Stephens City’s biggest annual festival announces robust programs and schedules

Newtown Heritage Festival logo personifies the festivals spirit.

Stephens City is revving up for Memorial Day with two days of activities kicking off Friday, May 27 and Saturday May 28th. The 30^th Newtown Heritage Festival is centered around the historic Newtown Wagon. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries, Stephensburg became prosperous as a crossroads village with small scale industries, featuring production of the renown Newtown Wagon.

This immense wagon, which in strength and durability of material and workmanlike finish, was not surpassed. The wagon rivaled their famous prototypes, the Conestoga wagons of Pennsylvania. Spacious enough to carry all that the six powerful horses could draw over the rough roads and strong enough to sustain the weight of four tons, the Newtown Wagon became legendary for its sturdiness among both Virginia farmers and settlers migrating to the far West, including the Gold Rush of 1849.

Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, tanneries, saddle and harness makers, silversmiths, timbermen,  machine shops and other skill mixes were established to support the wagon making industry. The Newtown Wagon logo reflects the story of the ordinary people who lived, worked and prospered here and personifies the festivals spirit.

All events are free and open to the public.

The festivities begin Friday evening at 6:30 PM with the Newtown String Band at the Stage on the Commons. The bluegrass band, based in Lexington is self-described as Acoustic/ Bluegrass/Americana genre band. The Newtown Band is followed by a Main Street Family Night movie featuring “The Sandlot” at dusk (about 8:45 PM). The Sandlot is a genuinely sweet and funny coming-of-age adventure. This movie will capture your attention with its memories of what really matters when you are 12 years old. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music and movie.

Newtown History Center wagon tour.

The main events happen Saturday, with a full schedule of music, a car show, tours, museums, food, crafts and scintillating fireworks. A parade at 2 PM through town will include numerous floats, bands, antique cars, tractor-drawn wagons, firetrucks, military vehicles, dignitaries and local civic groups.

A Veterans Observance will take place on the Memorial – Old Stephens City School at 8 AM. The featured speaker is Mariah Smith, Town Council member and retired Army combat veteran.

A car show will occur at Old Stephens City School from 9 AM – 1 PM. Best of Show award.

The Commons will open at 10 AM with a festival information booth, commemorative sales, pie-eating contest registration, town history trolley tour tickets, craft tents and food vendors. The festival will once again be offering our traditional gray and blue Grandville Hollow pottery. The 2022 piece is a 7” barrel stein and the 30^th anniversary special is a limited edition 8 ¼ “ tall pitcher.

Stephens City Boy Scouts march in the Newtown Heritage Festival parade.

Craft vendors will be hawking their wares from 10 AM to 5 PM. About 20 craft vendors will be on hand selling hand-made jewelry, artwork, homemade crafts, bags and wood crafts. Food vendors will be serving customers from 10 AM to 9 PM to include traditional festival menu items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, gyros, fried and teriyaki chicken, Italian sausage, kettle corn, pizza, ice cream and funnel cake. Food and craft vendors will be selling items from 10 AM to 9 PM.

Three local museums will be open from 10 AM – 4 PM in honor of the festival: Newtown History Center Transportation Museum – Old Stephens City School, Steele & Brothers Store – 5353 Main Street and Newtown History Center – 5408 Main Street.

People generally attend the festival to sample their favorite food, music, artisan tents and remain for the fireworks. However, for additional Stephens City history, folks may take an 11 AM or 4 PM trolley tour presented by Rick Kriebel, Stone House Foundation Manager of Collections and Programs. titled “Up along Mulberry.” The one-hour tour will depart from the Capon Valley Bank and identify pertinent buildings along Mulberry Street. Reserve your free ticket(s) by emailing NHE30th@gmail.com.

A Museum Hamlet will be located in the side yard of the Newtown History Center. The following organizations will be set up for displays; The Stewart Bell Archives, Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, The French and Indian War Foundation and The Sons of the American Revolution.

Miss Stephens City Honorary Fire & Rescue Chief, Brush 11 1985 MB 235 Mercedes Unimog U1300L.

There will be Famous Barbeque Chicken drive through and takeout from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM at Stephens City Volunteer Fire and Rescue – 5346 Mulberry Street. It is a firehouse secret recipe.

The 2 PM north-south Main Street one-mile-long parade highlights the hometown festival. Families schedule reunions around the event each year, old friends are back in town and children are mesmerized by the experience. The casual ambiance emanating from the parade promotes a hometown feel. There is an excitement in the air come 2 PM when residents leave their homes, sit on the curb in lawn chairs, only a few feet away, and become interactive with the parade participants.

Everybody knows each other personally, and the intimate nature of the parade makes it easier to laugh and converse with one another among an enthusiastic crowd. The parade gradually evolves into an electrifying fun packed; family filled get-together. It is what makes small towns the heart and soul of America.

Festival Committee member Donna Steward provided a summary of parade entries. “The Frederick County Sheriff’s Department Honor Guard will carry the flags and the Stephens City Boy Scouts will lead with the Festival Banner. Other participants include Sons of the American Revolution, antique cars, including those from the car show on the south end of town, Mayor of Stephens City Mike Diaz and Festival President Tootie Rinker, Newtown Beauty Pageant winners, Shenandoah Valley Gas and Steam Club and VFW Post 2447 Rider’s Group from Edinburg. Italia Performing Arts, Gore’s Meats and several churches will have floats and there will be numerous walking groups,” Steward said.

Judging will be done by festival past president, Adrian O’Connor. “Plaques will be awarded for the following, Best Display of Heritage, Best in Originality and Best Overall Appearance,” Steward concluded.

Festival parade spectators near historic Ritenour-Miller House.

A first-time, all day Selfie Tour around the Stephens City area will feature stand up and hand-held cutout boards which portray you as Mona Lisa, American Gothic, big apple with a worm, Nellie the Cow, a Conestoga wagon, ice cream cones and gourds. Receive a map of exact locations at the Information Booth or on our Facebook page.

A Pie-eating contest (youth and adult divisions) will take place in front of the Stage on the Commons at 6 PM. Pre-registration is required at the Festival Tent.

According to Festival Committee member, Adrian O’Connor, Souled Out, Crosswinds, and the acoustic ensembles from the Newtown Music Center were the first bands he invited this year. “These bands were selected because they are local, thus providing a true hometown feel to the first in-person festival held since the COVID shutdown. The bands came out to support the festival when we put on the “virtual” streamed concert last year. We are all so happy they accepted our invitations again this year,” O’Connor said.

The following entertainment will perform Saturday at the Stage on the Commons:

• The Virginia Rain Bluegrass (new to the festival) is based in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where bluegrass roots run deep, traditional and true, from Noon – 1:45 PM.
• Crosswinds is based in Frederick County, and perform today’s Country Hits… and the Classics that count, from 4 PM – 6:30 PM.
• Souled Out, a funk/soul/dance band is based in Winchester, VA from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
• The evening will close with a 9 PM massive fireworks display.

For further information on Festival Times and Events, call the Town Hall at 869-3087.