Preparations are in their final stages for Amsterdam’s eighth annual RiverFest.
The Montgomery County city is once again welcoming visitors from across the region to celebrate the summer with fireworks, two jet ski shows, live music and local vendors.
Assistant Recreation Director Michele Pawlik says the yearly festival at the city’s Riverlink Park keeps getting bigger.
“We have over 60 vendors that will be down in our waterfront. There will be food trucks, there will be face painting. There’s a free kids’ zone area, bounce houses. So, we have so much to offer for the entire family to join, it’s an excuse to get people to come to the city and celebrate our beautiful waterfront and the city of Amsterdam,” said Pawlik.
Pawlik cast a wide net when looking for vendors to fill this year’s RiverFest.
“We love to have people come who do arts and crafts, we love having the food trucks come because they can feature different kinds of foods. We love having people who design and make certain things, wreaths and stuff like that, there’s really something for everybody to enjoy while they’re down there,” said Pawlik.
Saratoga Springs-based Michelle Wagner grew up in Amsterdam and is a self-proclaimed psychic and paranormal investigator. She’ll be set up as a vendor at RiverFest to hold short tarot card readings.
“People love them, we have a good time, we have a good time doing it. And most of all it’s just getting out there, seeing the people. Yes, it’s the end of the summer but for the people that are doing these events over and over and over again, it’s like the beginning of the festival season,” said Wagner.
Wagner says she won’t measure Saturday in terms of how much money she’s able to make.
“It’s a success as how many people I can reach. You know, I reached a lot of people last year in regards to them having issues just to find out that they had their own gift and that they just had no control over it and ended up having session with them for free and just helping them to understand their own gift,” said Wagner.
It’ll be Brent Yager’s second RiverFest as co-owner of Drifter’s – a restaurant located in the main pavilion where the celebration is held.
“Since last year we’ve looked forward to it. It’s one of the biggest events that Amsterdam puts on throughout the year. It brings out thousands of people, it’s just great,” said Yager.
He says his restaurant’s location means parking can be scarce so any time the crowds come to him he makes sure his staff is ready.
“Honestly the best thing is it gives the opportunity for a new customer to try our products at our restaurant that they might not even know that we even exist. So it ends up bringing thousands of people throughout the day and it kind of gives us that platform where people get to try our food, now they say, ‘oh wow I liked that burger, I liked that pulled pork sandwich they have or the ice cream, let’s bring our family back,” said Yager.
Mayor Michael Cinquanti says RiverFest marks the beginning of a busy part of the year for the city.
“And next week, following it up, we have on the 17th of August, we have LatinFest. So, it’s the beginning of—and then we’re going to have ItaliaFest and every Saturday we have the concerts. So, it really is a summer kick-off of the festivals that are going on here. And it’s a great one because it’s August and all of a sudden we’ve got a month left to labor day and the summer’s going, so it’s a last chance sort of thing,” said Cinquanti.
RiverFest runs Saturday from 1-9 p.m.
