Many communities put on shad festivals with tastes of pickled, smoked and planked shad without charge, and a few sell shad dinners at $5 and up.

Mr. Letts said shad festivals are the ideal way to entice people down to the Hudson, so they can appreciate the benefits of cleaning up the river.

But the main purpose of the shad festivals is eating the fish prepared in various ways.

Its programs for adults include an annual shad festival in the spring, where Pete Seeger has performed.

Similarly, in Connecticut, the towns of Essex and Windsor hold annual shad festivals.

And this spring the big question has been whether to continue the shad festivals.

"The shad festival as we have known it is no more," said Danna McCutcheon, the organization's president.

Ms. Barclay started at crafts fairs and she still goes to about a dozen selected fairs a year, including the local shad festival.

Other seasons offer ferry rides, the shad festival in April (Lambertville) and performances at the Bucks County Playhouse (April through December).

To promote the town as a weekend destination, community leaders organize regular visual and performing arts and other events, including a shad festival in the spring.