The Greater Honesdale Partnership, (GHP), is planning a day to “Discover Honesdale” on Saturday, May 19, 2018 starting at 10:00 and sponsored by Beck, Gogolski, Poska and Co., Inc., Grimm Construction, Inc., and Top Notch Distributors, Inc. This all-day event will showcase the thriving historic town of Honesdale, giving everyone a chance to uncover its festivities, recreation, charm and past. Since there is so much to see and do, this festival may simply be a launching pad for many future visits.
Honesdale is rife with history; come discover its past as the birthplace of the American Railroad and the genesis for the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Discover Honesdale’s present by shopping, dining and playing in our Victorian town. Visit one of our many shops, eateries, and places to relax. Placed in various Main Street shop windows will be posters that show the history of that building. Take time to read what used to be there.
Main Street’s diverse restaurants and stores will be open and welcoming to all. Vendors will be lined up on the sidewalks offering various handmade and craft items for sale. While strolling through Honesdale, there is an opportunity to win prizes by spotting the four posters of Phillip Hone, randomly placed in the window of four businesses between Fourth Street and Twelfth Street. Phillip Hone, for whom Honesdale is named, was the first president of the D&H Canal Company and in 1826 became the Mayor of New York City. Entries for Finding Phillip Hone will be available at the GHP booth located near the Honesdale National Bank Corporate Center on Main Street on a first come basis. The winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries. A dozen prizes will be given away!
Stop by the Old Stone Jail, located at the corner of 10th and Court Street, just behind the Wayne County Courthouse from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Wayne County Historical Society will be offering free tours of the jail. Come hear the history of the building, stories about the prisoners who were incarcerated there, hangings in Wayne County and a variety of other interesting facts about the Old Stone Jail. The jail was built in 1859 and used until 1934. And be sure to visit the museum at 110 Main Street.
From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Stourbridge Line will be offering rides aboard a ‘speeder’ as they team up with the North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA). These gas-powered ‘speeders’ or motorcars are typically used as track inspection vehicles and are a bit like go-carts that ride on the steel rails used by the trains. If taking a short trip on one of these restored speeders is something of interest, come to the Stourbridge Line’s Honesdale station on Commercial Street for this unique adventure. A free-will donation will be taken.
There will be an ‘Open House’ offered by the Stourbridge Line on Torrey Lane from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. where the Presidential car, the passenger cars, caboose and engines can be toured. The Pocono Express will depart the Honesdale Train Station at 3:00 p.m. for a 1 ½ hour round trip to Hawley. The cost for adults is $20 and $15 for children 12 and under. Visit the Stourbridge Line’s website www.thestourbridgeline.net or call (570) 470-2697 for tickets and more information.
NEWE (NorthEast Wilderness Experience) will hold a bike ride from Honesdale to Hawley with participants returning to Honesdale via The Stourbridge Line. For more information on how you can participate, call (570) 352-3444. There will be a QR Walking Tour along with 50 Ways to Discover Honesdale. This information will be in boxes hung from four light poles along Main Street.
DJ Tom will be taking requests under the Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Stop by and play “Discover the Secret Song” game. Only one guess per person is allowed and if you guess the correct song, you could win a $50 gift certificate from Hotel Wayne. Find clues to the mystery song on the four event sandwich boards up and down Main Street and by Central Park.
The Cooperage, 1030 Main Street, will be holding an Intergalactic Game Day from noon to 9:00 p.m. Come and enjoy board games, brain games and card games all day long! Feel free to bring a friend, meet a friend and make a friend.
Also at the GHP booth, tickets will be on sale for the Coal Drop Raffle. The Coal Drop will be held on Sunday during Steampunk Honesdale, July 21 & 22. Steampunk T-shirts will also be for sale at the booth.
There will also be a movie festival held at three locations from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. as the inaugural Canaltown Moving Movie Festival caps off the “Discover Honesdale’s” event. The three theater venues include RE/MAX Wayne, Loose Leaf Pages, and Here & Now Brewery. Different sets of movies will be viewed at each location and will run for about 45 minutes total with five showtimes on the hour beginning at 5:00 p.m. Festival goers can see the all the movies in whatever order they desire.
For $20 dollars in advance and $25 on the day of the festival, movie passes can be purchased which also gains entry to the awards ceremony and dance party to be held at Basin & Main beginning at 10:30 p.m.. Each movie festival pass receives four voting tickets with different colors for each venue to vote for their favorite movie from each venue, while the fourth ticket will be used to vote for the overall favorite.
Poets and writers are asked to submit works in the Steampunk genre for a 40-page booklet to be sold during the GHP Steampunk Honesdale event in July. For more information, please go to: http://www.johnnylemuria.com.
With so many events happening during “Discover Honesdale,” circle the date of May 19, 2018 and be sure to mention this festive day of adventure and discovery to friends and family. Honesdale will become a lifelong favorite town to visit as there is always something new to explore. Thank you again to our GHP member sponsors: Beck, Gogolski, Poska and Co., Inc., Grimm Construction, Inc., and Top Notch Distributors, Inc.
Don’t forget Honesdale’s future GHP events! Enjoy the Fireworks display on Monday, July 2, and Steampunk Honesdale on July 21 and 22, 2018 with a kick-off Steampunk Ball at the Cooperage on July 20th from 7-10 PM. Fall events are also planned!
Honesdale— possibly the greatest discovery you will make this spring! Learn more at VisitHonesdalePa.com
