The Spirit of Beacon Day is continuing on as planned for Sunday, September 24, 2023. With many prayers! After refreshing the weather apps hundreds of times, causing much debate and calls to vendors and performers for all the consideration that is involved with moving to a rate date…the Spirit of Beacon Day Is ON!!

September 24, 2023 from 11am-4pm. Parade steps off at 1pm!

K104 will be there during the parade lineup, and the Volunteer Awards will be given there as well. The Highland Bagpipe Band will lead the parade, followed by this year’s Grand Marshall Retired Beacon Fire Chief Gary VanVoorhis, with all of the participants in the middle including the Beacon City Schools, the Rombout Middle School Marching Band, and will conclude with high energy from the Marching Cobras.

Get the list off everyone who will be in the parade here.

Watch the video for an inside look at how hard it is to make this decision. See you there!!

The Parade Lineup

1 The Amerscot band

2 Grand Marshall - Retired Fire Chief Gary VanVoorhis

3 Pedago Beacon Bikes and Cars

4 Astor Services

5 Glenham Elementary School

6 JV Forrestal Elementary School & PTSO

7 Sargent Elementary School & Sargent PTO

8 New Covenant Learning Center

9 South Avenue Elementary

10 Spirit of Beacon

11 Beacon Girl Scouts

12 Scouts BSA Troop 41

13 Miss Queen City of the Hudson

14 Beacon teachers’ association

15 Howland Public Library

16 City and State Members

17 Beacon Light Hawks Pathfinder Club

18 The Pink Unicorn

19 Rombout Middle School 7/8 Band

20 Beacon City School District

21 BHS Varsity Cheerleaders

22 BHS Concert Band

23 BHS NHS (Beacon High School National Honor Society)

24 Ballet Arts Studio

25 Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)

26 Artists on the March

27 Beacon CSD Athletic Department

28 Sun River Health

29 Beacon Historical Society

30 Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health

31 Beacon Jeep Club

32 Slater Chemical Fire Company

33 Eastern New York Region Hudson Valley Chapter of The American Red Cross

34 School of Rock Beacon NY

35 The ARC Community League

36 Yanarella School of Dance

37 Beacon Community Lions Club

38 A Little Beacon Blog

39 Caitlin McVicker State Farm

40 Trinity Council Knights of Columbus

41 Beacon Performing Arts Center

42 Beacon Sloop Club

43 Beacon Soccer Club

44 Beacon Bike Coalition

45 The Marching Cobras

END OF PARADE

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Table Vendors

Positions of table vendors are in the maps pictured above.

