NARROWSBURG, NY — Here’s a truth about the birth of our country: not everyone wanted to be independent. And some of those folks lived here.

At Fort Delaware, at 12 noon on Saturday, July 9, interpreters  will reenact a sample day, 246 years ago, as a visitor from Philadelphia stops by to announce that the colonies had declared independence.

It’s all part of the fort’s Patriots and Loyalists weekend, which offers a chance to hear both sides of the independence debate.

John Conway, county historian, will come to turn people’s lives upside down as he reads the Declaration.

But people in the fort were largely Tories—loyal to the crown.

Local magistrate Robert Land, portrayed by Jeffersonville mayor Bill Chellis, will follow the reading of Thomas Jefferson’s masterpiece with a passionate rebuttal.

The readings will be followed by a panel discussion and a question-and-answer session about the Declaration of Independence and its reception in the region.

Saturday’s activities will also include other displays and demonstrations, plus colonial music by Linda Russell, formerly the balladeer at Federal Hall in New York City.

The fort is owned by Sullivan County and managed by local historical nonprofit the Delaware Company.

Fort Delaware is located on the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway at 6615 Rte. 97.

Admission costs $10 for adults and $7 for students, seniors and military personnel. A family pass, good for two adults and two children, costs $25. There is no charge for children aged five and under.

To learn more, visit sullivanny.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/FortDelaware or check out the Delaware Company’s Facebook page at TheDelCo.