April 2003
Dedicated to the Preservation of the Maritime History of the Hudson River Valley
50 Rondout Landing, Kingston, NY 12401 - 845-338-0071, FAX 845-338-0583
www.hrmm.org
22nd Annual Kingston Shad Festival
May 3 & 4
11 AM to 5 PM
 American Shad |
During the weekend of May 3 & 4, The Hudson River Maritime Museum will host the annual Kingston Shad Festival from 11 am to 5 pm to celebrate the return of the shad. Shad is a seasonal delicacy, available only a few weeks during the spring and valued for its flesh and roe.
Shad dinners are $8.00, and include shad or shad roe, bacon, potato, cole slaw, roll, and a nonalcoholic beverage. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be available.
Admission to the museum: $3 for adults; $1 for children aged 6 to 12; children 5 and under and museum members have free admission.
For more information, call the museum at 845-338-0071
New York's American shad are highly prized by fisherman. Hudson River adults average 20 to 23 inches in length and five to six pounds in weight. Shad fishing is an age-old tradition on the Hudson. From mid-March to mid-May local fishermen catch the "run" as shad migrate upstream to spawn. During spawning, shad arrive in large schools, running up the rivers where they slowly adjust to the change from salt to fresh water. Since shad spend only 1-2 weeks in the Hudson (most of their adult life is spent in the ocean) they are not in the river long enough to be affected by PCB´s and other contaminants. Shad are a highly-prized fish, both for their flesh and their roe, and are only available fresh in spring.
Shad has been abundant since colonial times and a series of festivals in river communities from the Chesapeake Bay to southern New England are held to celebrate the arrival of both shad and Spring. The Latin name for American shad is Sapidissima, which means “most delicious.”
From a culinary standpoint the female shad is more desirable than the male or buck, not only for its roe, but also because it’s a larger and fatter fish, providing an ideal fillet for all recipes. Shad can be prepared in a variety of ways. It is a moderately fatty fish with a delicate rich flavor that is especially suited to pan-frying, broiling, baking, hot smoking, or grilling.
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