Gateway Clipper cruises on Allegheny River in Freeport slated for Oct. 1

After a sold-out Gateway Clipper cruise in Armstrong County last year, the county’s tourism agency is offering three Allegheny River cruises on Oct. 1.

Tickets for cruises lasting several hours aboard the clipper fleet’s Princess are selling fast, said Experience Armstrong, Inc. Director Cheyenne Filous. As of Tuesday, the sightseeing cruise is sold out, while some tickets remain for a breakfast cruise ($55) and a dinner cruise ($75).

“With the Gateway Clipper coming to Armstrong County, we bring the opportunity to residents who might not travel to Pittsburgh for the clipper and for them and others to see a different perspective of the Allegheny River and the county,” Filous said.

The cruises will depart from the boat launch in Freeport’s Riverside Park. The tourism agency is providing a shuttle bus for patrons to access easy parking and to visit the quaint shops in town.

Unlike last year, when the Gateway Clipper tour was scheduled to travel through locks and dams starting in Kittanning, the tour will stay in the Freeport pool to spend more time on the river, Filous said.

Tickets went on sale last week and are selling fast, said Tracie LeShock Bowser, a tourism assistant with Experience Armstrong.

“Although this year’s trip is not a fall foliage cruise like last year, the ride will give folks an opportunity to get scenic views of the landscape and the beautiful river, itself,” she said.

Tickets are available online or by calling the Experience Armstrong, Inc. Welcome Center at 724-543-4003.