Kiwanis Club of Saugerties plans giant July 4 cake for America 250

By AI, Created 2:06 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties and The Meltaway Bakery will mark America’s 250th birthday on July 4 at Cantine Field with a free community cake event expected to serve about 1,300 people. The celebration is designed as a hometown gathering that blends local history, civic pride and a singalong of “Happy Birthday USA.”

Why it matters: - The event turns America’s semiquincentennial into a free, public gathering built around food, music and local participation. - The celebration is expected to bring together residents, visitors, families and volunteers at a central community venue in Saugerties. - The cake service for about 1,300 people makes the event one of the larger local public celebrations tied to America 250.

What happened: - The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties will host a July 4 celebration at Cantine Field’s Main Pavilion. - The event will feature a three-tiered patriotic cake and ten sheet cakes prepared by The Meltaway Bakery of Saugerties. - The cakes are expected to serve approximately 1,300 people. - Kiwanis Club President Peg Nau is leading the celebration. - Drew Pineiro, owner of The Meltaway Bakery, said he was honored to help mark the occasion by preparing cake for 1,300 people. - Nau said Pineiro immediately agreed when she approached him with the idea. - Pineiro and his wife will personally serve the tiered cake during the celebration.

The details: - The event will take place under the Main Pavilion at Cantine Field. - Organizers want the gathering to create a shared community moment during the nation’s 250th birthday celebration. - Nau said she worked with Pineiro years ago at Lachmann’s Bakery, where she was assistant cake decorator to Ralph Lachmann. - The Kiwanis Club thanked Greg Chorvas, Superintendent of Parks and Buildings for the Town of Saugerties, for supporting use of the Main Pavilion. - The celebration is free and centered on community pride and togetherness. - Organizers say everyone will sing “Happy Birthday USA.” - The Meltaway Bakery is known locally for reviving beloved pastries and serving generations of Hudson Valley residents. - The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties supports local children, schools, scholarships, community programs and charitable causes throughout the region.

Between the lines: - Saugerties is framing America 250 as both a national milestone and a local tradition, not just a ceremonial date. - The emphasis on a hometown bakery, a volunteer civic club and a public pavilion shows the event is designed to feel community-led rather than formal. - The historical references to Saugerties and the Hudson Valley place the celebration inside the broader story of the American Revolution, which adds local meaning to the national anniversary.

What’s next: - Residents and visitors can gather at Cantine Field on July 4 for the cake celebration and group singing. - The event will continue the Kiwanis Club’s broader mission of supporting children, schools and community programs through visible public service. - The celebration may serve as a model for other small-town America 250 events focused on shared participation rather than large-scale ceremony.

The bottom line: - Saugerties is marking America’s 250th birthday with a simple message: bring the cake, bring the community, and sing together. More information