. This goes through the Village and Town of Fishkill as well as parts of Beacon. Sites will have receivers to briefly share information about the site.

A community picnic will follow at Van Wyck Homestead from 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Registration for the event begins at noon, and is free; donations are gratefully accepted.

Registration for the family and medium tours is at Van Wyck (Village) Hall, 1095 Main St. in Fishkill, and the extended tour registration is at Van Wyck Homestead, 504 Rt. 9 in Fishkill. Maps can be picked up at Town and Village Hall in Fishkill prior to the event, and at the registration locations the day of the event. Visit www.soundearth.com/BikeTour for more details.

Festival to mark Clearwater's 40th anniversary

This coming weekend - June 20-21 - Hudson River Sloop Clearwater will celebrate its 40th anniversary during its annual festival at Croton Point Park in Westchester. Dozens of bands and musicians, including founder Pete Seeger, are expected to perform while attendees enjoy food, vendors, crafts, warm breezes off the river and majestic views of its western shore. Read all about Clearwater and its anniversary in this article.

Flotilla schedule

Here is the latest River Day flotilla and land events schedule, from the state Quad commission. The state River Day Web site also carries updates.


JUNE 12 (Friday)-remain in Catskill/Hudson/Athens area for school groups until noon.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Castleton at 4 pm for special final night dinner, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs and fireworks sponsored by Coeymans Marine Terminal.
Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Launch 5 and Naval Militia at Castleton Boat Club, Half Moon, Harvey, and Cleveland, at Coeymans Marine Terminal/Brick Yard. Onrust will visit both locations.

JUNE 13 (Saturday)-depart Castleton at 11am. Parade by Schodack Park (www.schodack.org/quadri/HFCindex.htm) and Town of Bethlehem.
Arrival at 12:30 for Final Cannon Welcome and day-long celebrations
including Yankee Doodle Band at the Albany Yacht Club, Crailo State
Historic Site (http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=7)
sponsored Dutch exhibits and cuisine, Blessing of the Fleet at Albany
Yacht Club with local clergy including Dutch Reform minister and Native
American representative. Keith Pray Big Band will perform, BBQ style
foods, and tours of the Clearwater Sloop all at the Riverfront Park in
Rensselaer. The Half Moon will be in Albany, and Onrust in Rensselaer.


River Day Underway and Docking Schedule
(if no dock is indicated, none are needed as of 6/5/09)

*Ships listed in configuration order-Captains to follow ship listed
before your listing.
*Distance between ships will be 100 yards.
*Flotilla speed is 5 knots. If a ship must fall behind for any reason,
the flotilla will remain at 5 knots.

June 12, 12 to 4PM, Catskill/Athens/Hudson to Castleton (total 4 hours
underway)
Half Moon-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Clearwater -Castleton Boat Club
Onrust-Castleton Boat Club after visiting Coeymans Marine Terminal
John J Harvey-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Governor Cleveland Tug-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Naval Militia-Castleton Boat Club
Riverkeeper-Castleton Boat Club
Launch 5-Castleton Boat Club

June 13, 11AM to 12:30PM, Castleton to Rensselaer (total 1.5 hours
underway)
Half Moon-Albany
Clearwater-Rensselaer Park
Onrust-Albany Yacht Club
John J Harvey-Dutch Apple Cruises dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-Dutch Apple Cruises dock
Naval Militia-Albany Yacht Club
Riverkeeper-Rensselaer Park

Discover birds of the Hudson River

A free Hudson River shore bird walk linked to Quad celebrations will take place in Hyde Park Saturday morning. More info in this Poughkeepsie Journal story ...

Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival

Following all the River Days flotilla excitement ... the Beacon Sloop Club’s annual Strawberry Festival takes place, rain or shine, from 12-5pm Sunday June 14 at Riverfront Park in Beacon (very close to the Metro North Beacon Train Station).

Here is the club's message:

Our guests will hear live music and enjoy the best shortcake you have ever imagined --- locally grown strawberries made with home-made biscuits topped with real whipped cream --- while surrounded on three sides by the glorious Hudson River. There will be many treats such as strawberry smoothies, freshly made chocolate covered strawberries and other great foods. Many vendors will be on hand selling food and crafts, and a farmers’ market will offer freshly baked breads, vegetables and many other local items. Tanks of live fish and other river life will be on exhibition along with displays of local river history and environment. An area is also available with activities and musical performances for children throughout the festival.
For information on being a food or crafts vendor or booking an activist or environmental table please call 845-463-4660 or visit beaconsloopclub.org for an application.
The Woody Guthrie will be taking guests on free sails from the Beacon Harbor. The public may sign up for a free afternoon sail to experience the beauty, power and grandeur of the Hudson. Guests may sign up at the Beacon Sloop Club booth for one of the five free sails during the afternoon. Seating is limited so be sure to arrive early and sign up at the Beacon sloop Club table.
The music will be sublime with folksinger/activist Pete Seeger, Dan Einbender & His Kids, Melissa Ortquist & Karen Brooks, Dave King, Spook Handy, Driscoll & Smith, Howland Wolves, Cecilia St. King.
Admission is free to Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival. For additional festival info: (845) 831-6962, (845) 496-5617, www.beaconsloopclub.org
The Beacon Sloop Club is all volunteer and a non-profit organization. The BSC Strawberry Festival raises money for the public sailing program on the Woody Guthrie and other environmental education programs. There is never a charge for sailing aboard the Woody. The BSC meets the first Friday of each month at the clubhouse in Beacon, right on the river near the Metro-North train station, for a potluck dinner, business meeting and music. The public is always welcome.

River Day in Poughkeepsie

From the city of Poughkeepsie calendar of Quad events, for today:

June 10: River Day Flotilla (until 4 PM)

9:30 am - 5 pm Opening of Children's Exhibit: "Rivertown" (Mid-Hudson Children's Museum)

10 am - 10:20 am Dedication of Historic City Greenway Plaques, Village Hall (present-day Commissioner of Jurors Building)


10:20 am - 10:45 am Dedication of Historic City Greenway Plaques, Original Dutch Reformed Church Site (present-day Alex's Restaurant, corner of Main & Market Streets)
Rereading of "Prayer for Cessation of Conflict"(end of Revolutionary War)
- Official Opening of City of Poughkeepsie Urban Trail-Historic Sites
- Official Opening of City of Poughkeepsie Urban Parks Tour

10:45 Public Art Tour with Franc Palaia (begins at Alex's Restaurant)
11:00 am Lecture: Daryl David "Dutch Heritage Plantings and Poughkeepsie"
(River Station)
1:00 pm Geological walking tour of waterfront (Waryas Park / Kaal rock)

Flotilla heads to Poughkeepsie

The Onrust, a 17th-century Dutch replica, has left the Newburgh waterfront with the flotilla of boats that includes the Clearwater and the Half Moon, making its way up the Hudson River in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's trip up the waterway. You can read about it in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Latest Flotilla schedule

Here is the latest River Day flotilla and land events schedule, from the state Quad commission. The state River Day Web site also carries updates.

JUNE 8 (Monday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.
Jet fly-overs, West Point Band and other festivities.

JUNE 9 (Tuesday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.
Depart Beacon/Newburgh at 4 pm.
Arrival and cannon welcome (6pm) in Poughkeepsie area (www.Dutchess400.com) for festivities including ribbon cutting, music, Quadricentennial Show-Cake created by the Culinary Institute of America, and Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs.
Overnight for flagships-Poughkeepsie area, Rogers Point, and boat clubs.

