A Festive Day in Stroudsburg

It was just one week after Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc on much of Northeast PA when Stroudsburg held its Annual Stroudfest to throughout the town of Stroudsburg, PA on Saturday September 3rd to celebrate all things relating to the municipality and all who live, work, and play there. It was a perfect day to not only celebrate the town but it was great to get out and about after the effects of the hurricane subsided. The streets were aligned with music sharing their songs, merchants selling their wares, and artists sharing their talents as those who attended the festival encountered many moments which were soon to become lasting and enjoyable memories.

My experiences began with a visit to The Stroud Mansion which represented for me the genesis of the festival. The mansion was the family home Jacob Stroud in 1795 who founded the town which is now the Monroe County seat and now houses The Monroe County Historical Association which ##is a non-profit community organization dedicated to preserving the history of the area. The Association held its 3rd Annual Olde Time Fun Event featuring a variety of children’s activities in the mansion’s backyard while providing tours within the mansion for those who wished to learn more about the town’s heritage.

The tour not only included a view of how life was lived throughout the town’s history but it also included an exhibit commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. The exhibit titled, “Monroe County in The Civil War” began July 1st and will continue until October 28th. It features many artifacts from the era along with numerous interesting facts such as the area did not support the war or President Lincoln and became a haven for those soldiers (from both sides) who deserted their regiments. You’ll be able to learn more about The Monroe County Historical Association and all it has to offer the community by contacting them at (570) 421-7703 or by exploring their website at www.monroehistorical.org.

After being reacquainted with the local history which was first introduced to me through a tour of the building when I was in the 3rd grade, I ventured out to partake of all the sights and sounds the festival had to offer. I soon became overwhelmed by the multitude of vendors and musicians that I encountered after taking only a few steps onto the sidewalk. Those who participated in the day are far too numerous to mention, but I’m going to give it a try. Of course, if you are or know someone who I neglect to list, please accept my apologies and feel free to make a comment in order to make yourself known as well as partake of an opportunity to share your impressions of the day.

The vendors who inhabited the sidewalks of Stroudsburg included The Shawnee Market who sells local produce every Tuesday at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort in Shawnee on Delaware, PA and Equi-Librium, Inc. Adopt-A-Horse who provide therapy horses for handicapped individuals. There were plenty of adornments for the human form including those of Leeland Jewelry featuring pieces made by Gloria Lee, Earth Envi featuring jewelry designed by Mitzi S. Mager, Gemini Designs featuring jewelry designed by Claire Lai, and Bettlecap Creations featuring jewelry designed by Tina Traver. There were many artists and crafters sharing their talents and they included Jimmy Smeltz, Jewell Woods of the Bijou Art Studio, Amy Donahue of Twigs and Twine Devine, Craig D. Harley of Twist of Fate, and “We Like to Party” who offer theme parties for any occasion. There were also several community organizations and services to be found throughout the town including The Red Cross of Monroe County and The Salvation Army along with political groups such as the Democrat, Republican, and TEA Parties (not to be confused with the many Beer Parties going on in the many drinking establishments that were opened during the day). Members of the local media made their way through the abundant crowd which included those from Blue Ridge Cable (WBRC) Television and their talk program titled, “The Morning Mix Show.”

Music filled the air and souls of the festival goers. Again, these were too many to remember in order to mention in this article. But, here are those I can recall. They are Randy Bigness and friends, Jazz Juice, The Dirk Quinn Band, The Erin McClelland Band, Upstairs Down, Los Diablos with Johnny Rydell, Vince Del Sol, and Friends, The Statesman with Jonah Smith, Josh Dion, Ben Rubin, and Eric Metzger, The Pocono Vocal Arts, Mystery Fyre, The Kevin Brennan Band with Chris London, Sonni Shine, and Waiting For Katie. Again, my apologies to those who were not mentioned but please feel free to make yourself known along with your reflections of the festival by leaving a comment.

There were also performances given during what I consider festivals within a festival and they included those given at Driebe Freight Station which was postponed from last week due to the hurricane and featured The SheilaMark Band, Mark Hamza, Sheila Stratton, Steve Shiposh and Big Daddy Dex, Steve Nelson, Dean Rickardand, Don Slepian and music and other cultural performances held at The Latino American Alliance of Northeast Pennsylvania (LAANEPA) Festival. The LAANEPA Festival also had vendors which included Optimus Health and Wellness who offers a number of physical fitness programs and classes.

It was a great day and I met a great number of wonderful people. Many were friends I’ve encountered throughout the many years I’ve lived in the area while others I met for the very first time. In either case, it was a pleasure and delight to meet and share so many meaningful conversations with. I had fun. You’ll find more photographs taken during the Stroudfest 2011 Gallery at www.facebook.com/forwardian.dude.

The Annual Stroudfest event is organized by The Jacob Stroud Corporation and The Sherman Theater designed to Celebrate the town by providing entertainment throughout the day along with opportunities to explore and purchase works created by local artists, artisans, and crafters. The Jacob Stroud Corporation was formed in 1995 in order to revitalize the downtown historical heritage. They continue to establish a healthy downtown environment for residents and visitors to the area. To gain more information about The Jacob Stroud Corporation and all they have to offer the community as well as its visitors, please Explore their Website at www.stroudsburg.net.

The Sherman Theater was built in the 1920s and now presents many of today’s biggest shows. Please Explore The Sherman Theater Website at www.shermantheater.com to learn more about the establishment and for a full schedule of their upcoming shows. You can learn more about Stroudfest and how to become involved in next year’s festival by exploring their Website at www.stroudfest.com.