Zane Grey Day offers free day of fun

LACKAWAXEN — The annual festival honoring the founder of the Western novel goes way beyond novels or Westerns. A little opera? Or maybe a scavenger hunt?
The 12th annual Zane Grey Festival this Saturday, July 16, offers free activities for the whole family. It will be held at the Zane Grey Museum, 135 Scenic Drive, Lackawaxen, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take a look:

Music

10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. — The Steamtown Ramblers will celebrate the National Park Service’s Centennial by performing songs linked to America’s National Parks.
Noon — Carol Diefenbach of the Delaware Valley Opera, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, will perform several songs along with up-and-coming opera singers. Diefenbach has performed in many operas with the Delaware Valley Opera in Narrowsburg, N.Y., and throughout the river valley.
1:30-3:30 p.m. — Sing along with musician Bill Fry as he portrays the popular music of the past while strolling the grounds of the Zane Grey property

History

Doc Miller, also known as the “Cowboy Dentist,” will give an interactive living history lesson what it was like to work out on a Western range, while captivating children and adults with his stories about cowboys. Do you know why cowboys wear bandanas? Come and find out this and other amazing facts about phrases, clothing, and tools used by cowboys that we take for granted today. Doc Miller will also entertain with his magic tricks.
2 p.m. — Living historian Christopher Hart will bring Zane Grey to life in his first-person portrayal of the famed author. Take a selfie with Zane himself throughout the day or catch his account of what it’s like to be back in Lackawaxen telling tales of his early life and passions.
Craft activities will be available for children of all ages. Kids can also take part in a scavenger hunt to receive a free book donated by Highlights in Honesdale, Pa. By visiting exhibitors, children will learn about the area’s natural and cultural history, while finding answers to trivia questions.
Steamtown National Historic Site’s “Ring of Fire” will return for a dazzling performance. Most people don’t realize that the tires on trains have to be meticulously maintained. The tires of steam locomotives are fitted by lighting the tire on fire, which allows the tire to be molded over the inner wheel. Staff from Steamtown will demonstrate the process continually throughout the day, in addition to interpreting the history of railroads in the area.
Travel to Lackawaxen like Zane Grey did. Visit the thestrourbridgeline.net for the Zane Grey Limited train ride special or follow them on Facebook at The Stourbridge Line.
Try your hand at roping cattle, like famed cowboy Buffalo Jones, digging for artifacts, and panning for fool’s gold.

Critters

11 a.m. — Have you ever wondered what a bald eagle or a saw-whet owl looks like up close? Join Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center for a live birds of prey show. Learning about the raptors' habitats, adaptations, the predator/prey relationship, and more.
Noon-4 p.m. — Take a break from the festivities and unwind on Brook Valley Farm’s horse drawn wagon ride to the historic Delaware Aqueduct. The rides will run on a continuous loop.
1 p.m. — Critters of the Upper Delaware will be portrayed by the Upper Delaware Puppeteers

Food

The Lackawaxen Fire Company will be cooking up hamburgers and hotdogs along with all the fixins' during the festival.
Zane Grey’s legacy of literature and sportsmanship lives on in Lackawaxen. Come join the fun and learn more about the Western novelist from Lackawaxen. For more information call 570-685-4871.
For a complete listing of events at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, visit nps.gov/UPDE.