Outdoor Promise is thrilled to return to Crystal Lake for Quassaick Creekfest — a day full of live music, food, art, and outdoor activities for all ages, and we’re kicking things off with a guided community hike.
This free celebration is part of the ongoing We Love Crystal Lake series, and we’re proud to once again be leading folks out onto the land we love. Creekfest brings Newburgh together for a day of nature, discovery, and connection at Newburgh Sanctuary at Crystal Lake — and for us, it’s a chance to do what we do best: get people outside, moving through the landscape, and building community along the way.
At 10:00 AM, Our Elements Outdoor Learning will lead our Guided Community Hike, inviting neighbors of all ages to walk the trails around Crystal Lake with us and explore the beauty and biodiversity of the Quassaick Creek watershed firsthand. Whether you’ve hiked with us before or you’re joining Outdoor Promise for the first time, this is a laid-back, welcoming way to spend the morning outdoors.
Can’t get there on your own? We’ve got you covered. Free transportation is available with limited slots — pick up and drop off at Safe Harbors. Registration is required for both the hike and transportation.
Pick up: 9:30 AM
Drop off: 1:30 PM
Don’t need transportation? Meet us there! Just be sure to register for the hike so we know to expect you.
And the hike is just the start. Throughout the day, the whole park comes alive with hands-on ways to connect with nature: dive into the AquaBlitz to discover the aquatic and terrestrial life that calls our watershed home, kayak on Crystal Lake, try your hand at fishing, join an Environmental Justice water tour along Quassaick Creek, and explore nature-based arts and eco-games. Round it out with a Congolese dance and drumming workshop, gel printmaking, a community meal, and live music and dancing into the afternoon.
For Outdoor Promise, days like this are exactly why we do this work — they’re proof that spending time outside is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to build a healthier, more connected community.
It’s completely free and open to everyone. Come for the hike, stay for the whole day — bring your family, invite your neighbors, and experience Crystal Lake in a whole new way alongside us.
Event Schedule — Saturday, September 13
10:00 AM Guided Community Hike led by Outdoor Promise
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Ongoing Activities: Fishing, AquaBlitz, Kayaking, Nature-Based Arts & Eco-Games with Our Elements, Community Partner Tabling, Garden Walkthroughs
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Environmental Justice Water Tours along Quassaick Creek
12:00 – 1:00 PM Congolese Dance Workshop & Drumming with Nkoula and Angel
1:00 PM Community Meal by Sabores de mi Pueblo
1:00 – 4:00 PM Ongoing Activities: Fishing, AquaBlitz, Kayaking, Nature-Based Arts & Eco-Games with Our Elements, Community Partner Tabling, Garden Walkthroughs
1:30 – 3:00 PM Gel Printmaking with Dharman
2:00 – 3:00 PM Live Music with Tallie
3:00 – 4:00 PM Live Music with Angel Lau & Illari Collective
Registration required for the hike and/or transportation. Come hike with us. See you at Crystal Lake!
Come hike with us. See you at Crystal Lake!
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