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.