Down by the riverside
In 1916, Harrisburg, Pa., held its first Kipona celebration, a daylong event of aquatic activities on the Susquehanna River. Spectators watched swim and boat races from a two-and-a-half mile stretch of concrete steps that ran alongside the river, the result of a project to cover a sewer line, according to a report in the July 1917 issue of The American City. Kipona, a Native American term meaning “to be upon the sparkling water,” was held on Labor Day and continued into the night with a parade of brightly lit boats and decorated floats. A fireworks display concluded the celebration.
Ninety years later, Harrisburg residents and visitors still enjoy the riverside events each September at what is now the country’s oldest inland waterfront festival. Expanded to three days, Kipona includes canoe and drag boat races, an art festival, a Children’s Village with a variety of games, activities and rides, and a Hackey Sack Festival. Still organized by the city, Kipona features musical acts, a Native American Pow Wow, and volleyball, fishing and karate tournaments. This year, organizers added a new competition to crown the best chef in the state. The Kipona fireworks display, accompanied by a live music radio broadcast, still lights up the night sky and is the state’s largest display.