2022 Theme Announced For Spirit Of Beacon: "The Origin Story"

Beacon’s Main Street in the fall, at the base of Mount Beacon.
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

With all of the new people moving to Beacon, and for the Beacon originals who were born here, moved away and returned, we felt that the time was calling for a revisit on what the Spirit of Beacon Day is, and why it started in 1977.

It is a day calling for peace by celebrating getting to know each other, after days of racial unrest occurred in 1977 between teens at the Beacon High School, and the community.

According to the History: “It was during the winter and early spring of 1977 that, for several days and nights, racial problems became severe. The Sheriff’s department was called into the community to help bring the situation under control. A community meeting was held at the Howland Library with the following present: Edward Schuler, local legislators, Dutchess County Youth Bureau, Mayor Robert Cahill, the Beacon City Council, representatives of the clergy and also agencies involved with youth. The evening was spent discussing the cause of the problems and ways to possibly prevent them.”

Meetings were held with different groups: “Victor Russo, a representative from the F.B.I.’s Community Relations, also attended the meetings and spent a great deal of time talking to people and youth on the streets of the community trying to discover ways that the problems might be resolved. At the smaller meetings, with representatives from the Mayor, City Council, Beacon School System, the Beacon Community Center (NSO), Howland Library, Chamber of Commerce, Dutchess County Youth Bureau, Concerned Citizens Group (Frances McNair), clergy and community people, lengthy discussions were held concerning the problem.”

And so, as a solution, the creation of a “Community Day” commenced. "This was to be a day to bring the City together, especially the children and youth. All were in agreement that the community should get to know one another better, learn to know what each other liked in conversation, feelings, entertainment, education and food,” according to the history.

The Theme For 2022: “The Origin Story”

Inspired by super hero movies and fairy tale shows that the kids have been watching, we thought this workable inspiration for the schools to design their floats or marches around, and for other groups to work this into their offerings as well.

Spirit of Beacon Day:
The Origin Story