The Village of Montgomery will host its annual General Montgomery Day this Saturday, September 9, an all-day community celebration that brings together thousands of local residents and even visitors from out of state.

This local holiday began over three decades ago when Village Mayor Steve Brescia wanted to provide recreation to the village residents. What started as a small occasion gradually became a major event in the region, attracting 15,000 to 20,000 attendees annually.

“The mayor, 30 years ago, wanted to bring something to the people, and it’s grown little by little. It started out small, but it had everything,” said Pat Imbriana, president of the committee that organizes General Montgomery Day.

The day will begin with continental breakfast in St. Mary’s Hall from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by The GMD 8k Run and Walk in Veterans Memorial Park from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. a parade will roll through the village, lead by Ralph “Buddy” Nelson, superintendent for the village’s DPW and this year’s grand marshal.

During the afternoon, the First Presbyterian Church will host a lemonade stand and bake sale between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Montgomery Village Museum and Orange County Firefighters Museum will be open for all to visit. Around 3:30 p.m., trophies and prizes will be awarded to parade participants for various categories at Clinton St.’s reviewing stand.

Later on, a crapshoot raffle will be held at Intersection Union and Clinton St., and the day will conclude with a fireworks display at 8:30 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park.

In addition to these activities, attendees can browse food, craft, and business vendors from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and enjoy several music performances throughout. At the village’s bandstand, Good vibes will play from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by Steve Alexander Band from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Clinton St.’s stage, Mustang 65 will play from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by First Round Band from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Children can enjoy numerous activities throughout the entire day, including a bouncy house castle, pickleball, basketball, and amusement events at Veterans Memorial Park. On Clinton St., Macaroni the Clown will cause hijinks at 1 p.m., Robert Rogers will put on two puppet shows from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Bobby the Magician will perform at 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the village hall at (845) 457-9661 ext. 201 or visit villageofmontgomery.org. General Montgomery Day will proceed rain or shine.