RAIN OR SHINE, NEWBURGH SHOWED UP
The morning started with rain but that didn’t stop our community from coming out to Quassaick Creekfest at Crystal Lake.
Families arrived ready to explore. Kids got curious about what lives in our water. Neighbors, kayaked, danced, ate, learned, laughed, and spent the day together. Then the clouds began to clear, the sunshine came through, and Crystal Lake came alive.
A day like Creekfest only happens through collaboration. We are incredibly grateful to our community partners: The Brain and Body Coalition, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, The City of Newburgh, Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy, Newburgh Sanctuary, HV Interpreters & Translators, Kozonga Dance by Nkoula Badila, Newburgh Environmental Justice Fellowship Program, Newburgh Waterways Center, Our Elements, Outdoor Promise, Quassaick Creek Greenway, Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance, Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, and The Newburgh Clean Water Project.
And a huge thank you to every volunteer, artist, musician, educator, youth leader, family, and neighbor who came out, even in the rain, and made the day what it was.
It was a beautiful reminder of what happens when a community shows up for our water, our environment, and one another. Watch our recap video filmed and produced by the Newburgh Sanctuary Youth Media Team.
5 WAYS WE MADE A SPLASH
1. WE BECAME COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS
Through AquaBlitz, kids and families got an up-close look at the life within our watershed, examining water specimens, asking questions, and discovering what lives in the waterways. It was especially exciting to see young people turn curiosity into discovery and connect science with the environment around them.
2. WE GOT OUT ON THE WATER
Kayaking and fishing gave neighbors a chance to experience Crystal Lake from a whole new perspective, and simply enjoy being outside and on the water together. For some, it was also an opportunity to try something new and experience just how much this beautiful community resource has to offer.
3. WE CONNECTED WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The Community Partners Showcase brought together organizations doing important work across Newburgh and the region. Neighbors had the chance to meet the people behind this work, learn about local environmental and community initiatives, discover resources, and find new ways to get involved.
4. WE CREATED + LEARNED TOGETHER
Block screen printing, garden exploration, environmental education, and hands-on activities gave all ages opportunities to slow down, get curious, make something they can keep as a memory. Creekfest made environmental learning something families could experience together through creativity, conversation, and play.
5. WE ATE, DANCED + CELEBRATED
The rain cleared and the celebration grew! Amazing congolese dance + drumming with Nkoula & Angel. Live music by Talie and Angel Lau & Illari Collective and a community meal by Sabores de Mi Pueblo brought everyone together and filled Crystal Lake with music, movement, laughter, and joy. After a wet start to the day, seeing everyone gather, eat, move, and celebrate together made the sunshine feel even sweeter.
THANK YOU, NEWBURGH 💚
To everyone who looked at the rain and decided to come anyway—thank you.
You helped turn a gray morning into a beautiful celebration of our watershed and our community.
We can't wait to gather with you at Crystal Lake again.
October 4th Garlic Planting & Winter Bed Prepping
You’re invited to join us in the garden for a meaningful community gathering as we tuck our winter garlic into the earth.
Garlic rests in the cold ground for 9 months, a quiet incubation cycle before emerging for the summer harvest. Alongside each clove, we will be placing intentional love notes into the soil, writing down what we wish to seed, nurture, and bring forth in our own lives over the coming seasons.
Come be in community, put your hands to the earth, and plant your intentions so they may grow and manifest with the spring thaw.
📅 When: Sunday, October 4th
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
📍 Where: 61 Temple Ave Newburgh NY
