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10th annual wyoming valley RiverFest

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

Open less than 24 hours, the River Common park quickly became the hot spot for must-have photos on your most special day.

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David Shmakov, left; Daniel Kozub; Anton Korsakov, groom; Nadia Kopcha, bride; Victoria Shmakov; and Elle Pinkevich pose for photographs on the Millennium Circle Bridge before the wedding ceremony Saturday afternoon.

S. JOHN WILKIN/THE TIMES LEADER

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A lone kayaker makes his way up the Susquehanna Saturday.

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Ascending the stairs at the park’s Millennium Circle portal in a flowing, white strapless wedding gown early Saturday afternoon, Nadia Kopcha, a Ukraine native now living in Wilkes-Barre, was the first bride to have her bridal photos taken in the park as the Susquehanna River flowed gently in the background.

Kopcha, her groom Anton Korsakov, a Russian native, and their 12-member wedding party spent 30 minutes posing for photos before heading to the church in Edwardsville to exchange their vows.

Kopcha said that as they drove down River Street in their white stretch limo SUV she was awestruck by the beauty of the area and knew she had to have photos. The couple will reside in Wilkes-Barre.

While the park was not built for the exclusive purpose of serving as the Valley’s latest photo hot spot, park supporters were pleased that people were reconnecting to the river during the 10th annual Wyoming Valley RiverFest in their own ways.

Some people strolled up and down the one-mile stretch of the walkways listening to bands belt out tunes as they admired the $23 million River Common that was originally constructed to bring people back to the river and increase the levee protection system.

Across the river, people gathered in Nesbitt Park listening to bands, walking the trails and learning more about recreational activities offered on the Susquehanna River and at nearby state parks.

“This is all about the watershed, the river and the connection to the river,” said Vinnie Cotrone, president of the Riverfront Parks Committee, which hosts the festival. “It is about the mammals, the creatures that inhabit the watershed and about water quality. We also want them to be good stewards of the watershed and to take good care of the land and water that runs through that land to the river.”

Children were kept busy with activities designed to help them learn more about the environment in a fun, relaxed setting.

Children climbed trees, painted drawings as they learned about the importance of water, helped paint a mural, painted tie-dye T-shirts, learned about wildlife animals from an exhibit set up by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and made birdfeeders using pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed.

Passing rain showers didn’t damper people’s spirits; they just took it all in stride as being a part of nature.

With water levels up slightly from all the rain within the last week, kayakers arrived earlier than anticipated as they paddled from Harding. They camped on the grounds overnight before heading getting back on the river to head to Hunlock Creek today.