Highland throwing Walkway party

Highland is throwing a civic festival to celebrate Walkway Over the Hudson”™s official grand opening Oct. 3 and everyone is invited, say town and county officials.

The party is a daylong affair that will coincide with the ribbon cutting with the Walkway, the world”™s longest pedestrian bridge, standing 212 feet over the Hudson River, linking Poughkeepsie on the east and Highland on the west. Called Highland-Hudson Fest, the festivities in Highland run from noon till 10 p.m., encompassing the official ribbon-cutting in a separate ceremony on the Walkway scheduled for 3 p.m.

People can watch the festivities on a giant screen in the center of town. After they have walked over the Hudson and drank in the vistas, they can come back to the hamlet of Highland for food and music. A block party gets under way at 6 p.m. featuring a band and a “beer garden.”

“We are very excited about the first ever Hudson Fest in our hamlet of Highland,” of Lloyd Town Supervisor Ray Constantino said. “I believe that festivals like this offer a unique opportunity to not only bring our community together, but to highlight that which makes this hamlet, valley and region so special.”

Visitors are encouraged to carpool or utilize the Ulster County”™s public transportation system; UCAT and the 9W loop. Several parking lots are also available in Highland.