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Clearwater's Exec Director Talks About The Festival And Two Anniversaries

Courtesy of Clearwater
Greg Williams, executive director of Clearwater

The Great Hudson River Revival, known as the Clearwater Festival, is returning for its usual June weekend this year. There was a question about whether it would be back this year as Clearwater was navigating choppy seas. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with Clearwater Executive Director Greg Williams about the environmental group’s changes and two big anniversaries at this year’s festival.

Williams says at the end of last year’s Clearwater Festival, it was uncertain whether the festival would be back in 2019.  Williams explains why the music and environmental festival is able to return.

Williams says there have been changes at the environmental organization. And he details the changes concerning transparency.

Williams was appointed executive director in 2018.  Williams says after this year, the festival will be a year-to-year decision until Clearwater is in a better financial position. Meantime, this year’s Clearwater Festival has a new producer — Jason Samel of Movement Music Records, a former Clearwater Board member. Samel has produced a number of events, including Seegerfest in 2014 honoring the lives of Pete and Toshi Seeger. Williams says the festival will encompass a mix of the old and the new.

He says the festival will include a greater emphasis on demonstrations of green living techniques as well. And Clearwater has two anniversaries on its calendar — May 17 marks 50 years since the launch of the sloop Clearwater, and late Clearwater founder and folk legend Pete Seeger would have turned 100 May 3.

The Great Hudson River Revival will be held at Croton Point Park in Westchester County June 15-16.

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