1 Beacon Chamber of Commerce

2 Beacon Boi

3 Beacon City Council

4 River Pool at Beacon

5 Friends of Howland Public Library- Beacon Reads

6 Howland Public Library

7 BonfireWORKS Foundation

8 Keyfood Kettle Corn

9 Keyfood

10 I Am Beacon, Inc

11 I Am Beacon, Inc

12 I Am Beacon, Inc

13 Beacon Prison Rides

14 Hudson Valley Food Hall

15 Hudson Valley Food Hall

16 Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

17 Beacon's St. Patrick's Day Parade Of Green

18 Sânt Hair Collective

19 BeaconArts

20 Midnight Ferry

21 Wee Play Comments Project

22 Salem Tabernacle

23 Beacon Performing Arts

24 Dia:Beacon

25 Single and Hungry Club w/ Hidden Rose

26 Howland Chamber Music Circle

27 RAPP- Release Aging People from Prison

28 St Rocco Society

29 Beacon Light Tabernacle

30 Fishkill Rotary Club

31 Berkshire Farm Center Services

32 Friends of Fishkill Supply Depot

33 Tabernacle of Christ Church

34 Cub Scouts Pack 1

35 Growing and Empowering Myself and My Sisters Inc.

36 Pat's Yard Vibes

37 Yanarella school of dance

38 Highlands Current

39 Beacon Sons and Daughters of Italy, St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629

40 Dutchess Community College

41 BHS Senior Class

42 St Joachim-St John Women’s Parish Club

43 Sun River Health

44 Sun River Health

45 St. James AME Zion Church

46 Twins Babarshop

47 ARF

48 Tioronda Garden Club

49 Christ Church United Methodist

50 Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps

51 A Little Beacon Blog

52 Beacon Climate Action Now

53 Spirit of Beacon

54 BHS Clubs x Pulsera Project

55 BHS Student for Gender Equality

56 HV Credit Union

57 BHS Beacon Players

58 BHS Lady Bulldog

59 NYS United Teachers/BeaconTeachers Association

60 Beacon Dem Committee

61 Beacon Elk's Lodge #1493

62 Beacon PBA

63 City of Beacon Fire Department

64 Conservation Advisory Committee

65 Beacon Historical Society

66 Taconic Healthcare

67 Beacon Tree Advisory Committee

68 St Andrew and St. Luke Episcopal Church

69 Hudson Valley's Best

70 Mid-Hudson Maker Hub

71 Stony Killl Foundation

72 The ARC Community League New York

73 Mama La's Food For The Soul

74 FT Beacon

75 Traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Committee

76 Masijid Ar-Rashid

77 Coast 2 Coast

78 Southern Dutchess Coalition

79 New Covenant Learning Center

80 Astor Head Start

81 Little Water Preparatory Charter School

82 Kumon

83 CompassArts

84 Patriot Swim Team and M2O swim

85 Fidelis Care

86 Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Jail Division

The Spirit of Beacon Committee presented the agenda to the City Council and the public tonight, September 11, 2023. Listen to it here.

Beacon's highly anticipated event, The Spirit of Beacon Day, takes place on Sunday, September 24th from 11am-4pm. This event was established in 1977 in response to racial tensions between Beacon's youth and the community. As a result, various community leaders from our local churches, library, police, City Council, and others came together to figure out what to do. A solution proposed was a community day. Said one of the original backbones of the Spirit of Beacon Day, Nan Whittingham, about the origin in the Beacon Evening News in 1986: "Everyone was in agreement that we, the community, should get to know one another better. It was agreed we should learn to know each other's likes and dislikes regarding conversation, feelings, entertainment, education and food."

Come to enjoy a variety of different foods from professionals, churches and organizations, as well as get to know services available at vendor tables. Music performances at 2 stages will be going all day at the Main Stage at Veterans Place, and the secondary stage at Cross Street. The big parade kicks off at 1pm and goes down Main Street.

The day starts at 11am, where Main Street is blocked off from South Brett Street (Key Food) to Teller Avenue (Yankee Clipper Diner). Both businesses are one of our sponsors this year, and we thank them very much. It is with sponsor support that this day can get produced. Sponsors this year include:

Beacon of Lights:

Key Food
The Roundhouse
The Station
Carter's Restaurant
For the second year in a row, Beacon Recreation Department where financing of Stage and Sound at Veterans Place Stage, and the Stage at Cross Street was provided.

Mountain Sponsors:
Remark Printing
Verplanck Auto
Faust Design Build

River Sponsors:
Hudson Valley Food Hall
Rabe and Co.
Yanarella Dance
Beacon Natural
Hudson Valley Credit Union
Dennis Vetrano Law
Bar Down Studio

Spirit Sponsors:

Last Outpost
The Pink Unicorn
Feeds R Us
JonCar Realty
Sara Mikulsky Wellness Physical Therapy
Supreme Pianos of NY
Kitchen Sink
District Social
M+T Bank
Beacon Digital + Main Office Co-Work Space

FOOD
We heard from the people, and the people wanted more street food. Last year, Beacon's restaurants were so happy because people ordered and filled the tables. This year, we dedicated more vendor tables to food choices, so come prepared to eat from:

St. Rocco's
Sons and Daughters of Italy
Beacon Boi hot dogs from Paul Yeaple formerly of Poppy's
I Am Beacon
BHS Class of 2025
Pat's Yard Vibes
St. Joachim - St. John the Evangelical
Coast 2 Coast
Beacon Light Tabernacle
The Mosque Masjid Ur Rashid
Tabernacle of Christ Church
Mama Mama La's Food for the Soul
Key Food grill
Key Food fresh Kettle Corn
Tommy Empanadas
Carter's Restaurant
Single and Hungry

MUSIC
Playing on the Main Stage at Veterans Place:
The Beacon Players
School of Rock Band
GG & the Shades
The parade will roll through, and then Bosco and the Storm will kick off followed by the Beacon Rising Choir and closing out with TonyE, returning all the way from NYC for us.

PARADE
Most importantly, who will we be seeing in the parade?
So many of you, and if you haven not registered yet, please do so now! Even if you march every year, please get into our spreadsheet.
The Rombout Middle School band will be marching and playing this year.
Yanarella School of Dance
Artists on the March
Passion The Adult Dance Studio
The incredible Marching Cobras are returning this year!
As are the Highlands Bag Pipe Band.
Slater Chemical Fire Company
Beacon National Honor Society
Ballet Arts
Beacon Girl Scouts
Beacon Light Hawks Pathfinders
And others.

