S.S. Columbia. Photo by Aaron Asis

The S.S. Columbia Project has long been on our radar. The nonprofit, which brought America’s oldest surviving passenger steamship from Detroit to New York, seeks to transform the 115-year-old Columbia into a moving arts and education venue that would ultimately connect New York City to Hudson Valley cities and towns.

S.S. Columbia. Photo by Aaron Asis.

S.S. Columbia. Photo by Aaron Asis.

S.S. Columbia. Photo by Aaron Asis.

While the vessel is not yet trudging along on the Hudson River, S.S. Columbia is celebrating in the meantime with Hudson River Story Barge, an arts and cultural event taking place on a surrogate vessel: the historic covered barge Pennsylvania Railroad No. 399, which will be docked on the Rondout Creek at the Hudson River Maritime Museum. The event, which focuses on boats, cargo, people and ideas” (and how they influence the region’s river, canals, and ports), takes place from October 5th to the 15th.

In addition to an onboard exhibit, a 360-degree virtual reality tour of the Columbia, various workshops and performances, the event will feature Glory be Columbia, an immersive performance piece with live musical accompaniment by Untapped Cities’ very own tour guide and playwright, Justin Rivers, artist Aaron Asis and composers Danny Mark Asis and Joshua Kopit. Glory Be Columbia, which takes place on Sunday, October 8th from 7pm to 8pm, will tell the amazing story of the S.S. Columbia while highlighting the often-unnoticed physical features that made it “the boat of the people.” It will be followed by a Q&A with the creators.

Other program partners include the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Kingston Land Trust, Columbia GSAPP’s Hudson Valley Initiative, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Center for Creative Education, and the Pennsy Barge Collective, among others.

Pensey 399. Photo by Aaron Asis.

Pensey 399. Photo by Aaron Asis.

The Hudson River Story Barge will be docked on the Rondout Creek at the Hudson River Maritime Museum (50 Roundout Landing, Kingston, NY 12401). To RSVP and see the full line up of events, click here. All events are free and open to the public.

Next, check out our previous coverage of the S.S. Columbia and Take a Look Inside the Vessel.