Eldridge Park celebrates the Fourth with a bell ceremony

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Eldridge Park held its annual Independence Day Ceremony where they rang the bell 13 times at 2 p.m.

18 News spoke to the person who’s been ringing the Eldridge Park bell for the past eight years.
Robby Robertson, one of the board members of the park, said this act is a recreation of the ringing of the bell in Philadelphia on July 4.

“It recreates the ringing of the liberty bell, or not the liberty bell, the ringing of the bell in Philadelphia on July 4th which happened on 2 o’clock July 4th of 1776,” said Robertson. “So this is kind of a recreation of that and a celebration of America and it’s become an Eldridge Park tradition for us.”

During the bell ringing ceremony, the pledge of allegiance rang through the speakers as the carousel spun around. Employees decorated the carousel with streamers of red white and blue for Independence Day. People watched the ceremony right out front with their masks on.

Also, paddleboats are back at the park after receiving approval to reopen. The paddleboats and mini-golf will be open today, and tomorrow in the early evening hours.