Newburgh - A year ago the City of Newburgh welcomed the replica ship Half Moon to its shores, and inaugurated the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Newburgh Beacon Bay Quadricentennial and Newburgh’s 300th Birthday celebration. Last Saturday, the City officially said farewell to Capt. William T. "Chip" Reynolds, Director of the New Netherland Museum and Captain of the replica ship Half Moon, and to Capt. Henry Hudson and First Mate Robert Juet, who first visited Newburgh Beacon Bay 400 years ago.
Saturday’s program featured some of the individuals and groups who highlighted the year’s Quadricentennial celebrations. They included the "Voices of Glory," the young Hudson Valley stars who captured the nation’s hearts on "America’s Got Talent," Cynthia Fountain, a Lenape/Penobscot Native American, her family, and other Native Americans who welcomed Capt. Reynolds and Capt. Henry Hudson last year, students from Meadow Hill Global Explorations School in Newburgh, who participated in the "Blending of the Waters" in June, celebrating our history and the many nations who make up our community. Mannequins wearing 1609 and 1909 fashions from the popular traveling exhibit created by local artist Keith Nieto, were on display for the finale, as was the Great Hudson River Water Quilt and other water quilts.
The weekend festivities also included "A Night at the Headquarters," at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site.
"It’s been an extraordinary year," said Elizabeth P. "Betsy" McKean, who along with City Historian Mary McTamaney, coordinated local Quadricentennial events locally and regionally in partnership with other municipalities throughout the Newburgh Beacon Bay and Hudson River Valley. "The shared excitement during the planning of the regional events celebrating the centuries made it possible to offer a wealth of activities and accomplish tangible legacy projects throughout the past twelve months, making it a year that will be remembered for generations."
