On May 18, 2013, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will host a day of celebration for the beloved Riverbank State Park’s 20^th Anniversary and honor former Governor Mario M. Cuomo and the park’s founding team members: Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell, Jr.; Assemblyman Keith Wright; Former New York State Senator Franz Leichter; Richard Dattner FAIA, Principal of Dattner Architects and architect for the Riverbank State Park project; and Ann Rocker, President of the Friends of Riverbank State Park.

The day’s events, emceed by WABC anchor Lucy Yang, will kick off at 12:45 p.m. with a parade featuring hundreds of children currently playing on Riverbank sports teams. The parade will be followed by a ceremony honoring former Governor Mario Cuomo at the track and field at 1:30 p.m.  In recognition of the Park’s 20^th anniversary, birthday cake will be served immediately after the ceremony. Throughout the day, various other activities will be ongoing, including the Rock the City Basketball Classic, a Singles Tennis Carnival, pool volleyball games, performances by Maritri Garrett, Kid Rhythm, and the Harlem Renaissance Choir, free carousel rides, and more.

Completed in 1993, Riverbank was inspired by urban rooftop designs in Japan. The 28-acre multi-level landscaped recreational facility rises 69 feet above the Hudson River atop a water pollution control plant. Housed in five major buildings are an Olympic-size pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, an 800-seat cultural theater, a 2,310-seat athletic complex with fitness room, and a 150-seat restaurant. Outdoor amenities include a 25-yard lap pool, a wading pool, four tennis courts, four basketball courts, a softball field, four hand/paddleball courts, and a 400-meter eight-lane running track with a football/soccer field. There are two playgrounds, a water splashing area and a number of picnic areas. Riverbank also boasts spectacular promenade views of the Hudson River, the Palisade Mountains and the George Washington Bridge. At water level, there is a 400-seat amphitheater and docking facilities.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 179 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.