Health & Fitness

Clearwater Festival Goers Rock Out at Croton Point Park

My family was among thousands of festival-goers who this weekend gathered on blankets and chairs to hear music from such artists as Judy Collins, Acoustic Hot Tuna and Kris Kristofferson on seven separate music stages set up at Croton Point Park for Clearwater Music Festival.

Founded by environmentalist and musician Pete Seeger 40 years ago, the event is much more than a music festival. Clearwater featured environmental advocacy in the Activist staging area that offered the opportunity for folks to learn more about issues from the heath of the Hudson River to green energy to natural health and fitness. 

My kids especially liked going through the interactive tents and touching crayfish and learning about the variety of fish and plant life in the Hudson River. Many families flocked to a special area dedicated to the festival's youngest attendees, where popular musicians like Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell had toddlers and 'tweens rocking out and singing along.

The family area also hosted the food court which boasted Hudson Valley artisanal fare like wood fired pizza, grassfed hot dogs and burgers, shish ke-babs and more—and Croton's own Blue Pig Ice Cream.

In between music sets, you could shop til you dropped at at the myriad booths set up in the marketplace area. Beaded jewelry, festival tees, art from around the globe, ceramics, soaps, scarves and handbags were among the crafts and vendors selling their wares. 

Getting there wasn't easy—we snaked along Route 9 for almost 40 minutes and then the lines for the shuttle buses we decided to walk across the bridge and to the festival, tiring our 4 year-old niece before we ever arrived. And there were less than polite drivers who were cutting in at the last minute, setting a not-so-great example at what was the start of an event promoting good will and peace.

Thankfully, there were no incidents, according to Croton Police Sgt. John Nikitopoulos—"other than traffic, which was a pain the neck, we had no problems," he told Patch. 

But once we arrived and settled in, the weather, music, food and activities couldn't be beat. 

Did you go? Share your experience in the comments below—I'd love to hear from you.


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