There was a lot to observe at RiverFest. Here are some things that were apparent at the June 7 celebration at Cornwall Landing.
-For some young children, RiverFest is the first opportunity to ride on a school bus. There were plenty of kids on the buses that looped through the community for most of the day.
-If you walked to RiverFest, you could hear the bands by the time you were half way down the hill.
-It was not a day to be in a hurry. Traffic was stopped by some very long freight trains that moseyed past Dock Hill Road.
-Attendance is tough to estimate at RiverFest. With no admissions fee, there aren’t any ticket stubs to count. This year, a good percentage of the crowd was hidden under the music tent or the tent with children’s entertainment.
-Wynn Gold, chair of the organizing committee, had two barometers for gauging the turnout – the buses coming down to the riverfront were filled, and the firemen had to make a special trip to get more hamburgers and hot dogs.
-You know that Wood Avenue is steep and windy after you’ve made the uphill trek on the back of a fire truck. The Storm King Engine Company offered some lengthy rides. After taking passengers away from the festival and into the Village, the 1947 vehicle traveled down Dock Hill Road with its siren blaring.
-You can call it “rain insurance.” There’s been no precipitation at RiverFest since the organizers have been ordering a tent.
-You can call it “good genes.” Seven-year-old Saige Farrell won the coloring contest. She’s the granddaughter of Paul Gould and the great granddaughter of the late John Gould, both well-known artists.
-LuAnn Richards won the kayak that was raffled off as a fund-raiser for RiverFest.
-You can call it “rewarding.” Committee members enjoy the end of the day when dads carry tired youngsters over their shoulders, and the sleeping tots have the start of a sunburn around their nose and a circle of chocolate ice cream around their mouth.
-Despite the loss of a major sponsor, Wynn Gold expects there’ll be a RiverFest 18 next year. Even if there wasn’t, his committee members swear they’d continue to meet. The festival has become a part of their life.
