Saturday, June 11, 2022

We are thrilled to welcome the Albany Symphony back to to Hudson Crossing Park to perform a free community concert on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 7:30pm celebrating the completion of New York’s Empire State Trail—750 miles of cycling, walking, and hiking trails alongside the state’s most significant waterways.

This year we have a full day of activities for all ages, starting at 7am with a bird walk led by a guide from Grassland Bird Trust and culminating with the Symphony performance at 7:30pm. With plenty to learn, do, and experience in and around the Schuylerville area, visitors can spend the day taking a ride along the Champlain Canal with Mohawk Maiden Cruises, try their hand at playing a ukulele or djembe drum with Rural Soul Music Studio, explore the historic Marshall House and Schuyler House, join a National Park Ranger for a talk about Hudson Crossing’s famed “Bridge of Boats” site, take a walk along the original Champlain Canal towpath with Saratoga Town Historian Sean Kelleher, and more. Visitors will also want to find time to stop by local shops and restaurants in downtown Schuylerville and Greenwich.

The concert, which kicks off with opening act Wa Lika Band at 6pm and leads into the Symphony performance at 7:30pm, will take place in the Hudson Crossing Park field with plenty of space to spread a blanket, enjoy food and drink from the on-site food trucks and vendors (or bring a picnic from home or from a local eatery!), and experience world-class music in a beautiful outdoor setting. The Symphony’s program will include Takuma Itoh: Endangered Species, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra as well as popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!

Come early and take a walk along the park’s trails, browse booths hosted by local nonprofits and community groups, enjoy the Kids Fun Zone, and browse the local art exhibition and sale, which serves as a fundraiser for Hudson Crossing Park and Lake George Arts Project.

Parking will be available at Hudson Crossing Park, with overflow parking at the Saratoga Town Hall (12 Spring Street, Schuylerville) and the Schuylerville School (14 Spring Street, Schuylerville). A shuttle generously donated by Durrin Transport will be available at the Schuylerville School parking lot from 6pm - 7:30 pm and returning to the school after the performance. For visitors traveling from Washington County, parking is available at the Town of Greenwich Hudson Riverside Park located at 5149 County Route 113, Greenwich.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

• Bird Walk with Steven Jay Sanford of Grassland Bird Trust:
  7 am
  Meet at the HCP pavilion *Pre-registration is required

  Join local wildlife ecologist and artist Steven Jay Sanford for a bird walk along HCP’s trails. The walk is for beginner and expert birders alike. Meet at the HCP pavilion at 7:00 AM and walk through HCP’s trail systems (stone dust, dirt, and grass). We expect to see and hear scores of breeding birds and some of the later migrants. No special footwear is necessary but participants should bring binoculars and shoes or boots that could stand some morning dew. Be prepared to walk, watch and listen for about 2 hours. Group size is limited to 20 people. Donations to the Washington County Grasslands IBA are gratefully accepted. Please pre-register here: https://tinyurl.com/hcpwalk2022

• Plein Air artists throughout the park from the Adirondack Plein Air Society
  Throughout the morning
  En plein air is a French expression that means “in the open air.” It is used by artists to describe the art of outdoor painting, capturing landscapes and views in natural light. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and observe artists of multiple medias recreating scenes from the Hudson Crossing Park landscape.

• Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor’s Center and tour road open:
  9 am to 5 pm
  Visit the site of the Turning Point of the American Revolution! Here, in the autumn of 1777, American forces met, defeated, and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory renewed patriots' hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world.

• Philip Schuyler House:
  NPS Ranger-guided tours: 10 am, 10:30 am, 11 am, & 11:30 am
  Open house: 1 pm - 4 pm
  Fans of the musical “Hamilton” may recognize the name “Schuyler” and, in fact, this is the home that the Schuyler sisters refer to as visiting upstate! Part of the Saratoga National Historical Park, this estate was the country home of General Philip Schuyler both before and after the Battles of Saratoga. The British burned the original house and its outbuildings during their retreat. The present house, erected in 1777 shortly after Burgoyne’s surrender, was the center of Schuyler’s extensive farming and milling operations and will be reopened in 2022 after being closed throughout 2021 for ongoing restoration/renovations. www.nps.gov/sara/planyourvisit/schuyler-house.html

• Fish Tales, the Mob, Corruption Investigations, and more from the Old Champlain Canal:
  11 am
  Meet at the Junction Lock to the west of Lock 5 (by the Mohawk Maiden Parking Lot)
  Join Historian Sean Kelleher for a lively quick tour through some lively history along the Old Champlain Canal. This will be a quick-paced 2 1/2 mile - 90-minute walk along the Champlain Canal.