JUNE 10 (Wednesday)-flagships remain in Poughkeepsie all day for educational activities.
Depart Poughkeepsie at 4pm sharp.
Parade by Hyde Park State Historic Sites.
Arrival and cannon welcome (6:30pm) in Kingston for celebration at the
Hudson River Maritime Museum (www.hrmm.org), and Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs.
Overnight for ships at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Historic Waterfront Museum docks.

JUNE 11 (Thursday)-remain in Kingston for school groups from 8 to 11am.
Parade by Saugerties Light House (around noon) for school groups.
Parade by Clermont State Historic Site.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Catskill/Hudson/Athens by 6pm with Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs. Catskill hosting celebration, barbeque and reception. Hudson hosting river-ribbon-cutting, music, and festivities. Athens hosting riverfront park party. Hudson-Athens Lighthouse hosting party (www.hudsonathenslighthouse.org).
Hudson Harbor Cruise featuring narrated dinner cruise (call 518-828-7884).
Overnight for flagships-Half Moon in Catskill, Clearwater in Hudson, and Onrust in Athens.

JUNE 12 (Friday)-remain in Catskill/Hudson/Athens area for school groups until noon.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Castleton at 4 pm for special final night dinner, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs and fireworks sponsored by Coeymans Marine Terminal.
Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Launch 5 and Naval Militia at Castleton Boat Club, Half Moon, Harvey, and Cleveland, at Coeymans Marine Terminal/Brick Yard. Onrust will visit both locations.

JUNE 13 (Saturday)-depart Castleton at 11am. Parade by Schodack Park (www.schodack.org/quadri/HFCindex.htm) and Town of Bethlehem.
Arrival at 12:30 for Final Cannon Welcome and day-long celebrations
including Yankee Doodle Band at the Albany Yacht Club, Crailo State
Historic Site (http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=7)
sponsored Dutch exhibits and cuisine, Blessing of the Fleet at Albany
Yacht Club with local clergy including Dutch Reform minister and Native
American representative. Keith Pray Big Band will perform, BBQ style
foods, and tours of the Clearwater Sloop all at the Riverfront Park in
Rensselaer. The Half Moon will be in Albany, and Onrust in Rensselaer.


River Day Underway and Docking Schedule
(if no dock is indicated, none are needed as of 6/5/09)

*Ships listed in configuration order-Captains to follow ship listed
before your listing.
*Distance between ships will be 100 yards.
*Flotilla speed is 5 knots. If a ship must fall behind for any reason,
the flotilla will remain at 5 knots.

June 8, no travel-most boats open for visitors and viewing in
Beacon/Newburgh docking areas.

June 9, 4PM to 7PM Newburgh to Poughkeepsie (total 3 hours underway)
Half Moon-Mariner's Harbor-to be confirmed/tentative (T)
Clearwater-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Mystic Whaler-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Onrust-Roger's Point, Hyde Park
Woody Guthrie-Roger's Point, Hyde Park
John J Harvey Fireboat- Hudson River Maritime Museum
Governor Cleveland Tug-same as above
Naval Militia- Pirate Canoe Club
Riverkeeper-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Launch 5-Pirate Canoe Club

June 10, 4PM to 7PM, Poughkeepsie to Kingston (total 3 hours underway)
Half Moon-Hudson River Maritime Museum dock
Clearwater-same as above
Onrust-same as above
John J Harvey Fireboat-Historic Kingston Waterfront Museum dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-same as above
Naval Militia-USCG Station, Saugerties
Riverkeeper-Hudson River Maritime Museum dock
Launch 5- Historic Kingston Waterfront Museum dock

June 11, 11AM to 5PM, Kingston to Catskill/Athens/Hudson (total 6 hours
underway)
Half Moon-Historic Catskill Point
Clearwater-Hudson City Marina
Onrust-Athens Marina
John J Harvey Fireboat- KOSCO, Catskill
Governor Cleveland Tug-Hudson City Dock
Naval Militia-Athens Marina (T)
Riverkeeper-Catskill Marina
Launch 5-Catskill City Dock

June 12, 12 to 4PM, Catskill/Athens/Hudson to Castleton (total 4 hours
underway)
Half Moon-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Clearwater -Castleton Boat Club
Onrust-Castleton Boat Club after visiting Coeymans Marine Terminal
John J Harvey-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Governor Cleveland Tug-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Naval Militia-Castleton Boat Club
Riverkeeper-Castleton Boat Club
Launch 5-Castleton Boat Club

June 13, 11AM to 12:30PM, Castleton to Rensselaer (total 1.5 hours
underway)
Half Moon-Albany
Clearwater-Rensselaer Park
Onrust-Albany Yacht Club
John J Harvey-Dutch Apple Cruises dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-Dutch Apple Cruises dock
Naval Militia-Albany Yacht Club
Riverkeeper-Rensselaer Park

Poughkeepsie art tour, dedication for Quad

Artist Franc Palaia will be offering his guided walking tour of the Public Art of Poughkeepsie on Wednesday morning (June 10) as part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial festivities.

Participants should meet at 10 a.m. at Alex's Restaurant at the corner of Market & Main Streets in the city of Poughkeepsie, where they will view another special event of the Quad: the dedication of the bronze sidewalk plaque that commemorates the original site of the Poughkeepsie City Hall. All are welcome and free coffee and refreshments will be served compliments of Alex's Restaurant.

After the dedication and coffee, Palaia's Public Art tour will begin at approximately 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. The tour takes two hours, however participants may leave at anytime during the tour.

Flotilla is underway!

The Flotilla is underway!

We have created an online gallery where you can share your photos of the ships making their way up the river.

Quad pullout section has events calendar

The Enjoy Entertainment Guide in today's Poughkeepsie Journal has a 4-page Quadricentennial pullout section with the schedule of events for Flotilla/River Days and other related Quad events ...

Rhinebeck's Quadricentennial float

Here's a photo of the Rhinebeck Memorial Day Parade Quadricentennial float designed by Gipson Design Group Inc., of Rhinebeck. The float features the art work of painter Olin Dows that adorns the walls of the Rhinebeck Post Office, as well as large images of Henry Hudson's Half Moon, Robert Fulton's first Steamship, and Rhinebeck's town seal. It is currently on display on the grounds of the Rhinebeck Town Hall.

Young Professionals to meet for Flotilla June 9

The Hub (Young Professionals of the Hudson Valley) will join in Poughkeepsie's River Day festivities on Tuesday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Grandview Waterfront (park in the lower lot below Shadows on the Hudson, Rinaldi Boulevard, Poughkeepsie). Bring a blanket and picnic basket.

“We’ve got the perfect spot to celebrate the river,” Beth Allee, chair of the Hub’s Events Committee, said in a release. “We’re encouraging young professionals throughout the Hudson Valley join us with their families and view what is expected to be hundreds of boats in the Great River Day Flotilla and see an antique plane fly-over by the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, too!”

The Hub, with more than 275 members who live, work and play in the Hudson Valley, is an organization founded by the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce with a group of like-minded individuals throughout the Hudson Valley, who gathered together to develop an informal peer networking organization that connects ambitious young professionals to the Hudson Valley’s unique cultural, recreational, social, volunteer and professional development opportunities.

