A Day in Old New Castle
May 16, 2026, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Goings On at Immanuel for A Day in Old New Castle
• Tours of Immanuel Church and Graveyard •
Please join us as we guide visitors through the history of Immanuel, the church building, and the graveyard. The church will have displays of a variety of vestments and silver and will be adorned with complementary floral arrangements. Learn about how Immanuel was established in 1689, how the church was rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1980, and visit notable graves (including a signer of the Declaration of Independence!).
We encourage you to return on Sunday at 8:00 am or 10:00 am to experience worship with us at the oldest continuously operating parish in the US, or come to our special service of Lessons & Carols for Eastertide, held on Sunday at 4:00 pm.
All are welcome, come as you are!
• Plein Air Competition at the Academy •
Local artist and gallery owner Dennis Young’s Paint Historic Old New Castle Painting Competition 2026 will this year be held in the Academy, 31 E. 3rd St.
There will be between 25 and 30 painters coming to our town on May 16, participating in the Mo’zArt Gallery’s 6th annual Paint Historic Old New Castle (PHONC ’26) held during A Day In Old New Castle. Funding for this very popular event is largely from a community grant from The Trustees of the New Castle Common, awarded for the benefit of our New Castle community, which intends to both entertain residents and visitors and also inspire others to invest their time and creative energies in the visual arts.
Artists are free to paint anywhere in the historic district or the Battery starting from 8:00 am and bring their finished and framed painting to the Academy by 12:30 pm to exhibit on their easels. Judging will begin at 1:00 pm by the renowned artist and teacher, Abigail McBride of Middletown. This is her third appearance at the event; Abigail always thrills the artists and audience with her detailed descriptions of how she makes her choices of winning paintings. She is informative and entertaining - certainly a reason for the community to come out and be entertained by her “show”!
There will be 6 awards handed out. Besides the grand prize, there will be a prize by the New Castle Historical Society for a painting selected and awarded by Mark Batty of the NCHS. There will also be a separate Emerging Artist Award for one of the artists who have entered as amateur but inspired participants.
Attendees are encouraged to inspect the paintings and to interact with the artists, if desired. Artists are encouraged to price their artwork at an affordable level to encourage success for themselves and satisfaction for collectors. Live solo music will accompany the exhibition, and lunch sandwiches will be provided by Portofino restaurant. Following the award ceremony, unsold working easels will be set up elsewhere on the Green for the benefit of visitors attending the day's activities of ADIONC.
For more information, please contact Dennis Young.
• Civil War Dance Foundation at the Parish Hall •
Put on your dancing shoes! The Civil War Dance Foundation brings the elegance and energy of the Victorian era to life with demonstrations of period dances — and the audience is encouraged to join in! Whether you're an experienced dancer or just looking to try something new, this is a wonderfully fun and immersive experience for all ages.
Hope to see you there!
The Episcopal Church
Welcomes You
