Hilltown Families 
RiverFest 2007
RiverFest 2007
Celebrating Energy That’s Clean & Green
As spring turns to summer, the village of Shelburne Falls is once again preparing for its annual educational celebration of the Deerfield River and the surrounding countryside … RiverFest 2007!
RiverFest 2007 will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 9. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Energy That’s Clean & Green,” and event organizers are making sure that visitors will have plenty of opportunities to go with the flow.
- Beginning with a performance by “SunnyGreen,” a giant dancing puppet by Maya Apfelbaum, the streets of the village will be filled with music and fun, and a wide array of informative presentations and displays.
- Visitors will have a chance to learn about sources of safe, sustainable energy, how to identify invasive and edible wild plants, and the origins of the Potholes (contrary to popular belief, they are not glacial).
- Grownups and youngsters can take a virtual tour of #3 power station and discover how a hydroelectric plant operates.
- Get up close and personal to some of the birds of prey that soar through local skies.
- Find out about the “100-Mile Diet” as well as the environmental and health benefits of eating locally grown foods.
- Send some quality time rafting on the river.
There will also be street musicians and vendors, singing and storytelling, children’s games, a mask- and puppet-making workshop (you don’t have to be a kid!) leading up to the fabulous “Frog & Flower Parade” a “Quilting Challenge,” art contests, trolley rides, fly-tying demonstrations, The Mary Lyon foundation Antique Sale, book, tag and bake sales, and much, much more. Hop aboard the free shuttle bus or just stroll through town at your leisure.
From a musical gathering on the deck overlooking the Potholes to start the day’s events, to an evening showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” presented by Pothole Pictures, this year’s RiverFest offers entertainment, practical information and a wealth of ecological inspiration for people of all ages.
Come early, stay late! Gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for our natural resources-and take home some wonderful memories!
Scheduled events, among many others”
10:15am MayaFireArt dance performance
10:45am Puppet making workshop
11am Wild edibles or Birds of Prey
1pm Frog and flower parade
1:15pm Lui Collins
2:15pm Birds of Prey
3pm Gardening for kids
5-7:30pm Dinner, music & film
Come celebrate energy that’s clean & green at RiverFest 2007
SHELBURNE FALLS — Saturday, June 9, the Deerfield River Watershed Association, working with local merchants, area organizations and members of the Student Conservation Association will present the 19th-annual RiverFest.
The streets of the village will be filled with music provided throughout the day by talented performers from all over western Massachusetts. Catch the beat and join the fun starting at 10:15, when a giant solar puppet named “Sunny Green,” created and operated by Maya Apfelbaum, will be dancing to the rhythm of the river on the deck overlooking the Potholes.
Those who would rather just sit back and listen will have opportunities to enjoy the Songs and Stories of Lui Collins. And anyone, of any age, is welcome to make a mask or puppet and march in the tuneful Frog & Flower Parade at 1 p.m., a longtime RiverFest tradition.
Starting at 10 a.m., famous local artisans and other vendors will be displaying their wares. Shop for delicious home-baked goods and locally grown vegetables … browse through the community libraries’ book sales … or visit an art exhibit.
You can stop by the Master Gardeners’ booth, where kids can learn about seed starting and adults will get the lowdown on invasive plants.
Find out about the “100-Mile Diet” and the environmental and health benefits of eating locally grown foods.
Learn to identify, prepare and enjoy wild foods and medicines found in woods, fields and backyard weed patches.
Or figure out a way to turn a troublesome invasive into something useful, decorative or delicious, and you might win this year’s Japanese Knotweed Contest.
Whether you’re interested in sources of safe, sustainable energy — like the Deerfield River itself — or the origins of the Potholes (as Prof. Richard Little will explain, they are not glacial) … whether you want to meet some of the birds of prey that soar through local skies or you’re just looking forward to a day of fun in a beautiful setting, RiverFest will fill the bill.
It’s an educational celebration of the Deerfield River and the natural world — an interactive event “Celebrating Energy That’s Clean & Green.” See you there!