Thank you to the 700+ who came to the Fair Haven waterfront and made the 5th annual Quinnipiac Riverfest a resounding success—and the biggest ever! Quinnipiac Riverfest started as an initiative to get more New Havenites, from all neighborhoods, on the water. We help provide access for the day to responsible enjoyment of our largest—literally—Elm City amenity: the harbor and waterfront! In addition to providing water access to all, Q-Riverfest is a day for listening to live local bands, plenty of beer tastings by local breweries, food from the Boat House Café at the Quinnipiac River Marina, and this year, lots of basking in the warm sun!
Riverfest organizers are proud that this year in the lead-up to the event we piloted a successful donation drive to help sponsor kids, who otherwise may not be able to afford a canoe ride, to get on the water! $5 for each canoe ride covers the cost of insurance for the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association. We asked community members to donate $5, $10, or more dollars to help pay for the canoe ride—we were prepared to *not* turn any child away because of inability to pay. This year nearly 100 canoe trips were taken on the Quinnipiac—a new record!
Q-Riverfest is an annual celebration of the Quinnipiac River and the historic Fair Haven waterfront and is organized by the Economic and Community Development committee of the Chatham Square Neighborhood Assocation—a diverse group of civic-minded Fair Haven residents trying to build a strong, economically resilient community.
The celebration is always on the first Sunday in May, and it kicks off the Spring/Summer “water-season” in our lovely harbor city. See you next year for Q-Riverfest 2015!
