The Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival (The Clearwater Festival)
June 16-17, 2018
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival
Founded by Pete Seeger, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival (The Clearwater Festival) Announces Lineup Featuring Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy, Ani DiFranco, They Might Be Giants, The Mavericks, Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Hot Rize, Beth Orton, Langhorne Slim plus many more
Tickets on sale now at www.ClearwaterFestival.org.
(Kids 11 and Under Free)
BEACON, NY– Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival), celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2018. Prior to 1978, the Festival was a one-day event known as the Hudson Valley Folk Picnic.
Revival is the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, bringing together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. Clearwater Festival 2018, which takes place on June 16 and 17, on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, NY announces its initial line-up.
A number of Clearwater’s favorite artists will be returning this year including: The Mavericks, Ani DiFranco, Tom Paxton & The DonJuans, Tom Chapin, Joanne Shenandoah, David Amram, Josh White Jr., The Mammals (featuring Mike + Ruthy), Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Dan Zanes, The Nields, The Kennedys and Dance Troupe The Vanaver Caravan.
Artists the Festival will welcome for the first time this year include: Jeff Tweedy, They Might Be Giants, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Rhiannon Giddens, bluegrass greats Hot Rize (celebrating their 40th year), British folk-rocker Beth Orton, folk-country troubadours Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore (performing on stage together), critically acclaimed rocker Willie Nile and his band, husband and wife duo The War and Treaty and open vocal participation group Choir! Choir! Choir!
The Festival’s parent organization, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc, continually looks to develop the next generation of environmental advocates into supporters of the organization. At the Festival, Clearwater fosters this by programming emerging artists who appeal to a younger demographic. This year, the Festival is excited to present: singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim, NYC based chanteuse Margaret Glaspy, folk/bluegrass band Mipso, Latin music inspired indie band Making Movies, indie folk band River Whyless, UK based singer-songwriter Jalen N’Gonda and blues-country influenced singer-songwriter Parker Milsap.
As part of the Festival’s mission to present a diverse and culturally-rich roster of artists from around the world, Clearwater is proud to present: Egyptian human rights activist artist Ramy Essam, Israeli singer-songwriter and activist Yael Deckelbaum & Prayers of The Mothers Ensemble, Venezuelan singer Betsayda Machado, Egyptian DJ and drummer Karim Nagi’s Turbo Tabla, Zydeco greats Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band and Cajun greats Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet.
The Workshop Stage, which saw its debut at the 2017 Festival will be packed with dynamic workshops and performances featuring members of Hot Rize, Rhiannon Giddens, Langhorne Slim, Ramy Essam, Yael Deckelbaum, Beausoleil, CJ Chenier, Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mipso and Willie Nile who will be leading a tribute to songs of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
Visit www.clearwaterfestival.org for a complete list of performers.
This year Clearwater offers some new ticketing options and procedures. Either Day Passes, a new option, which allows you to purchase a single day ticket and use it on either day of the Festival. Youth Passes are reduced-priced tickets for children from ages 12-17 years old. Children 11 and under are still free.
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a destination for music fans and families alike, offering a plethora of family-oriented programming and activities and vendors for kids, including special performances on the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, Children’s Area, storytelling, river beach combing and net seining.
Other offerings that make the Festival experience unique and memorable include the Working Waterfront, offering rides on small boats and tall ships including the sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic Whaler. The Handcrafters’ Village showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable products, services, concepts and technologies for informed lifestyle and business choices. The Discovery and Tideline tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in our Hudson Valley communities. An expanded Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers food sourced from the Hudson Valley.
The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters.
The Clearwater Festival is dependent on our 1,100+ volunteers. To learn more about volunteering, please visit www.ClearwaterFestival.org/volunteer.
Tickets are available for purchase now at www.ClearwaterFestival.org or by calling 888-718-4253 opt. 1. Clearwater members receive a 20% discount off regularly priced advanced tickets. To become a Clearwater member, visit www.clearwater.org or call Clearwater’s membership office at (845)265-8080 ext. 7119.
To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org and the official Facebook and Twitter pages.
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is produced by the nonprofit, member-supported, environmental organization Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. All proceeds support Clearwater’s environmental education and advocacy.
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History of the Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival)
Back in the mid-sixties, after centuries of accumulated sewage pollution and industrial dumping of toxic chemicals, the Hudson River, like many of America’s most important estuaries, was declared “dead”. The river’s fragile ecological system was devastated. Not a single fish was found in many areas, and the level of commercial fishing had dropped so dramatically as to be regarded as nonexistent. Recognizing this incredible social and environmental tragedy, in 1966, Pete Seeger decided “to build a boat to save the river” by holding small, fundraising river concerts throughout the Hudson River Valley where he opened his banjo case to collect contributions to build the sloop Clearwater, a tall ship that would become recognized as America’s Environmental Flagship and a symbol of environmental advocacy. Since the 1960s, the Clearwater Festival has grown into the country’s largest annual environmental celebration, its music, dance and storytelling, education and activism attracting thousands of people of all ages to the shores of the Hudson River.
Past artists include: Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, David Crosby, Citizen Cope, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Natalie Merchant, Jason Isbell, Neko Case, Guster, Drive-By Truckers, Indigo Girls, Martin Sexton, Steve Earle, Bela Fleck, Lake Street Dive, Arlo Guthrie, Los Lobos, Angelique Kidjo, Richie Havens, Old Crow Medicine Show, Grace Potter, Susan Tedeschi, Taj Mahal, Billy Bragg, Hot Tuna, Josh Ritter, Punch Brothers, Dawes, The Lone Bellow, Blind Boys of Alabama and thousands more.