Bridge Music & River Days on tap

The next Quadricentennial events in Dutchess County include the première of Joseph Bertolozzi's Bridge Music on Saturday, June 6 and the River Days great boat flotilla that arrives in Beacon on Sunday, June 7 and in Poughkeepsie on Tuesday, June 9. Visit www.Dutchess400.com for information.

Dutch ship Onrust heading to flotilla launch

The 50-foot Onrust, a replica of the first Dutch ship built in America in 1614, is headed to New York City to take part in the Quad flotilla. You can read about it in this article.

Lecture by Dutch stone house expert

John R. Stevens, author of Dutch Vernacular Architecture in North America, 1640-1830, will discuss the connection between the architecture of the Netherlands and its evolution in the New World, at 11 a.m. Saturday June 13 at the Persen House in Kingston. The lecture will cover all of New Netherland and how the early builders adapted local materials to the Dutch building tradition.

The Persen House, part of which is believed to date to the late 1650s, is one of the earliest stone houses built by Dutch settlers in this country. It will also be open to the public with guided tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Here is more from the news release:

Stevens’ book is said to be the most comprehensive examination to date of the houses, barns, and other structures dating from the time when New York was known as New Netherland. It is a scholarly work about a unique type of architecture that has been largely ignored by architects and historians. In 463 pages of drawings, photographs, and text, Stevens has crammed forty years of scholarship that Abbott Lowell Cummings, author of The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, calls “the achievement of a lifetime.” The book is published by The Society for the Preservation of Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture (HVVA), a not-for-profit based in West Hurley, NY, that has spent the last 10 years examining houses and barns from an era that began shortly after Henry Hudson “discovered” the region in 1609 through well into the 19th century, and covering a geographical area that extends from Long Island to Albany and beyond.

Rob Sweeney, Editor of HVVA’s newsletter, defines vernacular architecture as “the common way of building…a product of regional culture and tradition.” Hundreds of years before the Vanderbilts and Astors built their castles along the Hudson—which some have called the “McMansions” of their day—the Dutch, and later German and English settlers, built modest homes and barns whose architectural roots can be traced directly back to Medieval Europe. For more information about the book and HVVA (which charges its members just $20 a year and includes its newsletter), go to http://www.hvva.org. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 202, West Hurley, NY 12491 USA.

Stevens’ talk is the first of a series of Persen House events that are currently being planned as part of the Hudson-Fulton Quadricentennial Celebration. The talk is also an effort to expand interest in the Persen House and its possible future as a regional heritage center about the Dutch in colonial America. The exterior of the Persen House has been restored by Ulster County. Much of the interior is unfinished, part of it intentionally so that visitors can see how the building evolved over time. The public is invited to tour the house this summer on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm.

June 5-13 Flotilla schedule update

Here is the latest River Day flotilla and land events schedule, from the state Quad commission. The state River Day Web site also carries updates.

RIVER DAY SCHEDULE UPDATE 5/30/09

JUNE 5 (Friday)-evening River Day "launch" celebration in New York Harbor.
"Harbor Night" with the Blessing of the Fleet, the awarding of the "Medal of Discovery", and festivities at Battery Park.
6pm-Ship assembly in front of Liberty Island and muster for photo op in the harbor against the Manhattan skyline.
6:30pm Blessing of the Fleet at Battery Park with Governor Paterson and special guests.

JUNE 6 (Saturday)-early morning with 7:15am pick-up of dignitaries and press at various overnight docking locations and Circle Line at 42nd Street.
9am start of flotilla at Statue of Liberty joined by some of our River Day sponsors: Circle Line, Water Taxi, Classic Harbor Line, SeaTow, Discover Boating, North Cove Yacht Club, NYS Canal Corporation and River Day Safety Vessel-Launch Five.
Parade by Harlem, Cloisters, Yonkers, and Hudson River Museum.
Arrival in Tarrytown and Nyack area around 5-6pm for cannon welcome and ringing of church bells, festivities and fireworks. Fireworks Program - Adjacent to Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow, 9 pm. For info: www.westchestertourism.com and www.rockland.org
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs (www.oldrhinebeck.org). Overnight for flagships-Onrust and Woody at Nyack Boat Club, all others in vicinity of Tarrytown and Piermont.

JUNE 7 (Sunday)-departure at 8am.
Arrival in Haverstraw, Croton and Ossining by 11am for midday celebration, leaving Haverstraw by 2pm sharp.
Parade by Stony Point, Peekskill, and other communities.
Parade by West Point to 16 cannon salute.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Newburgh/Beacon around 6pm.
Newburgh hosting music, Dutch singers and festivities (http://cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/HFC/NewburghBay.htm).
Long Dock Beacon-Scenic Hudson hosting Welcome the Fleet Festival (www.scenichudson.org) with music and cuisine. Beacon Sloop Club and City of Beacon hosting music and festivities.
Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Mystic, and Woody in Beacon; Half Moon, Harvey and Cleveland in Newburgh. Onrust TBA.

JUNE 8 (Monday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.
Jet fly-overs, West Point Band and other festivities.

JUNE 9 (Tuesday)-flagships stay in Beacon/Newburgh for educational programs all day.
Depart Beacon/Newburgh at 4 pm.
Arrival and cannon welcome (6pm) in Poughkeepsie area (www.Dutchess400.com) for festivities including ribbon cutting, music, Quadricentennial Show-Cake created by the Culinary Institute of America, and Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs.
Overnight for flagships-Poughkeepsie area, Rogers Point, and boat clubs.

JUNE 10 (Wednesday)-flagships remain in Poughkeepsie all day for educational activities.
Depart Poughkeepsie at 4pm sharp.
Parade by Hyde Park State Historic Sites.
Arrival and cannon welcome (6:30pm) in Kingston for celebration at the Hudson River Maritime Museum (www.hrmm.org), and Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs.
Overnight for ships at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Historic Waterfront Museum docks.

JUNE 11 (Thursday)-remain in Kingston for school groups from 8 to 11am.
Parade by Saugerties Light House (around noon) for school groups.
Parade by Clermont State Historic Site.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Catskill/Hudson/Athens by 6pm with Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs. Catskill hosting celebration, fireworks, barbeque and reception. Hudson hosting river-ribbon-cutting, music, and festivities. Athens hosting riverfront park party. Hudson-Athens Lighthouse hosting party (www.hudsonathenslighthouse.org).
Hudson Harbor Cruise having narrated dinner cruise (call 518-828-7884).
Overnight for flagships-Half Moon in Catskill, Clearwater in Hudson, and Onrust in Athens.

JUNE 12 (Friday)-remain in Catskill/Hudson/Athens area for school groups until noon.
Arrival and cannon welcome in Castleton at 4 pm for special final night dinner, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome antique plane fly-overs and fireworks sponsored by Coeymans Marine Terminal.
Overnight for flagships-Clearwater, Launch 5 and Naval Militia at Castleton Boat Club, Half Moon, Harvey, Cleveland, and Onrust at Coeymans Marine Terminal/Brick Yard.

