A stellar day on the waterfront in Rhinecliff

Rainclouds cleared on cue for the 8th annual Rhinecliff Waterfront Day June 14, featuring live music, local food, and exhibits from area businesses and organizations.

On the river, Coast Guardsmen from the Aids to Navigation Team in Saugerties offered tours of their boat and the Rhinebeck crew team launched their shell, as sail boats and kayaks glided by.

On shore, the smell of Spacey Tracy’s fried pickles filled the air, and local band UGUYS kept up a steady stream of rock classics.

At 12:30pm, a crowd gathered to watch Deputy County Sheriff William McKay and his K9 partner, Minka, demonstrate their crime-fighting techniques. That was followed by a pie eating contest at 2pm and a water balloon toss at 4pm.

“The Rhinecliff waterfront is a great natural resource that’s underutilized,” said Waterfront Committee chair Patricia Wind. She invited local residents to stop by and kayak, fish, picnic, or watch the sunset any time.

Results of a feasibility study for further waterfront enhancements are due in August. One potential improvement is a boathouse for the Rhinebeck crew team, which currently travels down to Marist College in Poughkeepsie for practice.

Said Waterfront Committee member Richard Kopyscianski, “We’re working to make the waterfront more user friendly.”

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