Folk Picnic

WHEN: 12pm-5pm Saturday, August 22, 2026
WHERE: USC Theater, 18 Camp Loop Road, Beacon, NY 12508 – map

Join Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for our third annual Folk Picnic on Saturday, August 22, 2026! Folk Picnic is a day of music, community, and activism, featuring a full lineup of musicians, kids’ activities, and environmental education, opportunities to learn about and take action for the Hudson River, and refreshments available for purchase.

Parking is extremely limited, so we suggest walking or biking if you’re local, or otherwise parking at the Beacon Metro North Station and taking the Beacon Free Loop Bus (G Bus) to Wolcott Avenue and Howland Avenue and walking 0.5miles to the USC Theater. There are also several cab companies in Beacon with City of Beacon medallions.

A note on weather: Clearwater’s Folk Picnic is rain or shine! If the weather is challenging, Folk Picnic will take place inside the USC Theatre.

Free community music events are made possible by the generous support of individuals and businesses. Sponsorship opportunities are available – for more information, contact Bill Braine at sponsors@clearwater.org.

About Folk Picnic

Clearwater’s Annual Folk Picnic is a return to our musical roots. In the 1960s, when Pete and Toshi Seeger and their co-founders set out to build Clearwater, they organized community folk picnic fundraisers using music as a tool to unite people behind a shared goal of restoring and protecting the Hudson River by “building a boat to save the river”. Nearly 60 years later, Clearwater is carrying our musical heritage forward with a free, community-centered day of music, celebration, family activities, and Hudson River advocacy.

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Clearwater’s Folk Picnic is a project of The Great Hudson River Revival.

2026 Folk Picnic Performers

Betty & The Baby Boomers
Based in New York’s Hudson Valley and together for more than 35 years, Betty and the Baby Boomers (Betty Boomer, Jean Valla McAvoy, Paul Rubeo, Steve Stanne, and Robert Bard) have been recognized regionally – they “sing and play old-school folk like it was brand spanking new” (Kingston’s Daily Freeman); nationally – “a refreshing reminder of the halcyon days of American folk music” (Sing Out!); and internationally, with many bookings over the years for Clifden Arts Week, a well-known festival in Ireland. The group wraps distinctive four-part harmonies and sparkling guitar, and Dobro licks around songs from Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, and others who inspired their generation, plus original and contemporary material in that tradition. They also walk the walk: In October, 2016, the Hudson River Environmental Society recognized the group’s roots in and commitment to teaching about the Hudson, honoring them with its Outstanding Environmental Communicator award.

Hannah Lee Thompson

Kyle Tigges

Photo: Carl Rickard

Samoa Wilson
Since she was 12 years old, Samoa Wilson has been captivating audiences with a voice the New York Times calls “sweet, effortless, old-timey”. Raised in the riverbed of traditional North American folk music, she came up in the Boston scene, under the wing of jug band and folk legend Jim Kweskin. Her two duos, The Four O’Clock Flowers, and Fatboy Wilson & Old Viejo Bones, have become staples of the thriving New York City folk community. Additionally her vintage jazz trio has been filling ears with material from the golden era of 20’s & 30’s musical treasure, a sound at once bluesier and more contemporary than expected. Her choice of repertoire makes the difference: torchy and honeyed renditions of haunting little-known tunes, from a woman’s perspective. From the source of the traditional and classic material, she poses a modern complaint, salutes the transformation of women’s work and suffering into women’s triumph.

They Like Rum!

Photo: Alan Thomas

Walkabout Clearwater Chorus
The Walkabout Clearwater Chorus is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and social action through song and education. A New York not-for-profit organization of volunteers operating under the name Walkabout Clearwater Sloop Inc., the Chorus is a chartered member-club of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and its activities support the work of its parent organization. More than just a singing group, the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus performs at a wide range of venues, including its own Coffeehouse, as well as rallies and marches. Through school programs, the Chorus introduces folk music to younger generations. At its core, the group is made up of activists—using their voices to address the pressing issues of today, uniting song with purpose.

Past Folk Picnic Performers

2025 Folk Picnic Performers

Beyond the Ridge
Beyond the Ridge is a Hudson Valley band featuring Jim Pospisil, Paul Rubeo (the Elder), Michael Clarke, Emmy Hastings and Paul Rubeo (the Younger), all of whom have been performing extensively throughout the area for many years. Their music draws from Folk/Rock and Americana styles and is highlighted by rich vocal harmonies. The band mixes humorous and thought provoking original songs with unique and intricate arrangements of covers.

Jacob Bernz
Jacob Lee Bernz was born and raised in New York’s Hudson Valley surrounded by the musical friends and colleagues of his father, two-time Grammy winning producer/musician David Bernz. Pete Seeger was a family friend and frequent presence in Jacob’s life. His grandfather, Harold Bernz, helped start People’s Songs, the precursor to Sing Out! magazine. His great grandfather was Walter Lowenfels, the poet who co-wrote “Wasn’t That a Time” with Lee Hays. Songwriting literally runs through Jacob’s veins.

Growing up in a house full of musical traditions, Jacob began writing his own songs and playing at a young age. In his early 20s he’s become a prolific songwriter and an accomplished musician. Through his friendship with Pete, and as a member of Clearwater’s Power of Song, Jacob has had the opportunity to play at many distinguished venues including The Guthrie Center, The Tarrytown Music Hall, New York’s Symphony Space and Lincoln Center Out Of Doors. He’s been fortunate to share the stage with notable musicians including David Amram, Guy Davis, Livingston Taylor, Jackson Browne, Tom Chapin and Arlo Guthrie.

