It used to be the town of Malta honored its veterans with a display of fireworks at the end of its annual Community Day, but after the town and its Veteran's Committee decided they needed to do more to honor military personnel and veterans they created the First Annual Malta Veteran's Festival scheduled for Saturday, June 27.
"It was always the town's intent to honor our military veterans and we
decided the time had come to give them their own special day," Audrey
Ball, Malta Parks and Recreation Director, said.
Ball added that the fireworks display the town hosts during its annual Community Day are spectacular, but many residents and veterans don't stay around for them because they are usually too tired from the day's events.
"The intent of this event is to have one special day to honor the military and veterans in a celebration that will also allow people who are usually too tired at the end of Community Day to stick around and enjoy the firework show," Ball said.
The Veterans Festival will commence with a memorial and wreath laying ceremony on June 27 at the Malta Town Hall at 4 p.m., with an invocation by Reverend and Councilman Peter Klotz.
The ceremony will be followed by a one-mile parade along Route 9 starting at 4:30 p.m. The parade will feature veteran's organizations from throughout the region, local police and fire departments, a marching band and Boy and Girl Scout Troops. Gerald and Eleanor Winters, who are both military veterans, will serve as the parade's grand marshals.
The parade will come to a close as it arrives at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, but the evening's festivities will just be getting underway as the venue will play host to music, a static display of military, fire and emergency vehicles, a ceremony to dispose of worn and tattered flags, and fireworks by Alonzo Fireworks of Mechanicville.
Some of Malta's finest eateries will also be on hand to take part in a "Taste of Malta" event where people will be able to buy redeemable food item tickets from the Malta Business and Professionals Association.
Sen. Roy McDonald, a veteran of the Vietnam War, will serve as the event's keynote speaker prior to the fireworks display that is scheduled to go off at dusk and end the evening.
Bill Snide, chairman of Malta's Veterans Committee, said the response from veteran's organizations and the community has been extremely positive so far.
"We are very excited about it, the response has been very positive and I think it is going to be a great success," Snide said.
Snide added that the town and Veterans Committee intend to make the celebration an annual event.
"This year the festival was thrown together on short notice but the committee intends to start planning next year's festival as soon as the event is over," Snide said.
Event organizers are still looking for veterans, servicemen and women, Boy and Girl Scout troops and not-for-profit organizations to participate or volunteer for the event. If interested you should contact Audrey Ball at (518) 899-4411.
Organizers have also set an alternate date for Sunday, June 28 in the event of rain.
"This is going to recognize our veterans and their duty, but also we want to make it a fun, family day," Snide said.
Ball added that the fireworks display the town hosts during its annual Community Day are spectacular, but many residents and veterans don't stay around for them because they are usually too tired from the day's events.
"The intent of this event is to have one special day to honor the military and veterans in a celebration that will also allow people who are usually too tired at the end of Community Day to stick around and enjoy the firework show," Ball said.
The Veterans Festival will commence with a memorial and wreath laying ceremony on June 27 at the Malta Town Hall at 4 p.m., with an invocation by Reverend and Councilman Peter Klotz.
The ceremony will be followed by a one-mile parade along Route 9 starting at 4:30 p.m. The parade will feature veteran's organizations from throughout the region, local police and fire departments, a marching band and Boy and Girl Scout Troops. Gerald and Eleanor Winters, who are both military veterans, will serve as the parade's grand marshals.
The parade will come to a close as it arrives at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, but the evening's festivities will just be getting underway as the venue will play host to music, a static display of military, fire and emergency vehicles, a ceremony to dispose of worn and tattered flags, and fireworks by Alonzo Fireworks of Mechanicville.
Some of Malta's finest eateries will also be on hand to take part in a "Taste of Malta" event where people will be able to buy redeemable food item tickets from the Malta Business and Professionals Association.
Sen. Roy McDonald, a veteran of the Vietnam War, will serve as the event's keynote speaker prior to the fireworks display that is scheduled to go off at dusk and end the evening.
Bill Snide, chairman of Malta's Veterans Committee, said the response from veteran's organizations and the community has been extremely positive so far.
"We are very excited about it, the response has been very positive and I think it is going to be a great success," Snide said.
Snide added that the town and Veterans Committee intend to make the celebration an annual event.
"This year the festival was thrown together on short notice but the committee intends to start planning next year's festival as soon as the event is over," Snide said.
Event organizers are still looking for veterans, servicemen and women, Boy and Girl Scout troops and not-for-profit organizations to participate or volunteer for the event. If interested you should contact Audrey Ball at (518) 899-4411.
Organizers have also set an alternate date for Sunday, June 28 in the event of rain.
"This is going to recognize our veterans and their duty, but also we want to make it a fun, family day," Snide said.
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