A Community Celebrates in Smithfield

The 175th Anniversary of Monroe County was Celebrated in The Smithfield Township’s Waterfront Park in East Stroudsburg, PA on Saturday September 17th. The celebration at the park was one of the many events commemorating the anniversary taking place throughout the year at various locations. Although the temperatures of this event reflected the approaching Autumn season by being a bit nippy, those who gathered to participate and partake of the day were provided with a warmth as their shared interest in the history of the county and the joyous entertainment ignited the furnaces of their being. I, personally, was honored to serve the festival in the capacity of an emcee in the guise of P. T. Barnum who lived in the 1800s and is best known for his business partnership with James Bailey that became a Circus.

Although the festival itself would not be considered a circus, it did have quite a variety of events going on reflecting the wide diversity of what the County has become throughout the years. The festival had numerous vendors selling merchandise and food while others shared the history of the area through demonstrations of how people lived in days gone by. The diversity of the county was also find in the entertainment it provided attendees ranging from presentations by actors portraying historical figures to dance and music performances.

The vendors and demonstrators at the festival included Fiber Artist Charlotte Weitzmann, Rose Ann Whitesell of Kooky Knitts, David and Kathy Reder of Pocono Alpacas, and Tammy Maple of Justin’s Parties Catering along with representatives from The Latino American Alliance of Northeast Pennsylvania (LAANEPA), The Lenape Nation, The New Jersey Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, The Single Action Shooting Society, and The North Country Spinner, Inc. The festival also had an antique car show, a Horse-drawn Hay Ride, and a civil war camp reenactment from which rifles of the era (with blank cartridges) were being shot. Engaging in a conversations while gun shots were being fired was a very interesting experience reminiscent of my misspent youth. The festival also featured a variety of performances presented in two areas which were the Pavilion and the Gazebo Stages.

These performances began on the Pavilion with the singing of the National Anthem for the United States and continued with some stunningly beautiful dance performances presented by The PA Dance Mission led by Maria Triano. They were followed by Midge McClosky, Sara Ferguson, and Kara Snyder who portrayed the Andrew Sisters who were a favorite musical trio during the years associated with World War II. Their performance echoed that of the one presented at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on Delaware, PA titled, “Sister of Swing: The Story of the Andrew Sisters” which ran from June 1at to September 3rd. They were followed by a performance given by Stephen Washington as William Penn who founded the state of Pennsylvania presenting the 1682 frame of government for the (at that time) province of Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the Gazebo Stage presented a performance titled, “The Devotions and Despairs of George and Marsha Washington” recounting the private life of the first elected President of the United States and his wife. They were followed by The Pocono Barbershop Choir who sang a treasure trove of songs bringing back pleasant memories of younger days to many of their listeners. They were followed by presentations made by actors portraying historical figures including Fredrick Douglass who escaped slavery to become a prominent orator and worker for social justice, Harriet Tubman who escaped slavery and became a beacon of hope by forming the underground railroad, Sojourner Truth who escaped slavery with her infant daughter and became the first black woman to gain custody of her son from a slave owner, and Rosa Parks who decided not to leave her seat designated for “Whites Only” on a public bus.

The Gazebo Stage also bore witness to some rock and blues sounds of the band “Least Likely” whose Gospel messages were empowered by its kick butt beat, guitar riffs, and penetrating vocals. They were followed by some German Folks Songs performed by The Sheila/Mark Duo whose renditions of joyous music enhanced the celebration of the day with laughter. Meanwhile, the Pavilion Stage enjoyed the presence of Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln in an amusing skit titled, “Ever the Twain Shall Meet” and African Tribal Dancing performed by the Cultures Closet Studio. There was something for everyone at the festival and I had a lot of fun.

As mentioned earlier, I severed the festival by being an emcee for some of it’s performances. Fulfilling this meaning and enjoyable function did not afford me the opportunity to experience all the wonderful aspects of the festival. So, not everything that occurred was a part of this article as I only intended to record what I’ve actually witnessed. However, if there are those among you who are reading this and find they or some participant was not included in these writings, please feel free to amend my words by mentioning them or yourself in the comment section. You’ll find more photographs I took during the festival in The Monroe County 175th Anniversary Celebration Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150380367390421.408651.636000420&l=18035ef26b&type=1.

Monroe County is located in eastern Pennsylvania, situated 90 miles north of Philadelphia, 75 miles west of New York and 116 miles east of Harrisburg. Today, the County stretches across 611 square miles of rural terrain, rolling hills, and farmlands to the more populated boroughs. The  County Celebrates its Anniversary in appreciation for its unique history, its beautiful natural features, memorable past events, present and past assets and amenities, and its exciting future endeavors. The next event to join in the celebration will be the Annual Harvest Festival taking place at The Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm in Stroudsburg, PA. Please Explore The Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm Website at www.quietvalley.org for more information. To gain more information about Monroe County and all it has to offer, please explore their website at www.co.monroe.pa.us/monroe.