Hokey Pokey Over The Hudson

Dancers are encouraged to put more than just their left foot in and out of the Walkway Over the Hudson to vie for a Guinness World Record on Saturday, June 9.

What’s it all about?

The Walkway will host these waving limbs as the organization attempts to set the world record for the longest line of organized dancers — a record previously held by 2,354 people performing the “Toe Dance,” an Estonian folk dance, in 2008, according to the Guinness World Record website.

Ellen E. Henneberry, development manager at Walkway Over the Hudson said that, if the attempt is a success, it will be the second record for the organization, as the walkway currently holds the record for longest footbridge.

Walkway Executive Director Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart said that the record attempt will also be a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization as the funds are crucial for sustaining and improving the Walkway State Park.

“We feel the Guinness World Record attempt represents a perfect fundraising event for the Walkway organization because it combines a great opportunity for public involvement with an activity that will draw the world’s attention to this great resource,” Waldstein-Hart said.

Henneberry said the funds from this particular hokey pokey hootenanny will go to the building a 21-story elevator from the Poughkeepsie Train Station to allow more pedestrians entrance to the Walkway.

Henneberry set the scene for the day’s events. Registration will be from 7:30 to 8 a.m., where hopefully the necessary 3,000 bodies will arrive and pay the $15 event fee.

Cumulus Media Radio, the official sponsor of the event, will play the five-minute track of the song recorded by local musicians especially for the record attempt, broadcasting and recording the event over the airwaves to more than 200,000 listeners.

Henneberry said prizes will be awarded to the first 100 people to arrive with a working portable radio to broadcast the cumulus station during the dance.

“Then we’ll line everybody up on the walkway, across the 1.28 miles of the bridge,” Henneberry said. “And we’ll dance.”

Guiness World Record judge Danny Girton, of Fishkill, N.Y., will be on hand to watch and ensure the attempt is done according to protocol, collecting a head count while walkway ambassadors — who are not included in the count — help participants to ensure everyone is dancing for the full five minutes needed to set the record.