This year’s 19th annual DRYerson festival was a little extra special. This year, we commemorated the 20th anniversary of the draining of the beloved Duke Lake at Ryerson Station State Park due to damage from mining operations.
With the gift of beautiful weather, the Center for Coalfield Justice staff, Friends of Ryerson, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and community members gathered not only to share memories of the former Duke Lake, but also to look forward to the future possibilities of what can be done at the park. Many community members shared their hopes and dreams of what new amenities they would like to see. Dan Baker filled the air with some wonderful tunes and staff was on standby making snow cones to help folks stay cool.
We were also very grateful and excited to feature a food truck at the event for the very first time! The CTC Food Truck served over 100 delicious meals prepared by the Greene County Career and Technology Center’s own students & Culinary Arts Instructor Dan Wagner. Dan shared with me that when he dreamed up the food truck program it not only served as a way to give students of the culinary program real life experience cooking for customers, but it was also a way to teach them about running a business. The students themselves create the recipes, get to see the sales totals of each item, and learn what it would take to one day run a profitable business. Dan also shared that many of the design elements on the truck were also created by the students. CCJ was very excited to support the program that continues to empower Greene County youth.
A poignant moment of the event was when Shelly Carter Richardson and her sister Brandy Tuttle read three letters written from the perspective of Duke Lake itself. These letters imagined life for the lake during the draining, at the ten year anniversary, and today. In a new letter she wrote for the 20th anniversary, Shelly encouraged community members not only to look forward to the future of Ryerson Station, but also to hold the State accountable if positive changes aren’t made. Afterwards, we heard from our own Executive Director Sarah Martik followed by updates from DCNR.
Folks shared many memories, such as one resident recalling hunting for bullfrogs at the lake with their high school girlfriend. Others recalled years of fishing, family reunions, graduation parties, and other memorable events that took place at the lake. Some attendees even shared their stories with American University film student Lindsey Aranson, present at the event with her film crew, who is creating a documentary about the park. You can learn more about Lindsey’s project and keep an eye out for updates here.
While adults were sharing these memories, little ones were delighted to get their faces painted by Ryerson Park’s own Jonni Parson of Parsonality Painting, tie-dye their own CCJ bandanas, and paint at a kindness rock painting station.
This was my first year planning the DRYerson event, but it was my 5th year attending. Despite the event running for 19 years now, I am always struck not only by those who continue to come and support the park but also the new faces we continue to see every year. It is so clear that Greene County residents NEED a place like Ryerson, and they are eager to come out and enjoy its amenities. My hope is that we continue to see the park make strides towards new features for folks to enjoy and continue to be a place where we can make new memories.
