Mark Your Calendars For The 32nd annual Newtown Heritage Festival

The 32nd annual Newtown Heritage Festival (NHF) is scheduled for May 24 and 25 in Stephens City, Virginia. The festival is a celebration of the history of Stephens City from its days as the wagon-building hub of the Shenandoah Valley in the 1700s to the present day. On Friday, May 24, at 6:00pm, the festival begins with “Souled Out” performing on the Newtown Stage. Saturday, May 25 will begin at 8:00am with a Veteran’s Day Observance with keynote speaker, Andrew Chaney, Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, Vet Center, Martinsburg, WV. This observance will occur at the Stephens City Veteran’s Memorial (5516 Main St). Following this a 5K event, hosted by Heroes on the River, which will start at The Commons (5165 Main St). Events will include a guided history trolley tour of Stephens City businesses. The tour is free but tickets are required. The website to get tickets is https://newtownheritagefestival.eventbrite.com. The festival staff is asking tour-goers to be at the trolley 10 minutes before tour departure or your ticket(s) will be forfeited. The trolley will be departing from the Newtown History Center (5408 Main St.). There will also be the “History Hamlet” next to the Newtown History Center. Admission to the History Center is free during the festival (Saturday 10am-4pm). A hometown parade down Main Street will set off at 2:00pm Saturday featuring floats, the Sherando High Marching Band, and the winners of the Miss Newtown Pageant (held April 21st at Laurel Ridge Community College). There will be a “sensory friendly” zone for the parade from the Post Office (5071 Main St) to Ender’s and Shirley Funeral Home (5095 Main St). After the parade will be a pie eating contest sponsored by the Stephens City McDonald’s. Pre-registration is required for the pie eating contest. Pre-registration be at the NHF tent at the Commons. A classic car and truck show will be held at the old Stephens City School (5516 Main Street) from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The Shenandoah Valley Chess League will have tables set up in the Lutheran Church parking lot (810 Fairfax St.) from 10:00am-1:00pm. In addition to the history trolley tour, parade, car show, and museums the NHF staff will be selling pottery commemoratives at the Newtown Commons across from Clem’s Garage. Musical entertainment on the stage at the Commons on Saturday will feature local bands “The Newtown String Band,” “Chris Darlington,” “Gunner Heathe,” and “A Little Too Serious.” Food vendors will be serving Friday, 6:00pm-dusk, and Saturday starting at 10:00am. Craft vendors featuring woodworking, art, hand-made jewelry, kid’s events, and more can also be found at the Newtown Commons on Saturday. The NHF Festival will wrap up with a fireworks display starting around 9:30pm (dusk), sponsored by the Hollis Family Foundation. For further information on Festival times and events, check our website, newtownheritagefestival.org