"Old Man Who Sailed in a Shoe" piloted by Frank Varella, 1st Raritan River Festival, 1980. Photo: Stephen Cruz
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The Raritan River Festival
Established in 1980 to raise public awareness
of the river as a valuable natural resource, this two-day
festival is held in New Brunswick and in Highland Park across
the river. It features canoe races, specially designed "boat
floats," musical entertainment, arts and crafts shows, and
tours of the historic waterfront via water taxi. Displays in
Boyd Park educate visitors on the history and restoration of
the Delaware and Raritan Canal and towpath. An entire section
of the park is set aside for children's activities, and a free
children's book of activities designed to teach about the
history, geography, ecology, and wildlife of the river basin
is distributed. Each year more than 30,000 visitors attend the
festival. In 1980 folk singer Pete Seeger sailed down the
Hudson River from New York to New Jersey on his sloop "Woody
Guthrie", arriving in New Brunswick to help kick off the first
Raritan River Festival. Since then, Seeger and many other
nationally known performers have provided the
entertainment.
Originally submitted by: Frank Pallone, Jr., Representative (6th District).
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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
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