JUNE 13 (Saturday)-depart Castleton at 11am. Parade by Schodack Park (www.schodack.org/quadri/HFCindex.htm) and Town of Bethlehem.
Arrival at 12:30 for Final Cannon Welcome and day-long celebrations including Yankee Doodle Band at the Albany Yacht Club, Crailo State Historic Site (http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=7)
sponsored Dutch exhibits and cuisine, Blessing of the Fleet at Albany Yacht Club with local clergy including Dutch Reform minister. Keith Pray Big Band will be perform, BBQ style foods, and tours of the Clearwater Sloop all at the Riverfront Park in Rensselaer. The Half Moon will be in Albany, and Onrust in Rensselaer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------

River Day Flotilla Underway and Docking Schedule
(if no dock is indicated, none are needed as of 5/30/09)

*Ships listed in configuration order-Captains to follow ship listed before your listing.
*Distance between ships will be 100 yards.
*Flotilla speed is 5 knots.
*If a ship must fall behind for any reason, the flotilla will remain at 5 knots.

June 5, 6:30PM, Battery Park, "Harbor Night" and Blessing of the Fleet
(Launch celebration for River Day)
Half Moon-anchored @Bay Ridge Flats
Clearwater-Chelsea Piers
Mystic Whaler-79th Street
*Onrust-TBA
John J Harvey Fireboat-Pier 66
Governor Cleveland Tug-Pier 66
Naval Militia- Sandy Hook Pilot Station
Riverkeeper-North Cove Marina
Launch 5-North Cove

June 6, 9AM-4PM, NYC to Tappan area (total 7 hours underway)
*8:15AM meet-up at KV Buoy
Half Moon-Piermont Pier
Clearwater -Tarrytown Boat Club
Mystic Whaler-Tarrytown Boat Club
*for configuration insert the Shearwater, Clipper City, Adirondack, and Manhattan
Onrust-Nyack Boat Club
Woody Guthrie-Nyack Boat Club
John J Harvey Fireboat
Governor Cleveland Tug-Hudson Harbor
Naval Militia-Viking Marina
Riverkeeper-Peterson's dock, Nyack
*for configuration-insert the Circle Line Cruiser, Water Taxi, Discover Boating
Seatow
Launch 5-Hudson Harbor
*The following boats will return to NYC and do not need overnight or docking accommodations.
Shearwater
Clipper City
Adirondack
Manhattan
Circle Line Cruiser
Water Taxi
Discover Boating
Seatow

June 7, 8AM to 11AM and 2PM to 6PM, Tappan Area to Newburgh/Beacon with midday stop in Haverstraw, Croton, and Ossining (total 7 hours underway)
*Midday Stop-Half Moon will lay hull near Croton Point; 3 masted ships in the Haverstraw Basin; Naval Militia, Harvey, Cleveland and Launch 5 in Ossining. *underway at 2PM sharp!
Half Moon-Town Pier, Newburgh
Clearwater-Beacon Ferry Dock (N)
Mystic Whaler-Beacon Ferry Dock (S)
Onrust-TBA
Woody Guthrie-Beacon Sloop Club
John J Harvey Fireboat-MTA Dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-Front Street Marina, Newburgh
Naval Militia-Viking Marina
Riverkeeper -Peterson's dock, Nyack
Launch 5-Beacon Point
*WestPoint cruisers (2)

June 8, no travel-most boats open for visitors and viewing in Beacon/Newburgh docking areas.

June 9, 4PM to 7PM Newburgh to Poughkeepsie (total 3 hours underway)
Half Moon-Mariner's Harbor-to be confirmed/tentative (T)
Clearwater-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Mystic Whaler-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Onrust-Roger's Point, Hyde Park
Woody Guthrie-Roger's Point, Hyde Park
John J Harvey Fireboat-Waryus Park Barge Dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-same as above
Naval Militia- Pirate Canoe Club
Riverkeeper-Poughkeepsie Pier, Waryus Park
Launch 5-Pirate Canoe Club

June 10, 4PM to 7PM, Poughkeepsie to Kingston (total 3 hours underway)
Half Moon-Hudson River Maritime Museum dock
Clearwater-same as above
Onrust-same as above
John J Harvey Fireboat-Historic Kingston Waterfront Museum dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-same as above
Naval Militia-USCG Station, Saugerties
Riverkeeper-Hudson River Maritime Museum dock
Launch 5- Historic Kingston Waterfront Museum dock

June 11, 11AM to 5PM, Kingston to Catskill/Athens/Hudson (total 6 hours underway)
Half Moon-Historic Catskill Point
Clearwater-Hudson City Marina
Onrust-Athens Marina
John J Harvey Fireboat- Historic Kingston Waterfront Museum dock
Governor Cleveland Tug-Hudson City Dock
Naval Militia-Athens Marina (T)
Riverkeeper-Catskill Marina
Launch 5-Catskill City Dock

June 12, 12 to 4PM, Catskill/Athens/Hudson to Castleton (total 4 hours underway)
Half Moon-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Clearwater -Castleton Boat Club
Onrust-Coeymans Marine Terminal
John J Harvey-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Governor Cleveland Tug-Coeymans Marine Terminal
Naval Militia-Castleton Boat Club
Riverkeeper-Castleton Boat Club
Launch 5-Castleton Boat Club

June 13, 11AM to 12:30PM, Castleton to Rensselaer (total 1.5 hours underway)
Half Moon-Albany
Clearwater-Rensselaer Park
Onrust-Albany Yacht Club
Governor Cleveland Tug-TBA
Naval Militia-TBA
Riverkeeper-TBA
Launch 5

June 7 Beacon festival to greet flotilla

On Sunday, June 7, Scenic Hudson will host a waterfront festival in Beacon to highlight its land-preservation initiative Save the Land That Matters. The festival will include live music, other entertainment and outdoors recreation, and the arrival of the Quadricentennial flotilla led by several tall ships.

Here is Scenic Hudson's message:

Fun, Inspiring Celebration of Quad Land Campaign Legacy

Festival with music, games and food also will welcome Quadricentennial flotilla and feature trail dedication to honor Hudson Valley Hero Klara Sauer


WHAT: This year during celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s sail up the river that now bears his name, Scenic Hudson is creating a legacy to benefit communities and residents of the region long after the fireworks have ended. Its campaign to Save the Land That Matters Most is the biggest land-preservation initiative in the valley’s history. Scenic Hudson is collaborating with fellow land trusts, government, individuals and business to protect 65,000 acres. The campaign is saving ridgelines, forests, wetlands, working farms and more – some of which will become new parks – and all will contribute powerfully to the region’s quality of life, economy and health. This Sunday Scenic Hudson will host a fun-packed festival to highlight the urgency of its campaign and will showcase visuals that powerfully convey recent land success stories up and down the valley.

During the festival a Quadricentennial flotilla will reach Scenic Hudson’s property on the Beacon waterfront. The flotilla will be led by several tall ships. Privately owned vessels will join along the way as the flotilla departs from New York Harbor on its upriver journey. The flotilla’s biggest tall ship, the Clipper City, will fly a Scenic Hudson flag to symbolize the group’s Saving the Land That Matters Most campaign and its importance to the river and the valley. To greet the flotilla Scenic Hudson has organized a festival with live music by The Kids from Room 12, nopresha, and The Big Takeover. Hudson Talbott, children’s book author, will provide a storytelling session. There also will be free kayak and bike rentals, volleyball, hula hooping and a community art project. Vendors will be offering a delicious assortment of food and drink – everything else is free.

