Zane Grey Festival pays tribute to ‘Father of the Western Novel’

BEACH LAKE — Zane Grey, the greatest storyteller of the American West, will get his due when the National Park Service and Zane Grey’s West Society will host the 11th annual festival in his honor.

The free festival will be held at the Zane Grey Museum, at 135 Scenic Drive in Lackawaxen, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.

The Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers are what initially drew Zane Grey, a passionate fly fisher, to the area. These rivers satisifed his love for the outdoors and inspired him to write some of his most famous books, like “Riders of the Purple Sage,” right here on the banks of the Upper Delaware.

Zane and his brother Romer would eventually settle in Lackawaxen and Zane called the area home from 1905 to 1918. Exhibits in the Zane Grey Museum, his old home at the confluence of the two rivers, give visitors a better understanding of the life and writing of the famed author. His office and study have been meticulously recreated based on an interior photograph by famed local photographer Louis Hensel.

The Zane Grey Festival is geared towards fun for the entire family with many activities and events for children and adults. For more information, please see sidebar.