Two weekend festivals at riverfront draw thousands

  • The Standard House is a stately backdrop to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Peekskill Riverfront.

    All photos by Regina Clarkin
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  • Craft vendors were situated along the river.

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  • Carina Paliocha of Third Bean makes small batches of dark chocolate from her Putnam Valley home.

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  • The Town of Cortlandt sponsored the Save the River rally and gave visitors gallon containers to help visualize what 1 million would be in the river.

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  • Activists are encouraging Governor Kathy Hochul to act to stop the dumping of tritium water into the Hudson.

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  • County Executive George Latimer tells the crowd how science changes over time and what was acceptable levels of tritium years ago is no longer the case.

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  • All types of vessels were in the river listening to the music and speakers.

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  • Children frolicking on the riverbank in Verplanck.

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  • What would Pete do? referring to Hudson River activist Pete Seeger.

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By Regina Clarkin
May 8, 2023

After two consecutive weekends of rain, Saturday dawned spectacularly with bright sun, moderate temperatures and a vibrant blue sky. It was a perfect day for two festivals planned on the banks of the Hudson River.

The Peekskill Rotary Club’s  6th annual Cherry Blossom Festival featured a dozen food trucks, music, 74 vendors selling crafts and homemake delectables.  People strolled through the booths and sat in front of the stage, enjoying music while others ate in the food tent area and kids played in the children’s activities tent. The club estimates some 3,500 visitors attended. There were nine cash raffle winners for a total of $15,000. The Club raised about $35,000 for various 501 c3 charities in the area.  There was a poster contest and the winner will be used for advertising next year.

A few miles down river at Cortlandt’s waterfront in Verplanck, hundreds gathered for a rally to “Save the River” by listening to speakers, musicians and citizens speak against Holtec International’s plan to discharge a million plus gallons of tritium tainted water into the Hudson as part of the decommissioning of Indian Point. Visitors were given blue plastic gallon containers to visualize the amount of radioactive water that the company plans to dump into the Hudson.