River Re-Birthday Party
On Monday, June 22, the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization (aka “the RAP’) is throwing a River Re-Birthday Party, and everyone’s invited. The free, bring-your-own-picnic event will celebrate the 40 years of environmental recovery of the “burning river” since the infamous 1969 fire on that same date, and the return of healthy fish populations to the once-almost-dead waterway.
The informal, open-house party will be from 2 to 8 p.m., on both sides of the river, at the City of Cleveland’ s Heritage Parks I and II (the first is the park with the the “settler’s” cabin on the east bank, and the second is across the river, on the flats’ west bank, by the red Center Street Bridge.)
Activities will include music and games, drumming and dance, a little history and river lore. “Blasts from the past” will have folks recalling some of the music and pop culture of the late 60’s. And, of course, there will be birthday cake. Participants will have an opportunity to win one of the popular new “Ending 40 Years of Cleveland Jokes” t-shirts (visit www.cafepress.com/cuyahogashop to see one.)
Organizers hope that the event will bring people down to the river, even if only for a short visit, to see that the Cuyahoga is not the same river that caught on fire decades ago, that this new Cuyahoga River should be a source of civic pride, and no longer the source of jokes.
For more information and program schedules, go to www.riveryear.org.