To raise funds for the original construction of the Clearwater, Pete Seeger held small, free, pass-the-hat fundraising concerts throughout the Hudson Valley. These nomadic folk picnic fundraisers continued traveling across the region through the 1960s and 1970s, taking root as a music festival in 1978 at Croton Point, becoming The Great Hudson River Revival.
Since the 1960s, the Clearwater Festival has grown into the country’s largest annual environmental celebration, its music, dance, and storytelling, education, and activism attracting thousands of people of all ages to the shores of the Hudson River. The much-beloved event grew into one of the country’s oldest and largest annual music and environmental festivals, known for its award-winning Zero Waste program, which inspired similar practices at festivals across the country.
The event continued in its traditional form until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and was produced virtually in 2021. The Great Hudson River Revival continues at Clearwater through projects including the annual Clearwater Folk Picnic, coordinating music for the Kingston Earth Fair, music sails, and various other concerts and performances. If you are a musician interested in playing music for Clearwater, please submit our musician interest form.
Clearwater serves a mission to protect the Hudson River and steward the next generation of environmental leaders through education, advocacy, sailing, and music. Learn more about Clearwater’s education programs, advocacy efforts, and sailing opportunities.
New York State Museum Exhibit
Can Music (and a Boat!) Save the River? The Great Hudson River Revival and the Clearwater
In autumn 2026, a new exhibit opened at the New York State Museum celebrating Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and the role of music and our sloop in building the movement to save the Hudson River. The exhibit consists of a collection of Great Hudson River Revival signs, programs, photographs, and other artifacts donated to the New York State Museum with the support of the Harper House Music Foundation. The exhibit will ensure Clearwater’s history of music, education, community, and activism will be preserved and shared as our work continues.
The initial exhibit will be on display in the West Corridor of the museum from Saturday, October 10, 2026 through April 25, 2027, with a larger exhibition opening in 2028 or 2029.
Learn more about the exhibit and read the donation announcement.
Photos from the Great Hudson River Revival over the Decades
