 |
| Interim County Administrator Dan Frank Chairman Wayne C. Speenburgh Legislator, District #2 wspeenburgh@discovergreene.com |
|
Legislator, District #1 Legislator, District #1 Legislator, District #1 Legislator, District #1 Legislator, District #2 Legislator, District #3 Legislator, District #4 Legislator, District #5 Legislator, District #6 Legislator, District #7 Legislator, District #8 Legislator, District #8 Legislator, District #9 |
For Immediate Release: September 16, 2009Catskill to Welcome Fleet of Traditional Dutch Sailing ShipsOn September 18-19 as Part of Quadricentennial Celebration (CATSKILL, New York, September 16, 2009) – A fleet of 18 traditional Dutch sailing ships will be docked in Greene County this weekend as part of New York State’s ongoing Quadricentennial celebration and NY400: Holland on the Hudson. The wooden “barges” – as they are known in the Netherlands – are retracing Henry Hudson’s voyage 400 years ago from New York Harbor to Albany. The yachts are expected to arrive on Friday, September 18 at about 2:00 p.m. at Historic Catskill Point at 1 Main Street in Catskill, where there will be a welcoming ceremony with local dignitaries starting at 5:00 p.m. The public can view and interact with the crews of the flat-bottom sailing vessels – which measure up to 60-feet long – when they are docked at the marinas. Most are crewed by Dutch families. The Onrust, a replica of the first Dutch ship built in America, is expected to be among the boats. The boats will spend the night at several marinas and docks along Catskill Creek, before departing at about 11:00 a.m. the next day. The boats, which have about 100 people aboard, will spend Saturday night in Coxsackie. The welcoming of the Dutch flotilla was made possible by a joint effort of the Town of Catskill, Village of Catskill, Greene County Tourism and Heart of Catskill Association/Catskill Chamber of Commerce. “We are excited to welcome these Dutch barges and their crews to Catskill,” said Peter Markou, Supervisor of the Town of Catskill. “We want to introduce these Dutch families to the best that Catskill has to offer – our marinas, our shops, our restaurants and our vibrant, historic village. They will have a special treat with Cat ‘n Around Catskill taking place.” The Town of Catskill arranged for bus transportation from the marinas throughout the village to assist the Dutch guests. The Village of Catskill will be providing entertainment. “The Village of Catskill is proud to welcome the Dutch fleet to our shores,” remarked Vincent Seeley, President of the Village of Catskill. “The Dutch were quick to see the possibilities of the New World during Henry Hudson’s legendary expedition four centuries ago and we hope that these modern-day crewmembers will return to the Netherlands with news of our rich heritage and everything our community has to offer visitors.” Warren Hart, Director of Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning, extended a special thank you to the following people, who allowed the Dutch sailing ships to stay for free at their docks:
For more information, call Greene County Tourism at 943-3223 or visit www.spts.nl
|
Greene County Economic Development, Tourism & Planning
Warren Hart, Director, AICP
411 Main Street Catskill NY 12414 Phone: (518) 719-3290 Fax: (518) 719-3789