By Doug La Rocque
The skies threatened a couple of times but the rain held off for the day as the Summer Festival took root in the park for the 35th time. It is sponsored by Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, and again features a variety of crafts, foods, displays, a civil war reenactment, and of course the famous chicken barbecue. Also performing this year was the Sweet Adelines chorus.
The firing of the civil war era cannon was again one of the most popular events of the day. It’s called a Mountain Howitzer, and was first fired at the Battle of Gettysburg by Union Troops. Today, in the hands of the Crenshaw’s Battery, it is all bark and no bite. The members put on the demonstrations all around the country, and especially at reenactments at many Civil War battle sits. They take turns dressing as both Union and Confederate Troops.
For Saturday’s event, they were dressed as the 69th Fighting Irish Infantry, a New York State unit, with members at the time from Massachusetts and Vermont as well. They take the spectators through the entire firing procedure, from preparing the weapon, the proper safety precautions taken by the crew, to actual discharge of the cannon. Fortunately for those gathered around, while loud, the canister rammed in the cannon is no longer of a lethal nature.