On Saturday, August 25th, the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau and the Columbia County Covered Bridge Association will host a special day of festivities in celebration of the historic Stillwater Covered Bridge. The bridge recently underwent renovations to improve the structural integrity of the bridge. A fresh coat of paint was also applied. Thus, a special dedication ceremony will be held to commemorate the recent renovations. The ceremony will also be a re-enactment of sorts, to be held in the same spirit as the 1959 Stillwater Bridge dedication ceremony.
Festivities will begin at 9:30 AM with a Covered Bridge Bus Tour leaving from the Stillwater Bridge area. One bus with approximately 45 seats will transport riders to see a total of 10 bridges in the northern half of Columbia County. The bus will make 3-4 stops at several of the bridges for photos and exploration opportunities. Approximate tour length will be 2.5-3 hours. Guests will be returned to the Stillwater Bridge prior to the start of the dedication ceremony. Tickets for the bus tour are $20, and seats can be reserved by calling the Visitors Bureau Welcome Center at 570-784-8279.
Van Wagner will provide music
Vendors will be set up at the bridge by noon, including the Columbia County Covered Bridge Association, the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society, the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, Steph’s Subs, Covered Bridge Brewhaus, Elk Mountain Winery, and other food vendors.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM, with an officer from the Columbia County Covered Bridge Association presiding. The Benton School Band will perform the “Star Spangled Banner”, and an invocation will be performed by the reverend of the Stillwater Church. The Columbia County Commissioners and the mayor of Stillwater will provide opening remarks and the greeting, followed by a presentation of the “History of the Bridge at Stillwater” by the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, local musician Van Wagner will perform music and storytelling.
*PLEASE NOTE* Since the roads in the northern end of the county are not accessible to larger charter buses, a school bus will be used. As such, NO bathrooms will be located on the bus. There will be bathrooms available at one of the bridge stops in the second half of the tour, but attendees are encouraged to use the portable restrooms provided at the Stillwater Bridge prior to leaving on the tour.