Capital for a Day

On Sunday, August 30, from 12:-30-5:00 p.m., “IRVRW250 Capital for a Day” will host a village-wide commemoration at its Memorial Park–which is adjacent to the Odell Tavern as well as the Croton Aqueduct. It will be an afternoon of family activities that focus on the tenant farmers, the enslaved, and everyday family activities of the period. Various organizations will set up displays designed to educate attendees about various components of the Revolutionary War; other organizations will donate their time to help run the event. There will be speeches by local dignitaries honoring Irvington for being Capital for a Day, re-enactors portraying George Washington, Ben Franklin and other Revolutionary luminaries as well as era-relevant music and dancing. Later that day, the Armor-Stiner Octagon House (which is located a quarter mile from Memorial Park and also adjacent to the Croton Aqueduct) will host “1776 to 1876, 100 years of Commemoration in Irvington”. Here, attendees will experience a Victorian-era garden party, complete with era-relevant lawn games, music, a self-guided tour of the famous House (which was built in 1872), Centennial artifacts, a local history trivia game, and food and drink from both eras. George Washington will join us to deliver his famous 13 Evacuation Day toasts.