A healthy portion of afternoon rain didn’t stop visitors from enjoying a healthy portion of Giffy’s chicken at Riverview Orchards on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The dinner was part of Clifton Park’s first River Days. Other events included a presentation at Grooms Tavern by town historian John Scherer, a 20-mile casual bike ride along the Mohawk Towpath and bird watching at the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve.
Riverview Orchards offered apple-picking, goats and sheep petting, and free hayrides all day. From 4 to 6 p.m., Giffy’s Bar-B-Q served a half chicken dinner.
Robin Dutcher is the town’s assistant parks and recreation director. She helped organize the event and coordinated activities on Saturday.
We have such a beautiful spot here in Clifton Park, Dutcher said. `We need to showcase the river. People aren’t necessarily aware that we have so much going on right on the Mohawk. We’ve tried to pick spots that have a really good vista of the river and provide opportunities for farms along the river.`
On Friday, the town held a catch-and-release fishing derby along the Mohawk near the state power authority. Oliver Presson, 7, caught a 6-inch smallmouth bass and finished in second place among other children. On Saturday, Oliver got a new fishing pole as a prize.
`I used a pretend bait, and it was a golden thing and it was in the daylight so the fish could see it better,` Oliver explained. `When I caught it, the fish did a tail flip.`
Oliver’s mother, Lorraine Calleri, heard about the event at his Cub Scout meeting.
`We like getting them outside, getting them away from technology and getting back towards nature,` she said.
The town recently purchased a 6-acre riverfront property near Riverview Orchards from its owner, Isabel Prescott. Parks and Recreation Director Myla Kramer said the town hopes to have a park developed and open on the land by this time next year for River Days.
`Clifton Park was originally a river town,` Kramer said. `The town has made a major effort in preserving various historic pieces of Clifton Park, and I think that utilizing the land along the river enhances the quality of life along the river and honors that history and tradition of picnicking along the Mohawk.`
Michael O’Brien, an environmental specialist with the town, has worked on town waterfront projects.
`If you look statewide, there’s been a huge push from communities, especially in the western part of the state, toward the riverfront,` O’Brien said. `I think that’s trickling this way.`
Many of the River Days events took place at Riverview Orchards, and the town sold all 200 tickets for the chicken dinner. Prescott said that Riverview Orchards has a good partnership with the town.
`I’ve always worked with them, especially through Farm Fest for years and years,` she said. `We like having the public coming on our farm, we like sharing the land. That’s why I keep it.`
The idea for River Days came from Roy Speckhard, deputy supervisor and former town board member.
`Roy Speckhard wanted something that the town would be able to do some kind of event that would celebrate the river and would highlight the river,` Kramer said. `It was an extremely successful event.“