Peekskill Celebration Coming to Riverfront Green Park

For the past 14 years the annual Peekskill Celebration has been delighting and exciting all those involved with the festival, and as it approaches its 15^th anniversary this year promises to be no exception to the joy-inducing tradition.

The two day festival, which over the years has grown into the city’s largest event, will take place Friday and Saturday, Aug.5-6, at Peekskill's Riverfront Green Park off Route 9. Related events will be held downtown and at Peekskill High School.

Thanks to site expansions and even more scheduled activities than last year, the 2011 event promises to be the best Celebration yet, organizers said.

“Peekskill Celebration gives this part of the Hudson Valley something to smile about every summer,” said Celebration Vice Chairman Bill Powers, who also oversees the marketing and public relations aspects of the event. “It brings together all of our neighbors and attracts visitors from far outside the city. [The] Celebration is designed to honor our links to the mighty Hudson River, instill a sense of community pride and give families a fun-filled weekend of activities in their own backyard.”

Festival-goers can rest assured there will be no shortage of entertainment throughout the event, for as far as activities go, there are plenty of them. Attendees can look forward to live music, a variety of food and craft vendors, kid-friendly activities, parades, ceremonies, historical tours and reenactments, stunt shows, races, fireworks and much more.

In addition to its usual jam-packed schedule, this year, weather permitting, the Celebration will be offering tethered balloon rides at  Peekskill Landing, at the far north end of the park.

The fun begins Friday at 5 p.m. when the grounds officially open to the public. At that time vendors and exhibitors will be set up and food will be available for purchase.

An hour later a “Kick-Off Concert” will begin on the main stage. The theme for this portion of the festival is “Reggae Dance Party” and will feature the music of a local band, The Third Wave Bandits, followed by headliners from New York City, Under the Rasta Influence.

One of the most anticipated events of the Celebration is the Dragon Boat races, which will take place starting Saturday at 9 a.m. There will be numerous races throughout the day, leading up to the Dragons on the Hudson's Cancer Awareness Dragon Boat Race to be held later that afternoon.

These races, sponsored by Drum Hill Senior Living and Hudson Valley Hospital Center, have been part of the Celebration for the past six years and have helped bring attention to Cancer Awareness for the past three. For the 2011 Celebration the afternoon race has been renamed from previous years and will now be known as the Drum Hill Senior Living Cancer Awareness Race.

There will be an eye-painting ceremony Friday during which the eyes of the boat’s dragon heads will be decorated, a tradition that is thought to bring paddlers luck and good fortune on the day of the race.

“The dragon boat races attract many friends and family members to cheer on their favorite teams,” Powers said. “While the day-long competition is friendly, it is still a competition and every team wants to own the bragging rights as being the fastest team on the Hudson. We introduced the Cancer Awareness Race a couple of years back, and it has grown in stature and meaning. Teams race in honor of loved ones who have conquered their battle with cancer and for those who have lost their struggle. In either instance the teams come together to boost awareness and raise funds for research and to help some through their battles with cancer.”

The Dragon Boat race will conclude with a commemorative Rose Ceremony at the finish line. Race participants will raise roses in the air before tossing them into the Hudson River in honor of all those who have been affected by cancer.

The Celebration’s fireworks display, sponsored by Entergy and developed by Garden State Fireworks, is yet another highlight of the festival and will begin at 9 p.m. Saturday. This year’s show will be simulcast on WHUD radio. 

“We have developed a reputation over the years of having the best fireworks display north of New York City's Fourth of July event,”  Powers said. “[They] are my favorite part of the celebration.”

The Celebration concludes with a live musical performance from local favorite NY Uproar. The show will take place on the main stage at 10 p.m. after the fireworks.

The Celebration is produced by the not-for-profit Peekskill Festivals Inc. and is supported by business sponsorships, journal advertising and participation fees paid by vendors and exhibitors.

Proceeds will be used to cover expenses related to holding the festival. Any excess funds will be reinvested in next year’s Celebration and used to improve the city of Peekskill for its residents.

For the schedule of Peekskill Celebration events, please click here. For more information, a complete list of sponsors and much more, please visit the Celebration Web site.

To give you an idea of the fun to come, please check out the photos of last year's Celebration that accompany this article.