The Village of Schuylerville held its annual Turning Point Parade this past weekend, beginning a week-long celebration of its revolutionary history.
Featuring more than 100 organizations and 15 musical acts, the celebration is well attended by locals and visitors alike. The sidewalks of Broad Street are lined with people of all ages as parade volunteers throw candy into the crowd and costumed reenactors fire mock-musket rounds.
Young entrepreneurs Jackson Saunders and Liam Dudley are selling cups of fresh lemonade and ice water. They’ve already turned profit.
“Pretty good! We’ve made $10 for both of us, something like that,” said Saunders.
“Yeah, a pretty good day,” added Dudley.
“It’s a smart day to do it on the parade because that’s where everyone’s just walking around. And yeah, the parade is pretty cool, wish we could take part in it. But we can’t. but it’s fun to watch,” said Saunders.
“Yeah, I agree with him,” said Dudley.
It’s the middle schooler’s fourth parade and first drink stand.
“It’s great! We’re on the friggin’ radio,” said Dudley
“This one’s good, especially because I can get money from this one,” said Saunders.
“Yeah, money! Money, money, money,” said Dudley.
The “Turning Point” refers to the Battle of Saratoga – in which an American victory over the British in 1777 helped garner French support for the rebel cause.
A little further down the parade route, Fred Polnisch is taking the day’s patriotism to another level; he’s dressed as Uncle Sam in a red and white stripped trial suit, blue sequined top hat, with a silver goatee bringing it all together.
“I was the Uncle Sam for the Uncle Sam Barbershop Chorus and we’re defunct now. Our last parade was last year in the Veterans Day in Albany. So, we’re not parading anymore,” said Polnicsh. "I’m parading with… any group that wants me!”
He’s been dressing up as Uncle Sam for more than three decades and loves all the reactions.
“Oh they love it! Of course the biggest thing, they want their taxes back. But I tell them, I can do it better than them, I can spend it better. So, I’m gonna keep it,” said Polnisch.
Fred Youmans and Kathy Hood have been coming to the parade for years.
“Greatest small town parade. Maybe you wouldn’t think of it as that. But we come from Walton, it’s about 150 miles from here. And we come up here every year just for this parade. We got here, now we don’t know where we’re gonna go, we’re gonna go find something to eat,” said Youmans.
Richard Alexander is the business manager of Fyfes & Drumms of Olde Saratoga – one of the parade’s musical acts. He’s catching his breath and cooling off the end of Broad Street.
“We love it. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t, we’re a volunteer group and we all love it. You gotta love it to be in canvas and wool in this heat,” said Alexander.
He’s happy to see Schuylerville’s parade growing in popularity.
“It’s gotten bigger, the parade has gotten bigger. When I first started marching this parade I was with a different fife and drum corps. And they had never had a fife and drum corps in the parade. And today we got three,” said Alexander.
Village officials are ready to continue that growth. In previous years, the parade was followed by a festival in the same weekend. Mayor Dan Carpenter says the village is restructuring the celebrations ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War in 2026, and the Battle of Saratoga in 2027.
"And this is kind of a trial run to see how it would work with the parade on the one end and the festivities on the other. And then the next three years, we’d like to have more events that commemorate the history of the turning point of the Revolutionary War so, we’re really going to be working with the county and state to fill up the days between the parade and the festival,” said Carpenter.
The Turning Point Festival at Fort Hardy Park featuring fireworks, food trucks, and live music will be held August 10th.