On June 17, Wilmington will host the 6th Annual Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run Festival, which will feature more vendors, new entertainment, and more race participants.
The 5K and 10K races begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Whiskey Run Festival at Preston Festival Field from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will feature sports, history, regional arts and crafts, music, and entertainment.
Moonshine Hollow Bluegrass Band is comprised of renowned musicians from the surrounding area. Food trucks, vendors, raffles, displays, craft whiskey, beer and wine sampling, as well as the Battle of Plattsburgh re-enactors encampment with demonstrations and musket and cannon fire, round out the activities.
This year marks the festival’s first-ever expansion.
A ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. to honor combatants of the War of 1812 and will feature the narrative of Jay/Wilmington’s Major Reuben Sanford, a hero of the Battle of Plattsburgh. Both the race events and the festival generate funds for the Wilmington Historical Society’s new building campaign.
Many activities of the alcohol Run Festival are centered on the historically recurring motif of alcohol in the region. During the Battle of Plattsburgh in the War of 1812, the area of Jay that is now Wilmington was known for supplying excellent rye whiskey to American troops as part of their daily rations.
During the Prohibition Era, Wilmington, a tiny, peaceful northern village near the Canadian border, became a secure refuge for rum runners transporting illegal spirits across the border. Recently, US Barrel, a whiskey barrel cooperage, was located in Wilmington.
“We are excited to bring back this popular event that combines local history with active sensorial experiences, a race, and pure joy. “It is a fantastic Adirondack community festival with something for everyone,” stated Society president Karen Peters in a press release.