The Town of Cortlandt kicked off summer with a grand opening celebration for its new Waterfront Performance Stage. Musical entertainment was provided by The Fast Lane, with a lawn-full of residents singing along and moving to the beat on a beautiful June evening at Cortlandt Waterfront Park, 77 Riverview Avenue, Verplanck.
Children’s eyes lit up at the “Touch-a-Truck” featuring town, village, and state vehicles they could explore up close. Magician David Levitin mesmerized the audience, as did the laser light show sponsored by CertainTeed.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker, joined by local officials, including New York State Senator Peter Harckham, who helped secure $600,000 in Senate grant funding for construction of the amphitheater. That covered almost half the total cost of $1,425,000, for an asphalt walking path, new concrete sidewalks, electrical upgrades, landscaping and new benches. The grant money is made possible by the state Senate’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability and Technology (CREST) program.
Work on the 1,800 square foot, 34-foot x 42-foot open performance stage began in September 2023; the amphitheater is located at the eastern end of Cortlandt Waterfront Park, near the marina and boat yards. The property, initially owned by James Martin and operated as a seaplane facility, subsequently became a fenced-in trailer park.
Martin deeded the property to the Town of Cortlandt, with the caveat that it should be turned into a public park 10 years after his death. In 1990, the Town of Cortlandt took ownership and began restoration of the 33-acre property; it is the only location between New York City and Albany unobstructed by railroad tracks and with shoreline access to the river.
The Town of Cortlandt hosts a summer concert and movie series in Waterfront Park, and for the past several years has rented Westchester County’s portable stage as it made plans to build a permanent amphitheater. Today, the new amphitheater is situated overlooking the Hudson River with an acre of open lawn space in front for additional seating. A portion of the stage is covered.
The grand opening of the stage marked the start of the 2024 Cortlandt Summer Concert & Movie Series. Free music and movies are on Thursday evenings through August 8. There are three evenings remaining in the six-event series, which began in mid-June. Food vendors on site include American Dogs, Crispin Dopamine, Homestyle Desserts, Mister Softee, Octavio’s Food Wagon. In the event of inclement weather, the Town will try to re-schedule.
For more information [arrow] Town of Cortlandt Supervisor’s Office, 914-734-1002.