Reggie Harris
Reggie Harris is a singer-songwriter, storyteller and world-renowned song-leader who is a powerful interpreter of the global music narrative. An inspirational and engaging entertainer and concert artist, Reggie brings fresh new energy to music’s role in the discourse for inclusion and the struggle for human rights. He was the 2021 winner of both the Spirit of Folk Award from Folk Alliance International and the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Award, and a recipient of the 2018 Magic Penny Award for lifetime achievement for his impact in music from the Children’s Music Network. His most recent album, “On Solid Ground”, was number one CD on the FolkDJ Charts for May 2021.

Linda Richards
Linda Richards has entertained people of the Hudson Valley from school auditoriums to the decks of the sloop Clearwater for over thirty years. A public school classroom teacher for a decade, strolling minstrel, Clearwater’s Education and Music Director, Manitou School music and natural science teacher, guitar instructor and puzzle maker, Linda is multi-talented and multi-directional. Her “Power of Song” program for youth musicians grew and delivered message music to thousands of people from 2009 – 2015. She performs regularly at Clearwater events, local venues and Mohonk Mountain House and was a singer in the Vanaver Caravan’s “Turn Turn Turn!” project, sharing Pete Seeger’s visions through song and dance.

Linda has taught and performed in a vast array of venues, reaching her audience through her wonderful vocal skills, sense of humor and knowledge of our natural world. According to Dar Williams, “Linda has that great gift that Pete Seeger had. She can get a whole room singing and she can get people excited to write and play their own music, too.”

The Wild Swan Band
The Wild Swan Band performs a unique blend of Acoustic Celtic-Americana, featuring both contemporary and traditional songs and tunes. The members are long-time friends who have lived, played, and recorded throughout the Hudson Valley, performing at festivals, halls, and at Irish sessions for decades. The band features Sarah Underhill on vocals, Ian Worpole on guitar, Jon Garelick on mandolin, T.G. Vanini on fiddle, and Robert Bard on bass. Known for their lively St. Patrick’s Day performances, WSB is bound to deliver a spirited mix of Irish tunes, jigs, and reels!

2024 Folk Picnic Performers

Matt Cartsonis
Matt Cartsonis’s musical fate was sealed 15, when he began playing in Arizona’s clubs and wherever else they would let him in on his fake ID. On that reptile-rich road he developed a particular affection for traditional music and the instruments with which that sort of music is traditionally made. Matt somehow managed to veer off of the Honkytonk Highway just long enough to acquire a Vassar degree in biopsychology despite spending a whole lot of his college time in folk music bootcamp with the Hudson River Sloop Singers. He now resides in Santa Monica, CA, out of where he’s toured most famously with the likes of Warren Zevon, Steve Martin and Glen Campbell, and spent the better part of 30 years on and off the road with ex Nitty Gritty Dirt Bander John McEuen. Along with the previously mentioned, he’s most enjoyed bragging about recording and working with Jennifer Warnes, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, Joanna Newsom, Beck and Nirvana. When off the road, He writes music for movies and TV (check out his IMDB page!), is a Sundance Composers Lab Fellow, and is a Grammy-nominated audiobook producer.

Joe Heukerott
Joe Heukerott is a folkie singer-songwriter who was professionally active from the late 70’s through about the mid to late 90’s. His music was first introduced by Bob Sherman on his Woody’s Children radio program on WQXR. Joe’s affiliation with Clearwater includes appearances at The Great Hudson River Revival, both as a member of the Hudson River Sloopsingers and as a solo performer. In addition, Joe participated in four Pumpkin Sails as a member of Clearwater’s musical crew. He has performed at The Winnipeg Folk Festival, The Kerrville Folk Festival, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, and at clubs and coffee houses including Mike Porco’s Folk City, Cafe Lena, The Towne Crier Cafe, The Eighth Step, and The Turning Point. Joe’s song, “Hungry,” was performed by Pete Seeger at Carnegie Hall and at The Saratoga Performing Arts Festival. In addition to Woody’s Children, his music received radio play on WFDU by Ron Olesko and Bill Hahn, on WNEW-FM by Pete Fornatale, on WFMU and other stations by Sonny Ochs, as well as by WBAI legends, Steve Post and Bob Fass. Joe’s first album, “Bittersweet,” recorded at Fred Hellerman’s Honeywind Studio was heralded by Stereo Review magazine’s Alanna Nash as a “stunning debut.” A subsequent album, “Save a Little Time,” also recorded at Honeywind, remains unreleased.

School of Rock (Beacon NY)
Their programs, camps, and workshops for toddlers, kids, teens, and adults make learning to play music fun and create great communities of musicians, combining one-on-one drum, bass, keyboard, vocal, and guitar lessons with group practices. Students learn to play music from day one and perform at local venues. Their experienced instructors are local musicians themselves, who combine the performance-based School of Rock Method and programs with individual music lessons.

More than just a singing group, the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus performs at a wide range of venues, including its own Coffeehouse, as well as rallies and marches. Through school programs, the Chorus introduces folk music to younger generations. At its core, the group is made up of activists—using their voices to address the pressing issues of today, uniting song with purpose.