Scenic Hudson also will dedicate a waterfront trail in Beacon to honor Klara Sauer, who during a 20-year tenure (1979-1999) as Scenic Hudson’s executive director created powerful achievements for the Hudson Valley. Under her leadership Scenic Hudson protected 14,500 acres of awe-inspiring landscapes and created 19 parks for public enjoyment. She also initiated Scenic Hudson’s farmland protection program and was instrumental in securing Congressional designation of the valley as a National Heritage Area. Also during her captaining of Scenic Hudson, the group led efforts with allies to get General Electric to cleanup toxic PCBs it dumped in the Hudson River. That cleanup finally began in May 2009.

WHO: Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson
Klara Sauer, former executive director of Scenic Hudson
Hundreds and hundreds of festival-goers

WHEN: Sunday, June 7; Klara Sauer Trail dedication from 1-2 p.m.; Welcome the Fleet Festival from 2-7 p.m.; Scenic Hudson president Ned Sullivan welcome to guests with land campaign highlights from 3:15-3:25 p.m.

WHERE: Scenic Hudson’s Beacon waterfront property – From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, 1.8 miles south on Rte. 9D, right on Beekman St., right on Red Flynn Dr. (over railroad tracks), immediate left on Long Dock Rd.
Mass transit – Free ferry service from Newburgh and discounted Metro-North fares. Park is short walk from Beacon train station and ferry landing.

RSVP now for June 9 River Day dinner-dance

A reminder that the reservation deadline is coming up for the June 9 River Day dinner-dance celebration at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion, to benefit Walkway Over the Hudson. The event should offer a great view of the the Halfmoon, the Clearwater, and the rest of the Quadricentennial Flotilla as they arrive in Poughkeepsie.

Walkway Over the Hudson is the nonprofit leading the effort to the transform the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into the world’s longest elevated pedestrian park.

The $40 admission charge covers dinner by Lola’s Café and beer and wine donated by Mahoney’s Irish Pub. (Children under 10 years old will be admitted free.) Music will be provided by a popular area DJ and fun activities are planned. Reservations are required as seating is limited. To reserve seats please visit www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649.

In response to questions the Quad Blog has received about this event, a Walkway spokesman says the group is not planning fireworks for that evening. There is a public access dock at Waryas Park for small craft near the Ice House but not at the Pavilion itself. More information about the event is in this earlier Quad Updates blog post.

“Bindlestick” in Beacon June 13

Bill Fiore, also known as “Bindlestick,” will present a program of songs, jokes, and stories about the Hudson River at 11 a.m. Saturday June 13 at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon. The program is part of the center’s year-long Quadricentennial commemoration.

Here is their release:

“Bindlestick” is a traveling troubadour who walks into towns all along the Hudson River and sets up camp. With his black hat slightly tilted to one side and his bindlestick resting on his right shoulder, Bill Fiore gathers young and old together for song and laughter. His original songs, containing educational concepts, are reminiscent of long ago with a blend of folk, jazz, ragtime, and a touch of the blues. This event is Bill Fiore’s third return to the Howland Cultural Center and his program will feature songs and stories about the Hudson River. If one listens carefully, you might overhear “Bindlestick” talking with his traveling companion, “Professor Sock-ra-tease.” Sockratease loves to share his extensive knowledge about the River; it’s hard to believe that a sock monkey could be so smart!

For more than twenty years, “Bindlestick” has entertained, amused, and enlightened audiences. He has performed with Pete Seeger, at Pier 40 in New York City, and with Tom Chapin during several Earth Day celebrations. Although big crowds can be fun for “Bindlestick”, his favorite concerts continue to be small gatherings at local libraries, art centers, bookstores, children’s museums, and train stations.

In keeping with the Howland Cultural Center’s mission of providing families with affordable events for children, this program is also FREE for children, but they must be accompanied by an adult. Adults may bring as many children as they wish for an adult ticket of $8.00.

A reception for children to meet “Bindlestick” will take place following the performance.

The Howland Cultural Center is located at the east end of Main Street in Beacon. For further information and/or directions, please call 845-831-4988.

See flotilla at Clermont on June 11

The Flotilla on the Hudson, a parade of ships from New York City to Albany in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river that bears his name, will go past Clermont State Historic Site (just north of Tivoli and the Dutchess-Columbia county border) around noon on June 11. It will be led by flagships Half-Moon, Clearwater, Cleveland, Harvey, and Onrust. This would be a nice spot to watch it.

Here are more details from the historic site:

The Relay Flotilla begins on June 6 in New York City and will reach its destination on June 13. Boat and yacht clubs along the way will send out their members to join the Flotilla as it heads north. As part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, on June 11 the Relay Flotilla will be paying its respects to Clermont State Historic Site, the historic home of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, collaborator of Robert Fulton in the famed 1807 steamboat, the North River (popularly known as the Clermont) and a stop on the steamboat's maiden voyage.

Picnickers are welcome to witness this historic event from the grounds and share an exceptional view of the Flotilla free-of-charge at this afternoon sail-by. At 11:30 a.m., curator Ashley Hopkins-Benton will be giving a family-friendly talk on the 1909 Hoopla on the Hudson celebration and comparing it to the 2009 celebrations. Tours of the mansion will be offered for $5 per adult, $4 for seniors and free for children 12 and under beginning at 11 a.m. and running until 4 p.m. More information is at this Web site.

Champlain's legacy

Vermont Public Radio is looking at the legacy of Samuel de Champlain, as the Quad is just as much about the 400th anniversary of his exploration of the lake that bears his name as it is about Henry Hudson's exploration of the Hudson River and Robert Fulton's pioneering development of the steamboat.

Here is the station's report on one person who is taking part in the "Quadricentennial Voyage: In Search of Samuel de Champlain's France," a ten-day journey for friends of Burlington City Arts.

Poughkeepsie Shipyards theater project photos

Here is a slide show and an article from the Poughkeepsie Journal about the Poughkeepsie Shipyards waterfront theater project that we wrote about last week.

River Day Dance

Walkway Over the Hudson, the group working to turn the Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge into a pedestrian park, hopes to raise money for the project with a dinner-dance June 9 at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion (which has views of the project.)

Here is the group's release about the event:

When the Halfmoon, the Clearwater, and the rest of the Quadricentennial Flotilla arrive in Poughkeepsie on Tuesday, June 9, hundreds of Walkway Over the Hudson supporters are expected to cheer them on from the River Day Dance celebration at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion.

Walkway Over the Hudson, the nonprofit leading the effort to the transform the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into the world’s longest elevated pedestrian park, is hosting the dinner-dance fundraiser from 5-8 p.m. at the Pavilion located at 75 North Water Street along the City of Poughkeepsie’s northern waterfront.

“This will be a wonderful opportunity for Walkway supporters to dine and dance along the Poughkeepsie waterfront while watching the Quadricentennial Flotilla arrive from a great vantage point at the Children’s Museum Pavilion,” said Walkway Executive Director Amy Husten. “And they’ll be helping Walkway Over the Hudson raise funds for its capital campaign in the shadow of the railroad bridge. It’s the perfect event.”

The $40 admission charge covers dinner by Lola’s Café and beer and wine donated by Mahoney’s Irish Pub. (Children under 10 years old will be admitted free.) Music will be provided by a popular area DJ and raffles and other fun activities are planned. Reservations are required as seating is limited. To reserve seats please visit www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649.

With construction now underway on both sides of the Hudson River, crews have been making steady progress laying concrete panels and installing railings along the 1.25-mile former railroad bridge and are expected to finish the core project in September, 2009.

