Old Bethpage Village Celebrates an 1865 Independence Day

Old Bethpage Village Restoration will celebrate the Fourth of July as it would have been commemorated in 1865 at the end of the Civil War, announced Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi. The event takes place on Friday, July 4, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The celebration, marking the return to Long Island of Union soldiers, will include a rousing, traditional Independence Day parade with a marching band (at 2 p.m.) and a performance of historical musical selections by the Old Bethpage Village Brass Band (at 3:15 p.m.). There will also be patriotic speeches, musket firing and children’s games. At 3 p.m., the soldiers will drill one last time and fire a salute to their fallen comrades.

Guests are invited to bring their own picnic lunches to a “Victory Parade” behind the Noon Inn, where the sounds of old-fashioned fiddle music can be heard from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Originally located in East Meadow and built in 1850, the Noon Inn is a standard two-story center-hall home, of modified Georgian style, with a barroom.

As an added attraction, a circa 1880s all star “base ball” game will be played at Hewlett Field at 1 p.m., as OBVR recreates the exciting matches held in Brooklyn and Queens at the time. The game will feature some of the finest fielders and batters from the Glen Head Zig Zags and the New York Mutuals, who will complete according to 1884 rules and wear the uniforms and use the equipment of that era.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres. Hours are Wed. - Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Entrance fees are $7 for children 5 - 12 (those under 5 are free), seniors and volunteer firefighters; and $10 for adults. It is located on Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage; for more information, call 516-572-8400.