Thank you to Beacon Natural @beaconnatural for sponsoring Spirit of Beacon Day! Beacon Natural gets behind many community events. Remember that time years ago that the fireworks almost didn’t happen and Beacon Natural with @verplanckauto made sure it did with other sponsors? 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Thank you @yanarelladance for sponsoring Spirit of Beacon Day !! Sixty years in Beacon, they have taught so many dancers from youth, some of whom return to teach. Watch Yanarella in the parade, and visit their table on the day! Their Fall classes have dropped, so check those out and get plugged in!
Because of you sponsors, Spirit of Beacon can support and hire the @marchingcobrasofny again this year!! You saw them last year in the parade, felt their energy, and they are coming back for the parade! Thank you! The Spirit of Beacon Day is Sunday, September 24, from 11am-4pm. The parade is from 1-2pm. Enjoy! See you there! Tell your friends! 🙌🏽
The Pink Unicorn 🦄 is BACK as a sponsor of Spirit of Beacon Day! @pink_unicorn_of_beacon This unicorn helps make Beacon Beacon. Also look for the unicorn in the parade. Come out Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 11am-4pm. See you there!
All the way from Fishkill, NY…Supreme Pianos 🎹of New York!
For all your acoustic piano needs- tuning, sales, repair, moving, and storage. Thank you for supporting Beacon’s youth!
Located at 1004 Main St Fishkill.
Last year, @lastoutpoststore was our very first Main Street storefront to signup for sponsorship on our enhanced website. Forever grateful, and appreciative of their sponsorship this year!
Debuting at the Spirit of Beacon is The Station, a new creation from business owners Kamel and Lena Jamal (Beacon Bread Company and ZIatun). Last year, they purchased the old Beacon police station at 463 Main Street that was also used as a jail. Expect creative concepts and experiences coming out of here, that could include a distillery, radio and other lifestyle additions.
It’s Tuesday! Volunteer Meeting Night! At the Howland Public Library. 7pm in the Community Room. The Spirit of Beacon Day is Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 11am-4pm.
We need volunteers for:
- Parade and Vendor Table shepherds
- Kids Event Section! We need 4 providers of kids entertainment in front of Salvation Army.
- Yard Sign and Flyer Distributors
Register to be a Volunteer here, and to get the Zoom link if you can’t attend in person.
Thanks!
Verplanck Auto! Thank you for your sponsorship of the Spirit of Beacon! You have been there for many community events before, and you did it again. Located on 133 Verplanck Avenue, the little auto shop is a powerhouse for vehicle repair. Thank you!
The Roundhouse returns as a sponsor of Spirit of Beacon Day 2023 as a Beacon of Light, and we are so thankful for their support! The Roundhouse has a long history of supporting the Spirit of Beacon Day. As history marches on, and players change hands, so has Spirit’s involvement with The Roundhouse. We welcome the new alignment with the daughter of the family business of The Roundhouse, Katie Guerra, who carries the torch for her family’s involvement. Thank you!
Beaconites Rusty Stahl and Sara B. From responded to their kids being inspired by the new Spirit of Beacon logo that originated in 2022 from designer Kim Dei Dolori with creative guidance with Katie James Inc. by letting their kids design Halloween Yard Art. Halloween is a big deal in Beacon, and this sign went over well with the trick-or-treaters.
Thanks Rusty and Sarah for sharing!
Rabe & Co, the national branding agency based in Beacon, NY, has returned as a Spirit of Beacon Sponsor for the 2023 season. They came on board last year when we had our revitalization year to be back in person, and we are so grateful for their support!
Founding Partner Liz Birch’s son represented last year in the middle of Main Street with his face painted from A Little Beacon Blog’s stand :)
Katie James Inc. has returned as the volunteer-based branding studio for Spirit of Beacon. “Last year, we started by having a logo contest to seek out lesser-known talent in Beacon,” says Katie Hellmuth, owner of Katie James Inc. and President of Spirit of Beacon. “We received excellent submissions, and the Committee selected Kim Dei Dolori. This year, we get to play with the logo and colors a bit for new t-shirts, signage and other ways to use the essence that the logo has created for the Spirit of Beacon Day.
Katie James Inc. is responsible for enhancing the website design, which is a continuation of the detailed job the previous Committee headed by Gwenno James, who first started a website at all for Spirit of Beacon.
The studio is also running the Instagram and Facebook pages for the Spirit of Beacon, as well as the newsletter announcements and press releases, creating the art and writing and publishing the posts to promote parade participants, vendor table signups and sponsors.
Key Food Beacon returns as a Beacon of Light Sponsor for Spirit of Beacon Day, giving the Committee confidence to move forward on logistical plans for producing the day. “Thank God,” said Spirit of Beacon’s President, Katie Hellmuth. “Now we can book the porta-potties and make sure we have enough accessible-sized units for everyone at convenient locations!”
Thank you, Key Food Beacon!
The Beacon Free Press has featured the Spirit of Beacon’s preparations for 2023. We are grateful for the coverage!
Sponsorships for the Spirit of Beacon Day 2023 are open! Beacon businesses are so supportive of this community, so always make the extra effort to give them your patronage, recommendations and good reviews.
