Historic Ship Festival

If you’re anywhere near New York City this week, the Fourth Annual North River Historic Ship Festival looks like lots of fun. Hosted by the North River Historic Ship Society, the festival begins Thursday night, June 28th.

Friday June 29th, from 3-6 PM and Saturday from 12-5 PM, there will be free dockside tours of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge No.79, the 105 year old tug Pegasus, and 173-foot former Coast Guard Lighthouse Tender Lilac. Also on Saturday from 12 – 3 p.m. there will be free 45-minute educational trips on the Hudson River, aboard the famous fireboat John J. Harvey and tugboat Pegasus. Space is limited, so reservations are recommended. At 8PM Saturday night, “Aquarium from Austronesia” on the steamship Lilac will feature illuminated sculptures, video and sound installations, live art programming, and musical performances.

On Sunday, July 1, the Showboat Circus will perform at 1 and 4 PM on the Lehigh Valley No 79. On the 98-year-old covered wooden barge, the circus will feature physical comedienne Hilary Chaplain; juggler extraordinaire Will Shaw (who was featured on the Letterman and Jon Stewart shows;) Sophie Sharp (the captain’s daughter) on trapeze; and showboat captain David Sharps doing Chinese vase manipulation.