Tri-state residents and visitors gathered in the historic town of Deerpark over the past weekend for a host of entertainment steeped in the founding spirit of America.
New Century, where the America the Beautiful Festival was held, sits along a route connecting the rural town with the nearby city of Port Jervis. This area suffered multiple raids before it was the site of the Battle of Minisink, the only major skirmish in the Upper Delaware River region during the Revolutionary War.
Against the backdrop of Neversink River, a major Delaware River tributary, award-winning singers banged out patriotic songs, veterans organizations handed out information on resources and ways to contribute to their causes, and a local volunteer group reenacted historical battles.
Food vendors, craft stands, and a jumping castle dotted the 40-acre outdoor venue.
“The America the Beautiful Festival is a small thank you to the legions of men and women who have served and continue to serve our great land and region,” James White, co-organizer of the festival, previously told The Epoch Times.
Festival attendee Ken Geer, a Port Jervis native living in Pennsylvania, told The Epoch Times that he was wounded in the Vietnam War but lucky to come home “with two arms and two legs.”
Lawrence Wood, a volunteer with a Warwick-based historical society, dressed up in Revolutionary War-era attire and played militia leader Col. John Hathorn in a reenacted Battle of Minisink to convey an authentic feel of history.
“I think the most important part of it is letting people know that America was founded on the sacrifices of people believing in a dream of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness,” he told The Epoch Times. “That’s what it is all about.”
At the center of the venue, singers Jimmy Sturr, Darryl Worley, and Dave Bray heightened the patriotic atmosphere with live bands on stage—a lineup that attracted a Tennessee family that had been camping at the nearby Neversink River Resort.
“Darryl Worley plays around our area, and one of my buddies I go to church with plays guitar for him,” Keisha Gooding, who lives near Nashville, told The Epoch Times. “So we left our campsite and brought our kids to check [it] out—this is definitely a surprise.”
Bob Gardner, veteran committee chair with the Port Jervis Elks, distributed information about veterans services and encouraged eventgoers to donate to veterans causes.
“I met vendors that in the future I may be able to work with—we are a network of like-minded people that are going to get a lot more done,” he told The Epoch Times. “We love the country that we live in, and we appreciate those who have provided us with this country—our veterans.”
Lt. Col. Andrew Merchant, an Albany Battalion recruiter with the U.S. Army, was at the event promoting the well-known and not-so-well-known ways to serve in the military.
“There are over 150 jobs or professions within the Army itself, and only 13 are combat-related, but those are the ones that get the most publicity,” he told The Epoch Times. “With everything from lawyers to doctors to cooks and musicians, there is something for everyone.”
Republican New York state Assemblyman Karl Brabenec, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, Deerpark Supervisor Gary Spears, and Deerpark Councilwoman Christa Hoovler attended the festival and addressed the attendees.
New Century will host its signature annual Moon Festival, with authentic Asian food and traditional performances, on Sept. 14 and 15.
New Century and The Epoch Times co-presented the two-day, family-friendly event.
