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Jodie Childers and Dan Messina’s documentary follows Pete and Toshi Seeger and the community effort that grew from the Clearwater, a 106-foot sailboat built in response to Hudson River pollution.
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
Pete Seeger’s 1960s response to pollution in the Hudson began with a 106-foot sailboat. Down By The Riverside follows how the Clearwater became the starting point for a sustained environmental campaign, and the people who carried it forward. The film screens Saturday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. at Music Box Theatre.
The film’s account moves from Seeger’s plan for the Clearwater to the environmental effort that grew around it. That shift makes the vessel more than a biographical detail: it gives the story a concrete beginning, while the campaign supplies its longer arc.
For viewers interested in environmental history, the listed premise centers on how a community responded to a polluted waterway—not just on the launch of a boat.
Further reading: Down By The Riverside in Chicago at Music Box Theatre ↗
Directors Jodie Childers and Dan Messina focus on Pete Seeger, his wife Toshi and the grassroots community connected to the campaign. The listing describes that community’s involvement as extending over more than 40 years, giving the film a collective scope as well as a central subject.
The program also presents the documentary as a musical account of the Clearwater story. Pete Seeger is the only performer named in the listing; it does not provide a song list or identify other musical participants.
Further reading: Down By The Riverside in Chicago at Music Box Theatre ↗
Music Box Theatre has served Chicago audiences for more than 30 years with a program focused on independent, foreign and classic films. That broader film-house setting puts this screening within a venue known for cinema programming, rather than a one-off presentation space.
Further reading: Music Box Theatre, Upcoming Events in Chicago on Do312 ↗
The program lists Down By The Riverside; no separate guest appearance, discussion or companion event is announced.
The screening is listed for Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. No end time is provided.
The event listing gives prices of $11, $12 and $14 but does not explain what distinguishes the options. The theatre’s ticket listing is the place to check current details.
The listing does not give a runtime or age policy, and it does not announce a guest or post-screening discussion. Check the ticket listing for updates if those details affect your plans.
The screening is at Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The CTA Brown Line’s Southport station is about 0.3 miles away. Nearby bus corridors include the #152 Addison and #77 Belmont; the #9 Ashland runs a few blocks west.
Down By The Riverside in Chicago at Music Box Theatre ↗ · Music Box Theatre, Upcoming Events in Chicago on Do312 ↗
The venue lists metered street parking on Southport and says free street parking is typically available on and west of Ashland Avenue and north of Irving Park Road. It has no dedicated parking lot. The venue listing does not specify entrance or accessibility arrangements; for questions about access, call 773-871-6604.
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. The listing does not give an end time.
The event listing gives three prices: $11, $12 and $14. It does not explain the differences.
It follows Pete Seeger’s 1960s plan for the 106-foot Clearwater and the environmental campaign and community that grew around the boat.
The Brown Line’s Southport station is about 0.3 miles away. The venue also lists nearby #152 Addison and #77 Belmont buses, with #9 Ashland a few blocks west.
3733 North Southport, Chicago, IL
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-11-07 against the linked sources.