Riverfront Recapture

ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS: Riverfront Recapture offers family-friendly entertainment in the parks, ranging from cultural performances to concerts and festivals. Riverfront Recapture produces many events, such as the Riverfront Food Truck Festival, Asian Festival, and numerous music, dance, and arts events. Riverfront also collaborates with other organizations to present a diverse schedule of events, such as the Taste of the Caribbean, which celebrates Caribbean culture, music, dance, and food. One hundred forty-two free public events were held in 2023, attracting 33,000 visitors to the Riverfront.

PARK MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: Projects are underway to expand the park system north of the Boathouse to connect to the Windsor riverwalk. Funding was secured in 2017 for extending the riverwalk north of the Boathouse. The City of Hartford is managing the project with a firm providing design and permitting services. Naming this stretch the "Joe Marfuggi Riverwalk" to honor the memory of Riverfront Recapture's former President & CEO, was authorized by the City of Hartford. A separate private fundraising campaign is underway to add unique features along the riverwalk to add exhibitry to tell the history of the Riverfront. This new stretch of riverwalk will end at the boundary of land at the Hartford/Windsor line that Riverfront purchased through a separate entity, Riverfront Land, Inc. The new property will allow for the uninterrupted connection of riverwalk from Charter Oak Landing in Hartford to the Windsor Riverwalk and beyond. The parcel will also provide opportunities for many other activities and potential commercial development, making this location a key attraction on the Riverfront. Several large grants, State and Federal, have been secured since 2021 primarily for the property's environmental remediation, which will begin when permits are approved. The other major ongoing project is a series of improvements to Great River Park in East Hartford. 2023 was spent primarily in the design and permitting phase and construction is expected to begin in 2024. Beginning in 2017, Riverfront Recapture took over the responsibility for park maintenance from the Metropolitan District Commission. Most park maintenance, such as mowing, tree care, and other landscaping, is performed by subcontractors. Volunteers have been incorporated into the maintenance plan as companies are increasingly looking to engage employees on community projects. Riverfront manages the parks for the City of Hartford and the Town of East Hartford. Walkways on the Founders and Charter Oak Bridges connect the municipalities. The Riverfront has been a catalyst for economic investment with the development of hotels, a convention center, a science center, and entertainment complex, and housing on adjacent land. Rangers provide hospitality and information and create a secure environment for park visitors. Rangers are responsible for opening and closing the parks daily throughout the year. Between May and October, the busy season for the parks, the Rangers have an increased presence. They provide information and directions to park visitors, assist with parking and boat launch activities, open and close the parks, and enforce park rules.

RECREATION AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Riverfront Recapture's parks on both banks of the Connecticut River in Harford and East Hartford and the river provide various land and water recreation venues. Visitors to Riverfront Recapture parks participate in individual activities: walking, bird-watching, running, biking, snowshoeing, fishing, and more, and organized group activities, including cricket, volleyball, and 5Ks. Riverfront Recapture's Community Rowing Program, operated out of the Boathouse in Riverside Park, offers classes to youth and adults of all skill leveles, from Learn to Row, to Masters Racing teams, both on water, and indoor during the winter. The fall rowing season culminates with the annual Head of the Riverfront regatta, which attracted 12,000 participants and spectators in 2023. The Riverfront Adventure program includes a ropes course and dragon boating. In addition to club dragon boating throughout the season, Riverfront hosts an annual Dragon Boat Race and Asian Festival. The race expanded to 60 teams in 2023, including local community and corporate participants as well as clubs from out of state. Public boating is possible from three boat launches. Riverfront partners with a number of schools and groups for all of our programs. Programs generally involve participant fees, but many youth programs are either free to participants or subsidized by grants. These activities and daily park usage attracted 770,000 people in 2023.