River Day 2021 is almost here, and this year’s festivities promise to make this the best River Day ever, according to event coordinators Mary Turner and Erica Rogler. This summer Tunkhannock’s River Day is on Saturday, July 24 from 1 to 7 pm, a free rain or shine event at Riverside Park.
For the sixteenth year, the beautiful Susquehanna waterfront will be the setting for arriving kayaks, nature presentations, organization displays, activities, food and natural product vendors, and four live musical performances.
To jumpstart the day there will be two free sessions of yoga in the park. Instructor Barbara Tierney will teach a Kundalini Yoga class from 9 to 10 am, and yoga teacher Donna Fetzko will teach a yogafit style class from 10 to 11 am. Bring a blanket or yoga mat and experience what yoga can do for your mind and body, while being outdoors under the trees at the river’s edge. All are welcome.
Kayak enthusiasts may want to join river floats organized by Endless Mountains Outfitters (www.emo444.com) and Susquehanna Kayak and Canoe Rentals (www.kayaktheriver.com). Rent a kayak and float down the river 14 miles from Meshoppen to Riverside Park where participants will be able to enjoy music and other River Day activities. For more information or to register call Endless Mountains Outfitters at 570-746-9140 or Susquehanna Kayak and Canoe Rentals at 570-388-6107.
Always featured at River Day is continuous music at the pavilion from 1 to 7 pm. From 1 to 2:30 pm, J.P. Williams and Ekat Pereyra will jumpstart the afternoon with electric and acoustic blues, Chicago and Delta style music. Abi and Tim Zieger (above) will bring a mix of rousing traditional songs, well-loved folk tunes, and a mix of indie-acoustic originals from 3 to 4 pm. They will also be joined on stage by students from the Dietrich’s ‘Build and Bang Band Camp’ for a song or two. 4:30 to 5:30 pm brings Bret Alexander of “Badlees” fame and singer-songwriter Tom Flannery to the pavilion stage, featuring a mix of rock, folk and acoustic original music. To end the day from 6 to 7 pm, Dave Brown & the Dishonest Fiddlers, “a good-timin’, Americana folk roots, country-pickin, front porch band,” will perform.
Adding to the festivities, nature presentations will be held under a small tent by the playground in the park. From 2 to 3 pm, Linda Auker will give a talk on invasive species where participants will learn what invasive species are and how they impact our local ecosystem. Rick Koval, naturalist on the popular WNEP-TV show Pennsylvania Outdoor Life and head naturalist for Skytop Lodge, will give a presentation on Snakes and Reptiles of NEPA from 4 to 5 pm. During his program, attendees will have an opportunity to meet and learn about snakes and reptiles that live in this area. The last presentation of the day, from 5 to 6 pm, will be with environmental educator Rebecca Lesko as she tells Native American Animal Stories with a couple of live reptiles for participants to meet.
There will be many activities at Riverside Park planned especially for children. Right at the river, from 1 to 5 pm, young artists will be able to add their designs to a painted mural inspired by the natural surroundings, guided by Amy and Steve Colley, Dietrich Theater art teachers. Also from 1 to 3 pm, there will be free rock painting with the Dietrich Theater’s Fundraising Committee. Dietrich Theater Families in Nature instructor Terra McAulliffe will have a Fish “Fairy” Wand activity for kids from 3 to 6 pm. Throughout the day, the Frances Dorrance Chapter of the PA Archaeological Society will have a demo where all ages can learn how to dig and screen for artifacts.
River Day is all about appreciating our beautiful NEPA surroundings and how we can be good stewards of them. Environmental organizations and their displays will help us understand what they are doing and what we can do. Organizations with displays include the Frances Dorrance Chapter of the PA Archaeological Society, the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, Wyoming County Heart & Soul, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Susquehanna Kayak & Canoe Rental, and Endless Mountain Outfitters. In addition to displays, there will also be local vendors including Gingher Apiary with local honey, beeswax candles, beeswax skin cream and beeswax lip balm for sale, as well as GLORY with frankincense and myrrh goat’s milk soap and aromatherapy candles.
While watching kayaks, listening to music, visiting displays and attending presentations, take a break and enjoy some delicious treats! Don’t miss Southwest Savory food truck favorites, Mannings ice cream, and fresh squeezed lemonade, jerk chicken and vegetarian empañadas and jambalaya by Sammy’s Caribbean Grill.
River Day is planned by the Wyoming County Cultural Center at the Dietrich Theater and is made possible by the Overlook Estate Foundation, the Wyoming County Commissioners and the Riverside Park Commission. For information about River Day call the Dietrich Theater at 570-836-1022, ext. 3.