News

Hudson River Day — 400 Years In The Making

Published

June 2, 2009

Boat and yacht clubs between NY Harbor and Albany will join a relay flotilla as the signature event celebrating the Quadricentennial on Hudson River Day in Rockland, Saturday June 6th marked by fireworks and activities for all ages.

A flotilla from clubs in Manhattan will be led by NY state heritage flagships accompanied by Coast Guard and naval ships. NYC will start off the parade, rounding the tip of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The flagships are the Onrust, Half Moon, Woodie Guthrie, Mystic Whaler, and the Clearwater. Early on June 6th (Saturday) they will make their way up river and arrive in the Rockland/Westchester area about 5-6pm with an overnight planned for the “Half Moon” in Piermont and the “Onrust” in Nyack.

There are special local events planned in the Hudson River towns of Piermont and Nyack on Saturday June 6:

1-2:30 – Children’s Crafts, Camerata Singers and skits and songs by Lanti Music School in front of the Depew House (sponsored by The Nyack Public Library)
2:30-5:30 – Children’s Crafts down on the lower field of Memorial Park sponsored by Brooke Smokelin, Nyack Center and Rockland Friends of Clearwater
2:15 On- Music and Dance performances for young and old at the Memorial Park Gazebo. Artists include Brooke Smokelin and friends, Ciela (a cappella musical group directed by Dru Pluhowski), Mari(y)a Polishchuk & Shayna Skibinsky, violinists from the Academy of Music, John Malino, Richard Sussman and Friends (sponsored by the Rockland Jazz and Blues Society), Peter Bannon, Pat Cannon of the Early American and Foot Fiddle Dance Company – see www.friendsofthenyacks.org for schedule of performances —
5:45 or thereabouts Parade of Children with performers from the AMAZING GRACE CIRCUS. Exhibitions: Riverkeeper Exhibit/ Paul Tappenden and Joanna Dickey’s Performance Art Tolling of the Church Bells in the Rockland-Westchester area-6 PM
9pm, Piermont is planning a FIREWORKS display.

The ships will set sail at 8 AM on Sunday June 7 for a three hour stop over at the Haverstraw Marina (11am-2pm) after which they will sail north to river villages carving the same path that Henry Hudson sailed 400 years ago.