County Seat July 4 to step back in time

Goshen — The Fourth of July celebration in Goshen, New York, might be just 90 minutes from New York City, but it’s 150 years back in time. The county seat of Orange County, Goshen is home to the 26th annual Great American Weekend celebration — two days of activities that celebrate the nation’s independence. Activities are centered in and around the town’s historic, tree-ringed green, surrounded by stone office buildings, churches, and Queen Anne-style homes dating to the late 1700s. Goshen is home to Historic Track, a harness racing track that opened in 1838, and the country’s oldest active horse racing track. There’s been trotting horse racing in the village of Goshen since the Revolutionary War era and it will once again take place over the July 4th holiday, on June 30, July 1, 2, 3 and 4, starting at 1 p.m. True to history, there is no betting and stables are open to the public. The track is on the National Park Service’s registry of historic landmarks and is located in the heart of the small town. Private homes line one boundary of the track and residents host cookouts for their guests to watch races and munch hot dogs. Racing fans sit in a circa 1920 grandstand that was a gift from philanthropist Mary Averill Harriman. On July 1, fans can cheer Harness Racing Hall of Fame drivers and meet them in an autograph session after the race. Admission is $3 for adults, children 12 and younger are free. For information call the track at 294-5333. The rest of Goshen’s Fourth of July celebration takes place on June 30 and July 1. All events are on or near the town green, running from 10 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1. Events include continuous musical entertainment, a craft show, road races, book sale and story time at the library and food tents with festive fare. For more information, contact the Goshen Chamber of Commerce at 845-294-7741.