The Fish That Saved the River: The Tradition of the Lambertville Shad Festival
Every spring, like clockwork, the American Shad return to the Delaware River. It is an ancient migration cycle, swimming upriver from the ocean to spawn, a journey first observed by the Lenni Lenape thousands of years ago.
But in the mid-20th century, the fish stopped coming.
Today, the City of Lambertville, New Jersey, celebrates their return with the annual Shad Festival. What started as a small local event in 1981 has grown into one of the region’s premier arts and culture festivals. But this isn’t just a street fair; it is a celebration of an environmental miracle and the rebirth of a historic river town.
From Industry to Stagnation
Lambertville wasn’t always the hub of antique shops and bed-and-breakfasts that it is today.
- The Ferry Era: In the 1700s, it was known as Coryell’s Ferry, named after the operator who shuttled travelers across the Delaware to Pennsylvania.
- The Industrial Era: Renamed Lambertville in 1814 (after local resident and U.S. Senator John Lambert), the town boomed in the 19th century. Thanks to the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the railroad, factories lined the riverbank, churning out everything from rubber to locomotives.
But progress had a price. By the 1940s and 50s, the industrial waste dumped into the river near Philadelphia created a “pollution block.” The water contained almost zero dissolved oxygen. The shad, unable to breathe, could not make it upstream to spawn.
- The Low Point: Local fishermen recall 1963 as the bleakest year on record, when almost no shad made it past the pollution.
The Return of the Shad
In the 1970s, two major changes occurred simultaneously.
- The Clean Water Act: Federal regulations forced the cleanup of the Delaware River. Oxygen levels rose, and the “pollution block” dissolved.
- The Town Revival: Young entrepreneurs began moving back into Lambertville, restoring the dilapidated Victorian row homes and converting old factories into art galleries.
In 1981, the town launched the first Shad Festival to celebrate the fact that the river was alive again. The shad had returned, and so had the people.
The Last of the Rivermen
The heart and soul of the festival is Lewis Island, located at the end of the town. This is the home of the Lewis Fishery, the last commercial shad fishery on the non-tidal Delaware River.
Operating continuously since 1888, the Lewis family still fishes the old-fashioned way. During the festival, visitors can walk across the bridge to the island and watch the crew row out in shallow boats, casting and hauling massive seine nets by hand to catch the shad. It is a living history demonstration that connects modern visitors directly to the river’s colonial past.
If You Visit
The Shad Festival is typically held on the last weekend of April, rain or shine.
- Location: The streets of downtown Lambertville, NJ (specifically Bridge Street, Union Street, and the waterfront).
- The Art: The festival is famous for its juried art show, featuring hundreds of local artisans.
- The Food: Yes, you can eat shad! Local vendors serve shad planks (roasted fish) and shad roe (eggs), though there are plenty of standard festival foods for the less adventurous.
- Don’t Miss: The James Wilson Marshall House (home of the man who discovered gold in California) is open for tours during the festival, offering a double dose of history.
For More Information
Lambertville Historical Society (www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org)
Lambertville Chamber of Commerce (www.lambertvillechamber.com)
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