Brightwork: A Makers’ Festival Featuring National Boat Building Challenge - June 23 & 24

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to present Brightwork: A Makers’ Festival featuring the National Boat Building Challenge on Saturday, June 23 and 24, 2018. This year the museum is expanding the event to two days and will feature classes, demos, and local vendors in addition to live music and an expanded field of competitors for the boat building challenge. 

Brightwork: A Makers’ Festival is a two-day family-friendly event and celebration of craftsmanship that will showcase over 30 juried artisan and maker booths, many with live demonstrations. Interested makers and craftsmen are encouraged to apply here.

Two-person teams build a 12-foot Carolina Bateau rowing skiff in under four hours which will be raced in a rowing competition on the Rondout Creek. Boat building speed, accuracy, and seaworthiness are requirements for winning and competitors will be judged on these categories. First, second and third place winners will receive cash prices!

Teams are strongly encouraged to participate in a practice build on Saturday, June 2. Winners of previous challenges will demonstrate all the tips and tricks to complete the build in the four hours while maximizing points. Participants families are invited as well. The entry fee to participate is $200.00. To sign up, please visit www.hrmm.org.

About the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y., the Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. HRMM opened the Riverport Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Riverport Sailing School in 2017.