A little country comes right here to Manhattan with live performances, carnival rides, a petting zoo and more at Summer on the Hudson's 9th AnnuAl West Side County Fair, a park-wide event on Saturday, September 10 from 1-6 pm. The celebration's musical line-up will feature:
Woody Pines, featured in HBO's "Treme," epitomizes the swinging ragtime and country sound of a simpler time. Featuring Woody on guitar, banjo, harmonica and lead vocals, and Zack Pozebanchuk on upright bass and occasional drums and fiddle, Woody Pines is an "intoxicating blend of rural and urban string band, country blues, ragtime and jug band music" (Maverick Magazine, UK).
Regarded as "the top of the jazz banjo world" (Chicago Tribune), Cynthia Sayer is one of the leading four string banjoists in the world today with an eclectic repertoire that ranges from swing and hot jazz to tango, western, classical and more. Cynthia Sayer has worked with a variety of leading jazz and popular artists such as
Dick Hyman,
Wynton Marsalis,
Marian McPartland,
Bill Cosby, Warren Vaché, Les Paul, Wycliffe Gordon,
Marvin Hamlisch,
Bucky Pizzarelli and
Scott Robinson, among others, at venues including the White House,
Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
According to Crooks & Perverts, "quality tunes heal them big city wounds." Composed of Kenneth Cowan (guitar/banjo/vocals), Wilder Lee (banjo/guitar/vocals) and Nathan Allen (upright bass), this Brooklyn band features a broad, world-wide range of musical and lyrical influences from Gábor Szabó to Darby and Tarlton for a sound not heard since Conway Twitty or Mukesh Chand Mathur.
Electric Junkyard Gamelan is the brainchild of band leader, composer and instrument-builder Terry Dame. Originally inspired by the interlocking rhythms of Bali's traditional gamelan music, Electric Junkyard Gamelan performs original music on self-invented instruments to create a diverse range of sounds from eastern modal music to funk, klezmer and hip hop described as "transporting...beautiful and inspired" (Village Voice).
Don and Dot Coy met, where else, but at the 1986 National Square Dance Convention, after which they were soon married. Currently the club caller for AL'e'MO Squares of Brooklyn , Don Coy is a national square dance caller while his wife turns her talents to line dancing, which she teaches in her Kingsborough Community College course, The Folk Dance Class. Together, Dot and Don teach an Introduction to Square Dancing, also at Kingsborough Community.
Summer on the Hudson's West Side County Fair will also feature sideshow acts from Brooklyn's Lady Circus. Mixing culturally relevant narrative with blindingly gorgeous costuming and interactive improvisation, Lady Circus displays a devastating combination of skill and spectacle for the new millennium. Infusing every performance with feral exuberance and stylish extravagance, "women of Lady Circus add a touch of glamour" (AM News).
Together, Riverside Park and West Harlem Piers Park make Summer on the Hudson New York City's largest free festival of the summer. To get the latest on all of Summer on the Hudson's free events, follow the festival on twitter @SummerOnHudson and on Facebook at Riverside Park Fund.
Fairway Market (
www.fairwaymarket.com), which has been a part of the Harlem community for almost 20 years, sponsors a variety of Summer on the Hudson events in West Harlem Piers Park.
About Summer on the Hudson
Summer on the Hudson strives to present events that meet the cultural and recreational needs of the community, enrich the daily lives of New Yorkers and bring diverse groups of people together to enjoy the panoramic north and south views of the Hudson River. Summer on the Hudson programming is free to the public and seating is limited, unreserved, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating begins 1-2 hours before the event. In the event of heavy rain at the time of the event, the event will be cancelled. No rain dates are scheduled. If attendance reaches maximum capacity, management reserves the right to close participation.
About New York City Parks & Recreation
NYC Parks & Recreation is the steward of more than 29,000 acres of land - 15 percent of New York City - including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. Parks & Recreation operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 550 tennis courts, 66 public pools, 48 recreational facilities, 17 nature centers, 13 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. The department cares for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums and looks after 600,000 street trees and two million more in parks. It is New York City's principal provider of recreational and athletic facilities, programs, concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.
General Information
Riverside Park South is located on the Hudson River between 59th and 72nd Streets with entrances at 59th, 68th, 72nd Streets. West Harlem Piers Park is located on the Hudson River between 124th -135th Streets with entrance at 125th Street.
Permanent food and drink concessions (cafes) are located in the park at 62nd, 70th, 79th and 103rd Streets. Mobile vendors can be found in various locations throughout the park. Restrooms are located at 70th, 72nd, 79th, 81st (Playground), 91st (Playground), 97th (Playground), 105th,123rd and 148th (Playground) Streets.
Courtesy of Bike and Roll, bike rental is available at the 72nd Street basketball courts and the 135th Street Greenway this spring and fall from 9am - 7pm, and this summer from 9am - 8pm, dependent on weather.
Funding for public programming brought to you by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Riverside Park Fund and Riverside South Planning Corporation. For more information, to donate to programming, or to volunteer please visit
www.riversideparkfund.org or call 212.408.0219
