Waterfront Wednesdays Returns

Waterfront Wednesdays, the weekly summer community event that offers a blend of free onshore and on-water programming, returns next Wednesday for its eight-week run. Every Wednesday, from July 10 through August 28, Henry Hudson Riverfront Park will be the setting for activities and entertainment for people of all ages. 

Photo: David McIntyre

Every Wednesday, there will be a Ujima Community Collective Drum Circle from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., promoting rhythm and unity within the community. Also from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Bindlestiff's Cirkus After School will host a weekly juggling jam, weather permitting. Professional teaching artists will provide equipment and mentorship for beginners, covering various juggling props--diabolos, flower sticks, unicycles, and more. Children over 8 years old must be accompanied by a family member over 14.

At 7:00 p.m., Loki Anthony will host a weekly variety of performances. The lineup includes:

• July 10: Beautiful Racket
• July 17: Operation Unite
• July 24: The Vanaver Caravan
• July 31: Brass Kill
• August 7: Social Justice Leadership Academy + Kaisokah Moko Jumbies USA + Bindlestiff's Cirkus After School
• August 14: Brett Miller & Neon Moons, with Line Dance Caller Sargent Seedoo
• August 21: Jazz Night
• August 28: Local Artist Spotlight

Other family friendly activities include the ReGen Crew from Kite’s Nest and their stationary-bike-powered smoothie stand, and the The Hudson Youth Bike Coop drop-in workshops in bike maintenance and repair for youth ages 10 to 18. Youth are given the opportunity to refurbish and eventually own their own bikes, learning valuable life and job skills in the process. The Hudson Sloop Club will offer free fishing lessons for kids each week, led by Ngounga Badilla. Signups available at the Nack Center for Estuary Education. Finally, Elise McMahon of LikeMindedObjects and Shaker Museum will facilitate two Fix-It Picnics on July 24 and August 21, where the can-do community fix-it spirit is contagious. Open to all ages and skill levels. Each drop-in session offers plenty of time to work on the sewing, T-shirt weaving, mending, or crafting project of your choice. In July, Hannah Ross of Hanoux will be our guest artist, and in August, we’ll be joined by Nkoula Badila.

In addition to the lineup of activities at Waterfront Wednesdays, attendees can look forward to a diverse range of culinary delights. Larry Walker's What's Really Good will be offering mouthwatering Southern-style BBQ, while Peta's Pocket will serve up a delectable fusion of Jamaican, Caribbean, and Fusion cuisine. Chef Danny Amend will also be showcasing his Far Out Container Farm produce and salad offerings. As a sweet treat, Empire State Voices will be delighting guests with complimentary ice cream on July 24.

Waterfront Wednesdays is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CREATE Council on the Arts. This project has been supported by a grant from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Friends of Hudson Youth. The Visiting Vessels program is made possible through generous support from the City of Hudson and the Berkshire Taconic Foundation. Support also comes from local business community sponsors: Columbia Memorial Health, Friendly City Creative Club, Friends of Hudson Youth, Halfmoon Hudson, Hudson Business Coalition, Paolantonio Crawford, PLLC, If You Care, Spotty Dog Books & Ale, Supernatural, The SPARK of Hudson, The Wick Hotel, This Old Hudson, and Wm. Farmer & Sons. Underwriting support also comes from Karen Schlather. 

The Waterfront Wednesdays Board of Advisors includes Loki Anthony, Danny Amend, Nick Dixon, Selha Graham, Nea McKinney, Sam Merrett, Elena Mosley, Stephanie Monseu, Adriana Tampasis, Kate Treacy, and Adam Weinert. For more information, visit www.waterfrontwednesdays.org.