POUGHKEEPSIE – RiverFest is returning to Poughkeepsie after a 15-year hiatus. Poughkeepsie entrepreneur Los Wood has teamed up with Crazy Over ART On Tour, the Shamrock Association, and others to revive the three-day waterfront festival at Waryas Park at the bottom of Main Street in the city.
Crazy Over ART Tour is a mobile art van that provides a creative environment to encourage and teach art to local communities with limited access to the arts. The grant-funded organization is helping to underwrite the revival, according to Mr. Wood. He is a chef by trade and revived the event that was an anticipated summer event in his hometown because “Poughkeepsie is opening back up and this is our chance to shine.”
Wood has enlisted Poughkeepsie’s Shamrock Association, a private social club that supports community organizations, to help with the event. Tasked with organizing, staffing, and operating the beer tent for the celebration, the club’s members are preparing for the large turnout expected for the weekend. “We ran into some delays in getting approval from the State Liquor Authority, but State Senator Sue Serino’s office along with City Administrator Marc Nelson’s assistance, we have been approved,” said Shamrock member Todd Bender. The association’s President, Marty Fralick, committed the club to RiverFest. “The Shamrock Association supports events that make this city a better place and RiverFest has the potential to be just what Poughkeepsie needs right now.”
Wood has arranged for carnival rides from Ulster County’s Shamrock Shows and Amusements as well as an array of live music performances for fans of many music genres. “Bringing RiverFest back is a chance to reunite the various populations of Poughkeepsie,” Wood said as he explained that he has advanced thousands of dollars to make the event happen. “Poughkeepsie City Administrator Marc Nelson was a tremendous asset in navigating the permit process. We couldn’t have done this without his help.”
Mayor Rob Rolison endorsed the plan. “The people of Poughkeepsie need something positive and I hope RiverFest fills that need.” Wood also praised Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers for helping push the idea forward. Flowers endorsed the idea and called it “An event that will bring energy to the city – especially after the last 17 months.” Fellow lawmaker Chris Petsas is actively promoting the event on social media. “Our city is trying to recover from a pandemic and battle an alarming uptick in violence at the same time. RiverFest is an opportunity for the city to come together to embrace the countless good things Poughkeepsie has to offer.”
RiverFest 2021 in Poughkeepsie kicks off on Friday, August 6, at 3 p.m. It ends at 10 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, it will be open from noon to 10 p.m.
