County bicentennial to include kayak parade and RiverLink Park events on Aug. 23

City staff said they are partnering with Montgomery County on a bicentennial celebration set for Saturday, Aug. 23 at RiverLink Park that will include a kayak parade, daytime activities and fireworks.

Organizers described a kayak run from Fonda to the South Side Boat Launch that takes about four hours and said they expect large turnout; one staff reference estimated about 300 participants based on past events. The event schedule discussed in the meeting included kayakers arriving around 2 p.m., a day of activities at RiverLink Park through the evening and fireworks at roughly 9 p.m.

Planning topics included traffic and parking logistics for vehicles retrieving kayaks, staging and overflow parking, whether a special event permit was required for a river-based route (the transcript indicates the participants questioned if a permit was needed), and safety coordination with the Amsterdam Fire Department (AFD), the sheriff''s office and APD. Staff said the sheriff''s office and other agencies have boats and jet skis and that law-enforcement watercraft would be part of the safety plan.

Organizers also discussed unique event programming, including river tours, a band provided by the Waterfront Foundation, possible vendor ideas (including interactive activities), and several raffles; one raffle item mentioned was an adaptive kayak for people with mobility impairments. Staff said the county is paying for the bicentennial and that they are working from a clean slate to design a different program than routine vendor lineups.

Ending: Staff said they will coordinate with AFD and the sheriff''s office on water safety, finalize parking plans for kayak staging and confirm whether a special event permit is required for the river segment.