REV FEST 250 at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation: A Local Guide

On July 2, 1779, the British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton got lost on his way to Pound Ridge. As the Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times recounted from Pound Ridge Historical Society accounts, the delay gave the local militia under Major Ebenezer Lockwood and the Continental Light Dragoons under Lt. Col. Elisha Shelton extra time to prepare. Tarleton still had more than twice their numbers, and he "conquered, plundered, and burned much of the town" before American reinforcements forced him to retreat.

On October 24 and 25, Westchester County's REV FEST 250 takes over Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and stages the Battle of White Plains each afternoon. The festival is worth going to. Pound Ridge's own part of the war doesn't appear on its schedule, though. That story is in the hamlet along Westchester Avenue, and this year is the first time the town has put the names of its own soldiers on a monument.

What Arrives at the Reservation on October 24

Last year REV FEST was held at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, on September 27 and 28, 2025. For 2026 the county moved its signature 250th-anniversary event to Ward Pound Ridge. The official REV FEST 250 page lists 500 volunteer living-history exhibitors, Continental and British Army encampments, musket and artillery firing, artisan trades, food trucks, and more than two miles of programming across the Reservation. Admission is free.

Both days follow the same timeline:

The stage lineup covers more than battlefield history. Saturday opens with Carla & Keyes, a Yorktown Heights duo, at the entrance. Storyteller Jonathan Kruk performs "The Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow and Revolutionary Tales of Westchester" at 10 a.m. The organizers say the festival tells the stories of "patriots, loyalists, and those caught in between."

To Get In, Pound Ridge Has to Leave First

The logistics are the surprising part for anyone who lives a few minutes from the Reservation gate. The county's REV FEST FAQ says there is no parking at the Reservation. All event parking is at three lots outside town, each with free, continuous shuttle service:

• Bedford Hills Train Station, Lot 4, Railroad Avenue, Bedford Hills
• Katonah Train Station, Lot 3, 50 Woods Bridge Road, Katonah
• John Jay Homestead, 400 Jay Street, Katonah, the designated lot for visitors with accessibility needs and the stop with ADA-accessible shuttle service

The FAQ also says leashed dogs are welcome and the event runs rain or shine. Severe-weather updates will be posted on the festival website and social channels. The FAQ does not cover passenger drop-offs, bikes, walk-ins, or whether the rest of the Reservation stays open to regular hikers that weekend. Anyone planning a normal trail walk on October 24 or 25 should check with the county before heading out.

With every shuttle leaving from Bedford Hills and Katonah, the fastest way into the festival starts with driving away from it. That also leaves a free morning in town before the shuttles fill up, and the town's own 1779 sites are a short walk apart on Westchester Avenue.

The 1779 Story Starts at Conant Hall

Pound Ridge's own Revolutionary sites are clustered in the historic hamlet, and the Lockwood family history explains why. Patriarch Joseph Lockwood settled the area in 1743, and at one point the family owned nearly all of what is now the 50-acre historic hamlet along Routes 124 and 137.

Here is a self-guided route that works before or after a festival day:

1. The new patriots' plaque at Conant Hall, 257 Westchester Avenue. A bronze plaque mounted on a boulder in front of the building lists more than 100 Pound Ridge residents who served in the Revolution. The Town Board approved the memorial in January, and the dedication was scheduled for July 3. It joins the town's memorials to those who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The names include nine Lockwoods, from Ebenezer and Jacob to Joseph Lockwood Jr.
2. The Pound Ridge Historical Society, next door at 255 Westchester Avenue. The museum reopened on April 25 after a renovation. Its "Then and Now in Pound Ridge" exhibit was described as entering its final year.
3. The Major Ebenezer Lockwood house. Tarleton put a bounty on Lockwood. He escaped capture during the raid, but the British burned his farmhouse, which had served as a headquarters and temporary hospital. The rebuilt house is now a recognized historical landmark.
4. The Methodist Episcopal Church site. The Historical Society's landmarks list identifies it as the site of the town's original meeting house, which burned in Tarleton's raid.
5. Burial Hill Cemetery. Some graves in this landmarked cemetery date to the 1700s, including those of Gould Ferris and Jacob Lockwood, and both men are named on the new plaque. Volunteers spent the spring removing lichen, moss, and grime from selected stones with soft brushes and wooden craft sticks so the lettering can be read again.

The plaque took real research. Historical Society president Joanne Mineo told the Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times that there was no "magic list" of local Continental Army soldiers. Researchers went through New York State Comptroller records of service and payrolls, checked other archives, and visited cemeteries when the paper trail ran out. Everyone named on the plaque was an actual soldier. "We have so much history in our little town, I can't believe it," Mineo told the paper.

A Lookout Tower Still Going Up on Cross River Mountain

One historic structure on the Reservation was still under construction at last report. The Reservation's original fire tower went up in 1925, was taken out of service in 1970, and came down in 1982. In January the county announced that a new 100-foot tower would be finished in 2026, with planned views of the Manhattan skyline, Long Island Sound, the Hudson River, and the Catskills.

The volunteer project site at crmfiretower.org reports slower progress. According to its September 7 update, section 3 was still being assembled with its stairs, railings, and treads, and would then be hoisted onto the sections already standing on the foundation. The August update said the top sections would go up after that. A security fence and lower stair cage still have to be installed before the tower can officially open. The September update does not report an opening, and no opening date had been announced as of that update.

Conant Hall, Again in November

The festival is one stop on a fuller fall calendar in town, running from mid-October into November:

• Saturday, October 17: The Pound Ridge Land Conservancy's Fall Mushroom Foray, 10 to 11 a.m., at Armstrong House, 1361 Old Post Road.
• Saturday, October 31: The Business Association Trick N Treat Walk in the business district from 4 to 6 p.m., a trunk-or-treat and costume parade at Town Park from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and a drive-in movie at Town Park from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1: A piano and oboe concert at the Pound Ridge Library, 271 Westchester Avenue, from 3 to 4 p.m. Registration is required.
• Thursday, November 5: The Historical Society's Poker Night fundraiser, a 55-player Texas Hold'em evening at 7 p.m. at Conant Hall, steps from the new plaque.

The Pound Ridge Historical Society can be reached at (914) 764-4333 or [email protected] for anyone who wants to learn more about the Lockwood house or the names on the Conant Hall plaque.

At The E&F Team, we follow how Pound Ridge's history and its hamlet change from year to year, from a new bronze plaque on Westchester Avenue to the tower going back up on Cross River Mountain. If you'd like to talk through what makes a historic Pound Ridge property distinct, schedule a free consultation and we'll walk you through it.