When the Walkway Over the Hudson is completed it will become the longest elevated pedestrian park in the world and serve as the Mid-Hudson Valley’s legacy project for New York State’s Quadricentennial Celebration. At that point, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation plans to begin managing the Walkway as a new state park. A grand opening celebration is planned for the weekend of Oct. 2, 2009. For more information about the Walkway Over the Hudson project and upcoming activities please visit www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649 for more information.

Life Along the Hudson photo exhibit

From June 20 to October 4, the Albany Institute of History & Art welcomes Life Along the Hudson: Photographs by Joseph Squillante, a collection of more than 30 black-and-white images portraying the artist’s devotion to the river’s natural beauty and to preserving its bountiful resources.

Here is more about the artist from a release for the exhibit:

Joseph Squillante has spent the past three decades traveling the entire length of the Hudson. Like the Hudson River School landscape painters before him, some of his photographs capture the beauty and romantic quality of the river, while others focus on people who live and work along its shores.
 
Just as the photographs of the Adirondacks by Seneca Ray Stoddard in the late 1800s aided in the designation of the area as a state park, Squillante’s photographs of the Hudson River have raised public awareness of the river’s importance. His commitment to helping transform the Hudson into a cleaner and more esteemed natural resource has earned him the respect of the Hudson River community. He has worked closely with the Riverkeeper organization, receiving its River Rat Award in 1997; with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger; and with Scenic Hudson, which gave him its 2005 Hudson Valley Hero Award. Three additional images by Squillante, including a portrait of Seeger, are included within the Albany Institute’s current exhibition, Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture.
 
Although he has seen much ugliness on the Hudson—including chemical discharge, oil spills, and industrial plant explosions—Squillante has kept his lens trained on the river’s natural splendor. “It’s the beauty that matters,” he said. “That’s what makes people aware of this national treasure. My whole mission is to raise awareness of the beauty of the river through photography.”

Commemorative Quad Wine Label

A Quadricentennial commemorative wine label will brand special 2009 releases of Hudson Valley wine. The Hudson Valley Wine Goddess has more about it on her blog.

2009 River Summit

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 River Summit, which will take place on Monday, June 8 at The Thayer Hotel at West Point, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Discussion will focus on revitalizing and sustaining the river valley environment for the benefit of all its residents.

Organized by the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, the event is co-sponsored by Historic Hudson River Towns, Clearwater, Hudson River Foundation, Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, The Hudson River Environmental Society, The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, The Nature Conservancy and others.

Other speakers will include Katie Dolan, The Nature Conservancy; Frances Dunwell, NYS DEC; Roland Lewis, The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance; Barney Molloy, Historic Hudson River Towns; Alex Matthiessen, Riverkeeper; Jeff Rumpf, Clearwater; Ned Sullivan, Scenic Hudson; Dennis Suszkowski, Hudson River Foundation; and Jim Tierney, NYS DEC.

Advance registration is required due to space limitations. The cost per person is $30 and includes all sessions and lunch. To register, call Historic Hudson River Towns at 914-232-6583.

For more information about the River Summit, e-mail hrep@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call 845-256-3016. For directions to The Thayer Hotel, go to www.thethayerhotel.com or call 845-446-4731.

The Poughkeepsie Shipyards and The Revolutionary War

The Simon Studio in association with the City of Poughkeepsie will present the world premier of The Poughkeepsie Shipyards and The Revolutionary War at 3:15 p.m. May 26 (a Tuesday) in the parking lot at Shadow's restaurant on Rinaldi Boulevard, near Poughkeepsie's waterfront.

Here are the details from the release:

Sponsored by Marshall and Sterling, St. Francis Hospital, the Grandview and Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, this special Quadricentennial event will be presented one time only on TUESDAY, MAY 26 at 3:15 pm as an historical military pageant on Poughkeepsie's Hudson River waterfront at Ship Yard Point.  Admission is free and open to the public. 

As an added note of interest, it will be performed outdoors in the parking lot of Shadows Restaurant - just north of the ship yard's original historical site where the play's 18th century story actually unfolded. 

Written by Nicholas Conti of Beacon, it is directed and produced by Roger Hendricks Simon, artistic director of THE SIMON STUDIO in NYC and Poughkeepsie.  Mr. Simon has been associated with the NY Shakespeare Festival, Yale Rep and London's Royal Court Theatre. 

This performance celebrates a pivotal chapter of local, NY state and national history - the building and activity associated with the Revolutionary War Continental Congress Ship Yards at "Ship Yard Point" in Poughkeepsie. 

Nancy Cozean, chair of the Celebration Committee, coordinator of the event and former mayor of Poughkeepsie, said, "This pageant is one of the real highlights of our Quad celebration.  I am constantly amazed at the rich history of our City, but this event embodies a decisive moment in our state and nation's history." 

Director Simon adds that the performance's location is a thematic key.  "I wanted to stage this pageant on the actual site where the events actually occurred rather than in a traditional theater.  That way we truly feel like we're reliving our history.  Those 18th century events were real drama.  Then as now we felt under seige and in real danger.  The British were the terrorists then." 

Included in the pageant will be Revolutionary War drills and members of our military services.  The US Coast Guard Cutter, The Sturgeon Bay, The Navy Heritage Center in Washington, D.C., the US Military Academy Band, The Hellcats from West Point along with the NYS Navy Militia and a historic replica of a revolutionary boat from New Jersey will participate and be part of a flotilla of ships in the river as a back drop to the event.  A unique cast of both professional and local actors, singers, musicians and civic leaders will be joined by the Kreiger School Colonialists and the area Continental Army and Zuavaes along with military, city, state and national leaders as well. 

In particular Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyak and Colonel James Johnson among others will participate in the pageant's Grand Finale - the dedication ceremony of a plaque commemorating the historical ship yards. 
Cast members include Tyler Barden, Steve Wing, Peter Leonard, Ralph Cashen, Lora Lee Ecobelli, Peter Bedrosian, Doug Nobiletti, Brett Owen, Rob Rondon, Ron and Gloria Robbins, Peter Walker and members of the Walker Family Band.  Associate Director is Blair Wing and Stage Manager is Teresa Gasparini. 

This is the third in a series of PUBLIC THEATRE site specific original historical dramas produced by THE SIMON STUDIO and the City of Poughkeepsie.  Each production uniquely combined professional actors with local civic, community and political leaders reflecting the historical roles they played. 

The first was THE DECIDING VOTE - about the ratification of the US Constitution in 1787 Poughkeepsie and produced at the Dutchess County Courthouse - the actual historical site of the event.  Next came LAND OF THE FREE - about the Amistad trials and commemorating the underground railroad movement in the Poughkeepsie area.  That performance was presented outdoors in Waryas Park and used the docked Amistad ship museum and the Hudson River as its backdrop. 

For further information on this Revolutionary Pageant call THE SIMON STUDIO at 845-485-9829 or 212-841-0204 or rhsstudio@hotmail.com/www.simonstudio.com.

River photo contest April winner!

Richard Krutick has won both first place and honorable mention in the Poughkeepsie Journal's Quadricentennial Photo Contest for April. Read about the photographer and see his outstanding images at the Hudson Happenings Web site.