For our Table Vendors, lots of awareness is coming to you, and we have saved tables specially for After School Clubs of the Beacon City School District.

We saved you a spot to come out of the school and onto the street so that everyone can meet you and see the effort you bring to the students in the district.

Students for Gender Equality have signed up, and we hope more do as well.

KIDS SECTION

The Kids Section this year will include activities from Compass Arts and Kumon.

PARKING
Please tell your friends to park in the free parking lots in Beacon. These include the DMV Parking Lot, the Police Station parking lot right here at Town Hall, and down at the Train Station. Dutchess County has agreed to consider running the free Beacon Loop to help bring people up from that parking lot.

VOLUNTEERS

As for volunteers:

We need a sign painter for 2 big wooden boards.
People to pass out flyers.
People to chalk yard signs with bathroom and parking lot signs.
Stay up to date at Spirit of Beacon's website: www.spiritofbeacon.org and follow at Instagram @spiritofbeacon and on Facebook @spiritofbeaconday

Heating up like the summer are table registrations for the Spirit of Beacon Day 2023. Early Birds have been flying in, securing their tables. As registrations come in, we cannot promise the “same spot” and such, but we will try very hard to accommodate! Please be mindful that if you’re not in your same spot, sometimes change is good, and you might love your new spot, where you will meet new table neighbors.

Spirit of Beacon Day is saving at least 10 spots for After School Clubs. We really want to showcase them so that the community - not just students - can see what these teachers are offering to the students of the Beacon City School District. Please sign up and commit the day! Registration Fee is waved for After School Clubs. We are working on getting prizes from the community for those who work your table. We know what an extra effort it is for teachers to organize and host these After School Clubs.

Before we introduce the tables who have signed up so far, we want to share who is in this picture: Don Raskopf. A dedicated community member and lover of the Hudson Valley River who served as a Board Member of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater who did pass away in 2023. He attended last year’s Spirit of Beacon Day, and was a friend of many. He could be seen often on his bike with his little dog. Don is missed in Beacon, but his spirit lives on.

Organizations Who Have Registered So Far For Spirit Of Beacon 2023

Conservation Advisory Committee
Spirit of Beacon Table
Beacon Tree Advisory Committee
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Family Transformation Church (formerly Faith Temple Church) - we had the booth at the end of N. Cedar Street
Fidelis Care
Astor Services
Beacon Lady Bulldogs Booster Club
Tioronda Garden Club
Salem Tabernacle
Fishkill Rotary Club
Beacon Climate Action Now
SOUTHERN DUTCHESS COALITION
Growing and Empowering Myself and My Sisters Inc.
The ARC Community League New York
Christ Church, United Methodist
Howland Public Library
Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)
Patriot Swim Team and M2O swim
Beacon Sons and Daughters of Italy, St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629
Beacon City Council
Beacon Prison Rides
A Little Beacon Blog

HELLO BEACONITES!!!

It’s the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee writing. We are BACK. We are back for Spirit of Beacon Day 2023, the 46th year of this day all because you made it happen last year. Yes you.

The City of Beacon has granted us the permit to once again celebrate this spirit on Sunday, September 24, 2023. That gives us the summer to reach out to you, hear from you, and plan for what you want to bring to the day.

The Committee

The returning Spirit of Beacon Committee members:  Katie Hellmuth (Chair), Jeana Pearl Fletcher (Secretary), Zayed Junior Dabashi (Board Member), and Ali T. Muhammad (Board Member) and our new treasurer Jennifer Garfield-Abrams! 

Nickeya Allen-Smith is now Spirit of Beacon’s contract bookkeeper, training our committee for passing the torch for future management. We are so thankful for her and the wealth of knowledge shared from past leadership to guide us into the future.

Last year we worked with volunteer Spirit Coordinators to produce the music and entertainment portion of the day. So far, we know that Goldee Green, Bosco Michael Faison, Kimberly Dei Dolori and Melissa Shae will be returning. We are looking for other volunteers and coordinators as programming opportunities open up. Please see how to get involved below!

The Mission

The mission of the Spirit of Beacon is to connect the youth with the community. There are ample opportunities for kids of all ages in Beacon. Our mission is to make sure they know about them and have more ways to connect with them. Read about the origins of this day. All parade and vendor table applications are weighed against our mission.

This year, we are especially looking for After School Groups at all of the schools to represent at their own table. Last year, we reserved a block for this. This year, with more time to get the word out, we hope these leaders of those After School Clubs are willing and able to make the time to set up a table, so that the parents, caregivers and kids can see and touch what goes on inside of the schools.