• Mohawk Maiden Cruises
  Tours on both vessels throughout the day, running every half hour with the Caldwell Belle going north on the hour and the Mohawk Maiden going through the lock on the half-hour:
  11 am - 4 pm
  Tours begin and end at the Hudson Crossing Park floating dock
  Mohawk Maiden Cruises operate a stern wheel paddleboat, the Caldwell Belle, and a pontoon boat, the Mohawk Maiden. Tours begin at HCP’s floating dock just north of Champlain Canal Lock C5. Routes head north up the canal/Hudson River past the Northumberland Dam as well as south through Lock C5. The first cruise of the day for each vessel may be booked in advance by going to mohawkmaidencruises.com or by clicking the Get Tickets button on the Mohawk Maiden Cruises Facebook page. The remainder of the cruises will be offered on a first come, first served basis on the day of the event, cash only. $10/person. Limit six per boat ride. www.mohawkmaidencruises.com

• Get Your Uke On! Ukulele Meetup led by Rural Soul Music Studio + Earth Beat Music Shop
  1pm
  Upper/canalside pavilion, Hudson Crossing Park

  Calling all four-string pickers! Bring your uke, a chair, and a good sense of humor for this ukulele meetup for all ages and levels! Led by Chelsie Henderson of Rural Soul Music Studio, you don’t want to miss this. If you’re not a player but are still looking for fun, stop by and sing along! There will also be a limited number of instruments on hand for visitors of all ages and skill levels to try.

• Building a Bridge of Boats
  1pm
  Hudson Crossing Park Bridge of Boats Overlook
  Join a Park Ranger from the Saratoga National Historical Park for an overview of the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. Discover how 18th century armies dealt with natural obstacles such as the mighty Hudson River. Follow General Burgoyne's army as they moved south from Canada making their way to Albany, including crossing the Hudson via a “Bridge of Boats” right here at Hudson Crossing Park. 

• Experience Kambal Yoga with Jamie Lemnotis
  1:30pm - 5pm
  Hudson Crossing Park Field
  Kambal is a unique yoga practice that combines body scanning, yoga nidra (a guided meditation done while lying down), restorative poses, reiki, massage, and inspirational readings while using weighted blankets and cushions for support. Jaime will will be explaining how the process of Kambal works to soothe and restore the body with soft music and hands on touch during ten minute sessions. A small fee will apply.

• 1777 Saratoga Siege Tour
  2pm
  Meet at the Dix Bridge, Hudson Crossing Park
  Join Saratoga Historian and Saratoga 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commissioner Sean Kelleher for a tour from the Hudson River to Fish Creek looking at the turning point of the American Revolution. This will be a quick-paced 2 1/2 mile - 90-minute walk along the Champlain Canal. The tour starts at the Dix Bridge in Hudson Crossing Park.

• Local Art Sale in partnership with Lake George Arts Project:
  starting at 3 pm
  Under the HCP tent
  Take a souvenir home in the form of a new piece of art! HCP is partnering with the Lake George Arts Project to offer an art sale with a focus on the work of local artists from Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties.

• The Marshall House tours and talk:
  3 pm
  The Marshall House, 136 Route 4 North (right across the road from HCP!)
  The Baroness Riedesel, as portrayed by Debbie Bailey, will greet visitors and tell the story of how she and her children endured a week long bombardment at the Marshall House during the American siege of Saratoga in 1777. The Baroness documented their struggle in her journals, which are still in publication today. A neighbor to Hudson Crossing Park, the Marshall House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now a private residence, it is opened by its owners for special events and group tours. Each tour and reenactment will last approximately one hour, a $10 donation per adult is suggested. Children are free. Preregistration is required: www.themarshallhouse.org

• Volcanic Fire in Ancient New York: the Stark’s Knob Pillow Basalt, led by Dr. Ed Landing, New York State Paleontologist, emeritus:
  4 pm
  Stark’s Knob, Starks Knob Rd, Schuylerville, NY 12871.
  *Please park in the Knox Pocket Park located at the corner of Stark’s Knob Road and Route 4. Stark’s Knob is located just up the hill - look for the flagpoles.*
  A little-known and yet incredibly important local landmark, Stark’s Knob was occupied by General John Stark’s troops in October 1777 to block the retreat of the British-Hessian army from the Battles of Saratoga…and yet the historical significance of the site predates the Revolutionary War by much more: The rock is a pillow basalt that flowed onto an ancient seafloor about 450 million years ago. Join Dr. Ed Landing for this educational and informative talk and tour of Stark’s Knob.

• Drumming Circle led by Rural Soul Music Studio + Earth Beat Music Shop
  5pm
  Meet in the HCP Field
  Find the beat on a traditional West African Djembe drum with instructors from Rural Soul Music Studio. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose. A Limited number of instruments will be on hand for visitors of all ages and skill levels to try.

• Wa Lika Band
  6pm
  HCP Field
  Patrick Kasongo is a capital region musician that has been performing in festivities and social events in the region for more than a decade. His ensemble, Wa Lika, interpret Congolese Rumba and Sebene. Patrick grew up in Kinshasa, Capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo and started playing music at a young age with a self-made one string guitar similar to Diddley bows found in the US blues tradition.

• Albany Symphony Orchestra
  7:30pm
  HCP Field
  The Albany Symphony Orchestra will be presenting world class music right in your backyard! The program will include Takuma Itoh: Endangered Species, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra…as well as popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!