Photo: Don Berthiaume
Pete & Toshi Seeger River Front Park
Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park
The River Pool at Beacon is located off the northwest corner of Pete and Toshi Seeger River Front Park. The pool includes a changing area nearby. In addition to the River Pool, Riverfront Park offers recreational amenities right on the Hudson River including: access to River Pool, picnic areas and barbecues; a playground, and basketball courts. The Beacon Sloop Club hosts the Strawberry, Corn, and Pumpkin Festivals in June, August, and October each year.
The park offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and the City of Newburgh.
The Beacon community gathered at the river to celebrate and honor Pete and Toshi Seeger’s many contributions to the community, and the re-naming of Riverfront Park to Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.
A new sign was unveiled and many dignitaries spoke at the ceremony held at the Beacon Sloop Club’s annual Strawberry Festival on June 15, 2014.
The Parks is open daily from dawn to dusk. Click here for the City of Beacon, NY government website.
Toshi Seeger
Toshi Seeger (born Toshi Aline Ohta; July 1, 1922 – July 9, 2013) was an American filmmaker, producer and environmental activist.
Toshi and Pete Seeger, were founding members of River Pool, they founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a nonprofit organization that sought to protect the Hudson River and surrounding wetlands and waterways through advocacy and public education. The Seegers also created the Great Hudson River Revival, an annual music and environmental festival.
Toshi Seeger helped to set up the Newport Folk Festival during the early 1960s. She has also been credited with helping to discover Mississippi John Hurt, a country blues musician, during the same era.
Under her direction, she introduced sign language interpreters, disabled-accessible wheelchair access, and recycling programs to the Newport Folk Festival. She recruited up-and-coming musical artists to perform at the festival through its planning committee, including Tracy Chapman, before they achieved popularity elsewhere.
In 1965, she took part in the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. She developed a career as a filmmaker and producer, often focusing on folk music and musicians.
Toshi executive produced the 2007 PBS documentary, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, which won an Emmy Award. She was 85 years old at the time of the documentary’s production. She served on numerous civic, environmental and artistic organizations, including the NYS Council on the Arts.
Toshi Seeger died at her home in Beacon, New York, on July 9, 2013, at the age of 91.
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and environmental and social activist.
Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably their recording of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene”, which topped the charts in 1950.
Throughout his life, Seeger continued his support of civil and labor rights, racial equality, international understanding, and anti-militarism, and he continued to believe that songs could help people achieve these goals.
In 1955, Seeger was subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Seeger refused to name personal and political associations on the grounds. He was convicted of contempt of Congress in 1961, but in 1962, an appeals court overturned his conviction.
In the 1960s, Seeger re-emerged as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture, workers’ rights, and environmental causes.
A prolific songwriter, his songs include “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”, “If I Had a Hammer, and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Seeger was one of the folk singers responsible for popularizing the spiritual “We Shall Overcome”, the anthem of the civil rights movement. Seeger changed the lyric from “We will overcome” to the more singable “We shall overcome”.
Toshi and Pete Seeger, were founding members of River Pool, they founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a nonprofit organization that sought to protect the Hudson River and surrounding wetlands and waterways through advocacy and public education. The Seegers also created the Great Hudson River Revival, an annual music and environmental festival.
Pete died at New York–Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on January 27, 2014, at the age of 94.