There 4 sponsor levels for different amounts of promotion:
BEACON OF LIGHT - $2,000
Logo on Banner Hung In Key Food Parking Lot
(as of late, the City of Beacon has decided to stop hanging banners across Main Street)
Logo on Parade Banner carried by Spirit of Beacon Day Committee representatives
Logo on Lawn Signs placed throughout Beacon and surrounding areas
Logo on Flyer going on storefront windows in Beacon
Logo on Tent at main stage at Veterans Place
Logo on T-Shirt (plus 10 free shirts)
Logo included in Program
Logo on Bathroom and Parking Signs
Logo displayed Homepage of Website
Logo displayed prominently on Website
Social Media Mentions
Acknowledgement given during speeches on main stage
MOUNTAIN - $1,000
Logo on Parade Banner carried by Spirit of Beacon Day Committee Representatives
Logo on T-Shirt (plus 5 free shirts)
Logo included in Program
Logo on Bathroom and Parking Signs
Logo displayed on Website
Social Media Mentions
RIVER - $550
Logo on T-Shirt (plus 1 free shirt)
Logo displayed on Website
Social Media Shout-out
SPIRIT - $250
Business or Name listed on Website
Business or Name listed in Program
Social Media Shout-out
1 free shirt
The Spirit of Beacon Committee has opened the 2023 Volunteers round for those who want to help make this day happen. Jobs include:
Parade Duty: Helping parade participants get to where they need to be.
Vendor Table Duty: Helping vendors get to their tables.
Social Media: Someone to run the Instagram and Facebook channels.
Table Sitters: A few people to represent the Spirit of Beacon at events where the table and tent are set up.
And more.
Please see the Volunteer Page to sign up and get onto the Volunteer Email List.
As we get ready for another year - the 46th year - of the Spirit of Beacon Day - we are reflecting on how we only could have done this with the help of our 2022 sponsors who so quickly leveled up to invest in the day to make this possible. We are booking the bagpipe band, the Cobra Performing Arts performers who you all loved so much. We are booking the tent for another year of music, and the porta-potties to help our businesses not have to traffic all those potty breaks with their private bathrooms.
The Spirit of Beacon Day had a come-back year in 2022, and it could not have been possible without our 2022 Sponsors who helped us in our time of need.
To produce this highly anticipated event, which is layered with music, performances, school spirit, and community involvement, we needed investment from the community. Beacon businesses and groups who serve this area came through. Thank you so much, 2022 Sponsors, from all of us.
Sponsorship for 2023 is opening soon.
Beacon Of Light Sponsors:
Mountain Sponsors:
River Sponsors:
Last Outpost
314 Main Street
Really cool boutique with a handsome and rugged style. Shirts, hats, sunglasses, custom Beacon mugs and merch, etc.
Beahive
291 Main Street
A co-work community and space where entrepreneurs, creatives and techies mix with nonprofit leaders, activists and community organizers.
Highlands Current
A reader-funded, nonprofit media organization that serves the communities of Beacon and Philipstown (Cold Spring, Nelsonville, Garrison, North Highlands and Continental Village) in the Hudson Highlands of New York.
Daria Gates - Speech Pathology
Holistic, collaborative, play-based speech-language therapy that involves both the child and their family. “Every child is their own individual, unique person with something to communicate in this world.”
Witch Hazel
176 Main Street
Witch Hazel is a modern-day apothecary that taps into the calming beauty of nature. Find carefully curated makeup, skincare, mystery balms, vases, and so much more. Beyond delightful.
Raven Rose
474 Main Street
Raven Rose is a modern take on your traditional flower and gift shop. With an open and airy storefront they are always evolving to embrace seasonal trends in both home decor and flower arrangements. You must stop in.
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
Each year, the Spirit of Beacon Day has had a theme. Last year, it was The Origin Story. To remind people what the Spirit of Beacon Day is, and why it exists. It is not just a day to celebrate Beacon with a street fair. This is a day dedicated to connecting the youth to the community. Born in 1977 out of racial tensions between kids and the community. And those days are not over. They never will be. We have to connect to each other each and every day to ensure that we are understood and heard by each other.
This year, the theme of the Spirit of Beacon Day is “Level Up” (no, we don’t mean 4 story buildings, so don’t go there).
“Level Up” can mean many things, and we want to know how you perceive it. What does Leveling Up mean to you?
The Spirit of Beacon’s Secretary, Jeana Pearl Fletcher, had been thinking about this term a lot. She recently moved to Beacon, found a job in NYC that has her commuting. She joined the Spirit committee in order to get her hands into Beacon to get to know the community. “Level Up is a pump-up message to challenge myself with something new, like a goal or event, and embrace lessons learned. It can be a collective practice too!”
The Spirit of Beacon’s Treasurer, Jennifer Garfield Abrams, felt this: “Love Jeana’s meaning. It really resonates with me! I also think about it in terms of what it would mean for Beacon to ‘Level Up.’ There are so may people in the community who work on different projects to ensure that it’s the best Beacon it can be. Sometimes our visions for Beacon’s ‘leveling up’ are different, but the important thing is that we come together across that difference to work towards an even more thriving community.”
Said the Spirit of Beacon’s Chair, Katie Hellmuth: “In Beacon, ‘Leveling Up’ means to me to learn about new things, that may be old and normal to somebody else, and work to understand its place here in Beacon. Leveling Up in Beacon to me means speaking out about it in order to preserve it. Not to preserve something in stone. But to share what is going on so that people know about it, in case unfairness is persevering by leveling something flat.”
Spirit of Beacon Board Member, Junior Zayed Dabashi conveyed that “Level Up” means to him: “Elevate our everyday efforts to better our present and strengthen the future for our youth.”
What does Level Up mean to you in Beacon? Bring this spirit with you to the Spirit of Beacon Day on Sunday, September 24, 2023.