Annual Corn Festival Brings Community Together

By Jennifer L. Warren

BEACON – It all started with a photo Pete Seeger’s friend showed him one day.

That image- a boat that was historically correct with the Hudson River- prompted the folk singer and activist Seeger to incite the restoration of “The Second Age of Sail,” attracting people to come down to and share in the majestic beauty and multiple offerings of the local River.

That Seeger-inspired, revitalized boat-dubbed “The Clearwater,” a wooden, gaff-rigged top sail sloop, was soon loaded up with and transported big, bright orange pumpkins, the impetus for the brewing Pumpkin Festival. From there, a summer Strawberry Festival followed and then in mid-August came Seeger’s favorite River gathering: The Corn Festival. Over 50 years later, going stronger than ever, that community, corn-highlighted treasure returned Sunday afternoon to the Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.

“Fresh food is the best part of this festival, as is the music, making new friends and learning about what’s going on ecologically,” said Kurt Hauk, a 25 year member of the Sloop Club, the 501(c)(3) volunteer organization founded by Seeger which aims to preserve, protect and restore the Hudson River through advocacy, education and hosting celebrations such as Sunday’s festival. Enveloped by the breathtaking splendor of the Hudson Valley backdrop that Seeger and his wife, Toshi, both cherished, a large contingent of those Sloop Club volunteers could be spotted keeping the Seeger’s vision of using the River as a unifying vehicle alive. Around 10 of those members, along with other volunteers, seated in a circle and chatting away sharing stories were husking buckets of corn-1000 to be exact. Purchased at Wallkill View Farms in New Paltz, the newly husked cobs-20 at a time- could then be seen being placed into a 12 gallon aluminum pot where they were boiled for three minutes and deftly lifted by a special air carrier device, finally placed into pans to be sold.

“We want the corn to be as fresh as possible when it is purchased,” said one of those hard working Sloop Club volunteers, in constant motion getting the piping hot corn to the sales table. “If we don’t run out of all of it today, we will get whatever is left to people in need.”

With lines extending twenty feet and more during the afternoon rush, the chances of leftovers looked slim. Eager to purchase their $3 tickets (prices are purposely kept-in the spirit of community- “as reasonable as possible”) excited visitors had their choice of corn on the cob style: traditional butter or the more spicy option: Mexican Street corn, brushed with a base coat of mayonnaise and Parmesan, then topped off with an entourage of spices: crushed red pepper, chili powder, oregano, garlic and parsley.

Regardless of the selected recipe, the reactions were similar: “Mmmmmm,” “This is the best corn I’ve ever had,” “Oh my, this is delicious,” could be heard among those sinking their teeth into the featured product of the day. Hot dogs and lemonade were also available for purchase from the Sloop Club, whose proceeds all go toward the festivals, environmental and social issues awareness as well as upkeep of the group’s esteemed sailboat, a restored, scaled-down version of the Clearwater: The Woody Guthrie, an 18th Century Hudson River Ferry Sloop which provides free sailing ventures Monday-Friday at 6pm on the Hudson. Commissioned by the Seeger couple, the 47 foot Woody is used as a powerful symbol to promote river cleanup while educating the public about the integral need for clean water and proactively helping to protect one of our most prized resources: the environment. It’s a deeply rooted passion for the earth-embedded in each of the three festivals and laced with community, hope, music and diversity. A vision initiated back in 1969 by Pete Seeger when the Clearwater was launched, the messages have continued to catch momentum with those diligently carrying out his legacy.

“I absolutely loved Pete Seeger; whatever he wanted to do, I would support it and still continue to do so,” said Bonnie Champion, a 25 year Sloop Club member and chief organizer of the Annual Pete Seeger’s Martin Luther King Jr. Parade-Day’s Essay Contest, who could be seen smiling and interacting with “the incredible variety” of guests as she handed out much appreciated, eagerly anticipated corn on the cob purchases. “He was such an incredible man who changed the world.”