Community, Celebration, and Tradition Shine Bright at Andes Community Day 2025

ANDES — The town of Andes came alive this past weekend with the joyful celebration of Andes Community Day 2025, a growing annual tradition that continues to reflect the heart and soul of this small but bustling Catskills hamlet.

The day began with a moving invocation led by Reverend Paul Moore of St. James Church, who offered words that set the tone for the entire celebration. His prayer resonated with deep gratitude and unity:

“Thank you every family whose made this legacy a part of their lives to make their own. Thank you for our volunteer fire department, our EMS, our school, our businesses, our churches. Every single person that plays such an incredible stock to live and call home. It’s so great, every one of them is a blessing. Come down and join us a day, if you love one another, lift each other over and lift up what it means to be a community. Bless this time, and please, please, please, bless Andes.”

From there, the festivities rolled into high gear with the ever-enthusiastic parade emceed by two local favorites, Robyn Ciccone of the Andes Diner and Derek Curl of the Andes Hotel. Their lively commentary kept the energy high as they introduced a colorful array of participants, including the Andes Garden Club (winner of “Best Float”), the Andes Library (awarded “Most Creative Float”), Gladstone Farms, and a long lineup of community organizations, families, and businesses.

For the first time in a decade, the Lake Delaware Boys Camp wowed the crowd with a 15-minute marching band performance right in front of the Andes Hotel. Their precision and spirit were met with thunderous applause from the crowd, including local fire departments from Andes, Margaretville, and Arena, all of whom marched in uniformed support alongside Andes EMS, drawing roars of appreciation from attendees.

Midday, the Andes Public Library hosted its beloved dog show, a family-friendly highlight full of wagging tails and smiling faces. Meanwhile, Andes’ thriving arts scene came into full view with multiple gallery openings. Hawk + Hive welcomed visitors to a solo exhibition by Zachary Lank; The Corner Gallery featured the evocative works of Ana Christina; and Leo Koenig Inc. presented a magnificent collection by twelve contemporary artists. The Andes Society for History and Culture also opened a major group show featuring sixteen artists exploring themes from the region’s Anti-Rent War history. ~ See our Arts & Culture section for full coverage of these exhibitions.

As the sun dipped below the Catskill peaks, the day concluded in dazzling style with a fireworks show orchestrated by Derek Curl, whose flair for the spectacular left the crowd cheering beneath the night sky. Andes Community Day 2025 proved once again that this town — rich in tradition, creativity, and camaraderie continues to define what it means to celebrate community in all its vibrant forms.