Cars began to line Airport Road early Saturday evening as people gathered for the final celebration of the Town of Wawarsing's bicentennial. Banners lined the gate in front of the Joseph Y. Resnick Airport, displaying the names of businesses that proudly sponsored the event.

At 6:30 PM Rivers Edge, a country/western band from Orange County, began their set with "God Bless the USA," by Lee Greenwood. Candles were lit, and an American Flag and a POW Flag were flown.

Brian Haight and Sam Bugna of Lock 31 in Ellenville sold hot soup and apple cider to warm up the crowd, but they weren't the only ones getting business; many spectators sought food and refuge from the weather in nearby Il Paradiso. "The bicentennial has been really exciting for the area," said Il Paradiso owner Laura Knee, "We were looking forward to the turnout."

When night fell the band wrapped up and people eagerly awaited the fireworks. "This is the biggest and best fireworks display to be seen in the Hudson Valley," said Dr. Mark Craft, chairman of the bicentennial committee; "We have had great support at each of our thirty-plus events this summer." Some of the events encouraged by the bicentennial celebration may become annual, such as Cragsmoor Day; Napanoch Day may be celebrated every other year.

Among the spectators was a reflective Dr. Richard Craft. "The most important thing for the next two hundred years is for the Town of Wawarsing to retain its character," said Craft. Though he would like to see a little more industry in the town, he does not want Wawarsing to "become a suburb of Orange County."

At 8:00 the fireworks lit up the sky. The explosions resounded off the surrounding mountains, each one louder than the one before. People watched and cheered at the spectacle above, shaking off the cold and standing as a group to enjoy the impressive display of pyrotechnics. Once the fireworks ended and the smoke cleared, Wawarsing was left to prepare for the next two hundred years.

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