River Fest Continues to Celebrate the Mighty Susquehanna

June 15, 2011

Times-Leader

Marie Burrell

Rivers have always been an important part of life, providing everything from a food supply and a means of transportation to a source of energy and a place for washing clothes before other technology was available. All too often some people focus on the negative aspects of the rivers that twist and turn through their neighborhoods, at times seeing them as nothing but a flood risk or a dirty eyesore filled with pollution. But for others, the river is a beautiful part of the community and should be appreciated for what it can provide.

For those who live along the Susquehanna River, Wyoming Valley RiverFest is back, celebrating its 12th year this Friday, June 17-Sunday, June 19 as part of National Rivers Month. Created by the Riverfront Parks Committee and the Wyoming Valley Watershed Coalition, the three day event brings together a collection of local music, exhibitors, vendors and a variety of activities on the river.

Vincent Cotrone, president of the Riverfront Parks Committee, said the mission of those involved in RiverFest is to help get people reconnected with the river and the environment by showing them how beautiful the river itself is, as well as the parks along it.

“For the most part, we take the river for granted,” he said. “We’re a river town. We need to come back to it, and what better way than to do that and celebrate Rivers Month on the river.”

He said a lot of people have misconceptions about the river – that it is polluted and prone to flooding – but he said that it is a great place for people to enjoy nature, relax along the riverbank and partake in various events hosted in Nesbitt Park and the redeveloped River Common, which was completed in 2009.

Cotrone said that RiverFest, which began in 1999, has grown from just a small river sojourn with approximately 50 people to the event it has become today, attracting several thousand people. He said that this is partially due to the expansion of the event to include more activities than just the sojourns and paddling on the river, like this year’s addition of dragon boat racing.

Helping to bring some of these new activities is Karl Borton, director of River Common Programming and Outreach.

“Each year we bring in new instructors, new musicians, new exhibitors,” he said. “So each year, it changes up and each year, people can expect to see something new down at the river. We’re fortunate to have this unique situation where we’re blessed to have a free festival.”

Borton said organizers have brought in a lot of new music this year, hosting an array of local talent throughout the course of the three-day festival. Appearing at RiverFest for the first time is Kriki, headed by a lead singer who goes by the same name, which Borton said is a three-part, female vocal harmony group.

Kriki said she appreciates being asked to play, as this is a great opportunity for people to experience the wonderful things that come along with having a river run through their town.

“This is a really good opportunity to just make people aware of, `Hey, this is a beautiful area’,” she said. “Wake up. Enjoy it while we have a beautiful summer, while we have the sun, while we have good music.”

Though also appearing for the first time at the festival is Eddie Day and the Star Fires, lead singer Eddie Day Pashinski is no stranger to events like this in the area. Pashinski, the Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 121st District, which includes much of Luzerne County, understands how important it is for the community to become involved in the natural scene around them.

“Having these kinds of events enhances the quality of life,” he said. “Not only for the residents, but it also attracts other people to introduce them to northeastern living.”

While the festival does try to bring new entertainment, there are some things that have not changed over its 12-year history. Don Shappelle, who said he grew up along the Susquehanna, has been playing at RiverFest since the year it started, even when it was just primarily a fairly small group paddling the river.

“In the early days of RiverFest, I just was on board because I wanted to do anything and be part of anything that had to do with the river,” he said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been this long. I’m honored to be a part of it after all these years.”

Those involved in RiverFest have worked over the years to bring the community back to the river, and Shappelle agrees that it is an aspect of our valley that we should treasure.

“RiverFest really accents that,” he said. “It really pushes the education and awareness of the river. I think for everybody who has been there and those who have not, they’ll be more than pleasantly surprised at all that RiverFest presents.”

Wyoming Valley RiverFest, June 17-19, times vary, River Common and Nesbitt Park, Wilkes-Barre. Info/schedule: rivercommon.org or 570.825.1701

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