Registration For Parade and Vendor Tables Is Open

You can now register for a spot in the Parade and for a Vendor Table. No fee. A few things to remember:

Parade:

• Is for Beacon organizations and those who serve in Beacon.

• No politicking. Politicians are not allowed to sign up to walk as an individual.

• All parade registrations must be accepted after registration application is submitted.

• Businesses in Beacon can apply for and participate in the parade.

Vendor Tables:

• This is a time for connecting kids and adults with services that enrich their lives. Tables are prioritized for non-profit organizations after school programs If you or your business do not fall in this category, there may be space for your table. Please consider donating and centering your proceedings to a Beacon organization.

How Food Vendoring Will Work

We want your bellies to be full. We are opening food vendoring in a tiered system with deadlines in order to give our non-profits and Beacon businesses priority:

Fees:
$30 Dutchess County Department of Health Food Permit
$35 Spirit of Beacon Table Non-Profit and Beacon Business Rate for Food
$100 Spirit of Beacon Table Food Vendor Rate for Businesses Outside of Beacon.
Deadlines:
First come, first serve based on tier schedule. By the time your tier comes, there might not be space available. No guarantees.

• 1st Priority Tier: Non-Profits and Churches
  Selling food on Spirit of Beacon Day has been a fundraising opportunity for the non-profits, organizations and churches.
  Fee: $35 Table Fee
  Deadline: July 1 - July 31. Don’t wait.

• 2nd Priority Tier: Beacon Businesses
  Our restaurant business friends in Beacon also really need your business. Say all you want about the tourists who come in on the weekends, but very few establishments can survive on weekend traffic alone. With local Beacon not coming out every night of the week, our local restaurants do struggle. We do want you to order from the restaurants.
  This year, Beacon restaurants and businesses can apply for a table. If you are a business (like a barber) who wants to sell food outside your establishment, you can apply.
  Fee: $35 Table Fee
  Deadline: August 1 - August 16. Don’t wait. If space is available by then.

• 3rd Priority Tier:
  If we don’t fill up on food vendors with the first two priority tiers, then food vendors who are businesses and not on Beacon’s Main Street can apply.
  Fee: $100 Table Fee
  Deadline: August 17 - August 31.

Volunteer Opportunities

Throughout the summer, we will post different volunteer opportunities. Most of these will happen in September, as we get closer to The Day. This Committee operates mainly by text. We have lots of group text meetings. We have families and jobs and commitments that make meeting in person very difficult for us.

Right now, we are looking for a Spirit Coordinator for Social Media (in Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok). This person can be well versed in one of these platforms, or all. We can work with volunteers who are good in different platforms.

Register to be a Volunteer here.

Sponsor Opportunities

OMG. We had very little in the bank for 2022, and our business sponsors revived us. THANK YOU. Sponsorship for 2023 will open shortly. We need to do a big Thank You celebration post and social media celebration for our 2022 sponsors first.

The Logo Color

New year, new colors! Continuing with the Tradition. Kim Dei Dolori designed such a cool logo that you all loved and will be available for sale. Volunteers get their own shirts for FREE. Show up and show off Beaconites!

We are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, September 24, 2023 for the 46th year of this day. We will be in touch with some of you sooner if you sign up for volunteer opportunities.

Look for more updates here at the Spirit of Beacon Day website!

Original Color T-Shirts and Hats Still Available! Limited Supply

Yes, the OG t-shirts are still for sale! Limited supply. Hats also. Click here to shop our store. Free local pickup available.

Vendor Table Placement 2022

Parade Lineup 2022

Making the Table arrangements now! Jeana is using her landscape architecture skills to modify the Table Map, and has added color coding (joy) and porta potty locations.

She will be helping vendors on the day to find their spot. Vendors bring their own table, chairs and tents. Have you registered yet? We know! Time is ticking. Even A Little Beacon Blog hasn’t registered yet, but just did. Highlands Current was on it early. St. Rocco’s just registered, and Slater Chemical just register.

After School Clubs: we REALLY want you to have your own tables! Like Kaleidoscope, Drama, Textile, etc. Lets everyone see how awesome you are!

Yay to everyone who registered so far. Still open.

See you Sunday September 25, 2022 from 11-4pm

Vendor table for St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist during the 2019 parade.

With the recent Chairperson transition for the Spirit of Beacon Day, we have a tight turnaround for applications for vendor tables! Think about it, and submit here!