Lake Day returns July 11 with family activities across Lake Mohegan

Lake Mohegan's annual Lake Day returns Saturday, July 11, with a rain date of Sunday, July 12. This year's theme is "Celebrating Lake Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness on our Nation's 250th Anniversary."

Sponsored by the Mohegan Lake Improvement District, the free event is open to all and features activities at beaches around the lake, with a water taxi providing transportation between locations.

The day begins with a children's fishing derby from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Mohegan Beach Park, 3339 Lakeshore Drive, followed by children's games at 11:15 a.m. at Mohegan Highlands, 3365 Mohegan Ave. At noon, Lynn Briggs, chair of the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route–New York, will present a story time and show-and-tell featuring colonial toys and the history of Yorktown's role in the nation's fight for independence, including the French troop encampment and how the town got its name.

Afternoon activities begin at 1:15 p.m. with a bagpipe and drum march into Lake Mohegan Park, 3250 Lakefront Drive, followed by a Thai dance performance, children's crafts, face painting and an "Art on the Lake" display. Lawn games start at 3 p.m. at Alpine Woods Beach, and Rick Lee's Nature Awareness School wildlife program begins at 4 p.m. at Amazon Beach Park, 1610 Wenonah Trail.

Closing festivities begin at 5 p.m. at Mohegan Colony Beach, 3092 High St., with authentic Mexican food available for purchase from the Super Nacho food truck. A square and contra dance with Liz Slade & Band runs from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the Lake Day poster contest at 7 p.m. The Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, founded by Pete Seeger, performs at 7:30 p.m. The evening concludes with the annual floating Chinese lantern ceremony at 8:45 p.m. and an outdoor screening of Episode 5 of the "Peekskill Riots" documentary series, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Jon Scott Bennett.