The Clearwater Music and Environmental Festival is coming back to the Hudson Valley and there’s one face that regular festival attendees will certainly recognize when they make their way to Croton Point Park on June 21 and 22.
“We’re a very close group,” said Poughkeepsie native Beth Partridge who is returning to Clearwater for her 23rd festival. “I love what we do and what we stand for.”
What Clearwater stands for is celebrating the Hudson River. The festival, which has been in existence for more than three decades, features a diverse array of singer-songwriters, performers and musicians. Its origins can be traced directly to legendary folk songwriter Pete Seeger, who decided in the mid-’60s to do something about the accumulation of pollution in the Hudson. Seeger set out “to build a boat to save the river.” Holding small fundraising concerts throughout the Hudson River Valley, he literally passed his banjo among the crowd, collecting contributions to build the Sloop Clearwater. In 1978, the festival established roots at the historic Croton Point river park and has been there ever since.
Partridge couldn’t be prouder to be associated with the groundbreaking festival.
“We basically started the environmental movement,” she said. “We’ve made the public aware of how important it is.”
Partridge’s first Clearwater Festival came in 1987 when she worked as a litter picker with a friend and her then-husband. Since then, she has done just about every conceivable volunteer job for the event. In 1999, the festival needed a merchandise coordinator. Partridge stepped in and the rest, as she said, “is history.”
“I grew up in Poughkeepsie and the river has always been a part of my life,” said Partridge. “It’s the most beautiful thing we have and I want to see that it stays that way. It’s amazing to me that I know people in Poughkeepsie who have never even been down to the riverside parks. I want people to come down to the river and see what we’re doing.”
Symbol of the festival
“Beth is an example of the type of dedicated, long-term volunteer that makes up the core of Clearwater volunteers,” said Festival Director Ron Aja. “We have a lot of volunteers that have been here for 20-30 years. And Beth represents our community. Her history with the organization and her knowledge of the festival make her invaluable.”
“Clearwater is where my heart is,” said Partridge. “It’s one big happy family. We argue, we make up, we do a lot of things together. So many of my lifelong friends have come from Clearwater. And we’re all very lucky to know Pete Seeger.”
This year’s festival will feature five performance stages, including a story grove with nationally renowned storytellers as well as ska, reggae, rock, swing, bluegrass, zydeco and Latin music. Among the performers scheduled are Seeger, Skatalites, Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Felice Brothers, Kevin So and Cheryl Wheeler.
“I didn’t really know anything about Clearwater when I came11 years ago,” said Aja. “But once you get involved, it’s kind of hard to let go.”
“We educate, advocate and celebrate,” said Partridge. “It’s a very comfortable environment.”
For more information, visit www.clearwater.org.