Ulster County's June events

Here's news from the Ulster County Quadricentennial Arts Celebration Committee about Quad-related activities in Ulster County during June:

On the evening of June 10, a flotilla of heritage ships en route from New York City to Albany will sail up the Rondout Creek, approximately 90 miles north of Manhattan, and dock along the Kingston waterfront. The ships, which include replicas of Henry Hudson’s Half Moon and a Dutch 17th-century sloop, will retrace the English navigator’s epoch-making voyage 400 years ago up the river that bears his name.

Two tugboats and a World War II PT boat will escort the ships, whose entrance will be greeted by booming cannon and clanging church bells. A vintage trolley will convey viewers out to a riverside park. Later in the evening, renowned old-time folk musicians Jay Unger and Molly Mason will perform at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, resurrecting the sounds of a lost era. The free performance will be broadcast live on public radio station WAMC. The next morning, the ships will depart, continuing their voyage north in a retracing of Hudson’s voyage.

Three days later, on June 13, the Senate House State Historic Site, located in Kingston’s Stockade district, will host a colonial Dutch festival. Here and at other historic venues, there will be exhibits of documents in the original Dutch and other memorabilia form the colonial period and displays of Native American implements dating back hundreds of years. Visitors can also tour historic stone houses and observe encampments from the Civil and Revolutionary wars.

But it’s not just history that will celebrated. Ulster County is also home to one of the nation’s most vibrant arts community, which will be contributing playful and provocative interpretations of Hudson's voyage and the river he made famous in numerous art exhibits and outdoor sculpture shows. Opening on Saturday, June 13 and running through October, is a display of “memorials” to the English navigator at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild entitled “Ahoy! Where Lies Henry Hudson?” They are being crafted by 12 selected architects out of environmentally sensitive materials and refer to a mystery: after 1609 on a subsequent voyage, Hudson was set adrift in a rowboat off the coast of Labrador after his men mutinied and was never seen again. The works will be displayed on the forested grounds of the historic art colony, whose rusticated buildings were built at the turn of the last century on a mountainside overlooking Woodstock.

A 20-minute drive away, in the village of Saugerties, visitors will discover a delightful surprise in the classic retro American downtown: 45 carousel horses, each painted and decorated by a different artist, perched along the sidewalks. While the flotilla of ships leaving Kingston June 11 will not stop in Saugerties, they’ll get a welcome anyway, with representatives of the village planning to canoe out into the river to wave “hello.”

For complete information, visit the website at www.hudsonriver400.org. While visiting the site enter the TomTom giveaway for a GPS device that will help you find your way around, and check out the list of participating restaurants and lodgings offering Quad specials. The Ulster County Quadricentennial Arts Celebration Committee, which is overseeing the marketing of Quad events, received funding for its efforts from the Cultural Tourism Initiative, a project of the Arts and Business Council of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Tour Poughkeepsie's waterfront homes

The Dutchess County Historical Society will celebrate the Quad and three centuries of waterfront living in Poughkeepsie during this year's Silver Ribbon House Tour.

Each participant will receive a map with information about the tour's 11 sites, and may explore during the day at his or her own pace. This will be the first time the tour, which takes place June 6, has been held in Poughkeepsie since 1994.

Cost is $40 for Dutchess County Historical Society members; $45 for nonmembers; $50 on the day of the tour. More information is in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Half Moon Tours

Half Moon Tours - open to the public 12-5 Sun. 5/24 and Mon. 5/25 at Waryas Park. Tickets can be purchased in advance. Limited capacity, first come, first served.

Dutch Heritage Day in Poughkeepsie

The Poughkeepsie Plaza at 2600 South Road, Route 9, will host a Dutch Heritage Day on May 30 from noon to 5 p.m. The plaza is still seeking exhibitors or any individuals who have something to share about the heritage of this area or about early the Dutch settlers.

More info is in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Walkway airs on Project Xtreme

The Walkway Over the Hudson will be featured on the DIY Network series Project Xtreme this week.

Here is the announcement from the Walkway folks:

Walkway Featured on DIY’s ‘Project Xtreme’ May 19
Walkway Episode to be Aired Four Times

HIGHLAND, N.Y.—Fans of Walkway Over the Hudson and the DIY Network will have a lot to cheer about at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 when the Walkway is featured on the network’s popular series, Project Xtreme. The debut airing of the 30-minute show chronicles host Matt Blashaw’s efforts to assist construction workers precariously perched 212 feet above the Hudson River.

“This is a marvelous opportunity for the community to see the Walkway under construction on national television,” said Walkway Chairman Fred Schaeffer.

The episode will air four times altogether: May 19 at 10 p.m., May 20 at 2 a.m., May 26 at 10 p.m., and May 27 at 2 a.m.

With cameras rolling and temperatures near freezing last November, Blashaw joined workers from the Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors company conducting steel repairs and placing concrete decking panels on the 120-year-old structure that spans the Hudson River between the City of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Lloyd. Harrison & Burrowes of Glennville, New York is serving as the general contractor for the Walkway Over the Hudson project, which is scheduled to be completed by September, 2009 in time for the park to serve as the legacy project for the state’s Quadricentennial Celebration.

“We want our viewers to experience what an extreme project is all about,” said Ross Babbit, director of programming at DIY Network. “The Walkway project certainly is extreme!”

Project Xtreme takes viewers behind the scenes of perilous projects and introduces them to the trained professionals who take on these tough tasks. Blashaw shows just how challenging jobs—including scaling the side of a Chicago high-rise to construct a building using plywood and concrete and giving Disney Cruise Line’s inaugural ship a required facelift—can be and what it’s like for the people who do them every day.

“This will share our vision for the future Walkway Over the Hudson park with DIY’s millions of viewers throughout the world, which is especially important while we are in the midst of a focused capital campaign to raise funds to support the project,” said Walkway Executive Director Amy Husten, referring to the project’s ongoing fundraising drive. “What’s more, we think the show will help to introduce the world to the beauty and the grandeur of the Mid-Hudson Valley.”

The $35.5 million Walkway Over the Hudson project broke ground on May 27, 2008 under an expedited 15-month construction schedule. Construction at the site has progressed smoothly and on schedule as Harrison & Burrows’ crews have installed almost half of the nearly 900 prefabricated concrete panels that will be needed to serve as the 1.25-mile long Walkway’s new deck. Meanwhile, steel repairs are being conducted as railings and other amenities are being installed simultaneously in an effort to maintain the ambitious construction schedule.

For more information about Walkway Over the Hudson visit www.walkway.org or call the office at 845-454-9649.

Poughkeepsie Early American festival

An Early American festival will take place on Sunday as part of the City of Poughkeepsie’s Quadricentennial celebrations. A native American prayer ceremony, a community mural project, displays, lectures, and public tours on the replica of explorer Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon, will be part of it. More information is in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Millbrook Book Festival has Quad theme

Don't forget the Millbrook Book Festival, which takes place tonight and Saturday with panel discussions, book signings and even a parade. This year's theme? The 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's journey up the river that now bears his name. Speakers include author Frances Dunwell, who will discuss her book The Hudson: America's River at 7 p.m. tonight.

The free event will take place at several locations in the village today and Saturday. More information is in this Poughkeepsie Journal article.

Find MORE Quad events!

Where can you find more Quad activities in our region? Go to the HudsonHappenings Web site and enter "quadricentennial" in the search box on top, click "calendar" and then click "go" -- voila! Lots of choices of things to do (and also a place for you to enter your own Quad event into the database.)

Journey of Peace

Tomorrow (Saturday), a Plattsburgh State University professor will begin a 46-day walk from Montreal to Manhattan in honor of the Quad. Kevin Dann is calling it his Journey of Peace and wants to inspire people to tell stories about the peacemakers in the towns he visits along the way. The story, from WPTZ, is here.

Shad Fest becomes Springtide Festival

The Hudson River Maritime Museum's "Springtide Festival" takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday along the Rondout waterfront in Kingston. The event used to be called the Shad Festival, but was changed in 2008 when conservation groups noticed a decline in the numbers of shad and asked organizations not to serve shad or shad roe at their events. The Museum's spring festival instead focuses on the shad’s birth and spawning venue – the Hudson River.

This year, in honor of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration and the 400th anniversary of Hudson’s 1609 voyage, HRMM has put together a display of 400 years of living and boating on the Hudson River. Boats that will be present at the museum’s waterfront dock and in the yard will include a Native American canoe, small steamboat, kayak, wooden sailboat, “perriauger”, the “Lark” (boat used to ferry visitors to the Rondout II Lighthouse), HRMM’s 1898 steam tug “Mathilda”, 24-foot sea skiff – even a ’57 Chevy boat.

There will also be numerous displays and exhibits, live entertainment, and Taste of the Rondout where local restaurateurs will serve "alfresco" samples of their regional cuisine in the museum's park-like waterfront yard. Hot dogs, veggie dogs and soft drinks will also be available for purchase.

More details and directions are at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Web site.

Flotilla's Westchester agenda

Before the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial flotilla arrives in the Mid-Hudson area next month, it will make a few stops south of here. Westchester County has planned a series of events for its River Day. Here are the details from the Westchester County Office of Tourism:

River Day Weekend, June 6th and 7th, is a celebration of Henry Hudson’s historic 1609 voyage and a weekend of fun, fairs, festivals and fireworks! On Saturday morning, June 6th, the flotilla makes its way up the Hudson from New York Harbor as part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. Cities and villages along Westchester’s Hudson River are celebrating with a series of events for the entire family.

Flagships such as Henry Hudson’s Half Moon replica, the Clearwater sloop, the Woodie Guthrie and Onrust will lead the flotilla, making stops along the way. The flotilla will be welcomed with cannon fire and church bells as it travels the Hudson. The Clearwater and Mystic Whaler will dock overnight at the Tarrytown Boat Club and the Woodie Guthrie, Shearwater and Riverkeeper’s teaching boat will dock at the Hudson Harbor bulkhead. Both the Clearwater and Riverkeeper vessel will be welcoming visitors aboard. The other ships will dock in Rockland County. The flotilla heads north on the Hudson promptly at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 7th.

“River Day Weekend will be a very exciting time in Westchester,” said Kim Sinistore, Director, Westchester County Office of Tourism, “Visitors and residents of all ages have the opportunity to be part of history. They can view the flotilla, attend arts festivals and street fairs, learn about the river and its environs, play games, write poetry, hear live music and enjoy fireworks. This is the perfect weekend for a getaway to Westchester - A Great Place to Play!”

Saturday events include the Sleepy Hollow Arts Festival and Field Day; the Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse will be open for tours; activities and entertainment along the waterfront in Yonkers and Irvington; live music at the Tarrytown waterfront in the evening and fireworks at 9pm. On Sunday in Tarrytown, Lyndhurst is the location for Westchester’s legacy Quadricentennial event “Hudson River Fest”; the Annual Main Street Fair and the Historical Society’s Strawberry Festival; “A Taste of Ossining” in Ossining’s Engle Park; festivities and entertainment in Peekskill’s Riverfront Park; and the 2nd Annual Rivertowns Jazz and Blues Festival continues from Yonkers to Tarrytown, June 5th thru the 14th.

For additional River Day Weekend and Quadricentennial information, please visit www.westchestertourism.com and click on Quadricentennial

Bridge music

Beacon composer Joseph Bertolozzi is on the Mid-Hudson Bridge this morning to install listening kiosks that will feature music he makes using the span that links the east and west shores of the Hudson River as an "instrument". It's part of the local Quadricentennial celebrations. You can read about it in this Poughkeepsie Journal news story.

Paddle or bike the valley for the Quad

Two Quad-linked offerings this summer for outdoor recreation enthusiasts:

For bicyclists

Join cyclists from all over the country for the 5th annual 6-day, 200-mile, Great Hudson Valley Pedal Aug. 11-16, 2009 through the picturesque and historic Hudson Valley. Registration is now open. More details at www.ptny.org/hudsontour

For paddlers

The Great Champlain-Hudson Paddle is a 15 day, 195 mile kayaking and camping trip from Fort Edward to Manhattan along the Champlain Canal and the Hudson River from Aug. 3-17, 2009. A group of Thru-Paddlers will be camping out in state and local parks along the way and visiting heritage and cultural sites in the communities in which they will be staying. The event is designed for paddlers of varied skill levels and those new to paddling. For experienced, committed paddlers it's a chance to paddle 195 miles from Fort Edward to New York City. For new paddlers or less experienced paddlers it is a chance to get out on the water under the tutelage of knowledgeable local outfitters for a shorter period of time.
There are several ways for paddlers to join us; you may apply for a slot as a Thru-Paddler or Getaway Paddler, sign up with a local outfitter for a Day Paddle, or join us at a Festival and experience kayaking for the first time. Visit www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us/ghrp for more info.

Get on the Half Moon

Here is more info from Dutchess Tourism about a Quadricentennial event in Poughkeepsie over Memorial Day weekend that we first told you about last week.

Tour the HALF MOON ship in Poughkeepsie on Memorial Day weekend

Get ready to go way back in time, as the Half Moon sails into Dutchess County and docks at Waryas Park on Main Street from Saturday to Monday, May 23-25. No, not the Dutch East India Company ship that sailed into New York Harbor in 1609, but the beautiful full-scale, operating replica of the Dutch ship. The Half Moon (Halve Maen in Dutch) now serves as a traveling museum, conducting programs about the history of the Dutch colony, New Netherland. Walk the plank and tour inside the wooden ship, where Hudson and his crew of 23 ate, slept and worked for an entire year. Learn about their remarkable journey and the Native Americans they met on our shores.

The Half Moon is open for guided tours in Poughkeepsie on Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day weekend from 12 noon to 5 pm; the last tour is given at 4 pm. Admission is $7, and $5 for seniors and students ages 12-18; children under 12 are $1, and must be accompanied by an adult. You can buy your tickets in advance online through Pay Pal at www.dutchesstourism.com

Enjoy plenty of waterfront activities before and after your tour! On Sunday only, there's a free Early American family festival from noon to 4 pm also at Waryas Park. Dutchess County Tourism and City of Poughkeepsie host the Half Moon for this, the first time ever the ship docks in Poughkeepsie.

Sponsors are Central Hudson Gas & Electric Company, Marist College, Poughkeepsie Journal and the County of Dutchess. Don't miss this chance to discover the Hudson and 400 years of history for yourself!

The Quadricentennial celebration is a unique opportunity to explore our county’s wonderful assets, our rich history and scenic beauty. The Half Moon stays in Poughkeepsie to host school children and conduct group tours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Visit www.Dutchess400.com and www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us  for information.