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Before the Carrigans moved to Rappahannock County, they had a home on the Chesapeake Bay. “We always entertained friends at a private party on the Fourth,” recalls Mr. Carrigan.
After moving into Avon Hall in 1960, the Carrigans continued to invite friends. The first year, they had fireworks and noticed cars parked up and down the road in front of their home.
“I thought, ‘There is no private party here’,” remembers Mr. Carrigan. “So the very next year, in 1961, we extended a cordial invitation through the Rappahannock News for everyone to join us. And, of course, we have continued ever since.”
From the beginning, the Carrigans lit up their lake with luminari, often keeping the message a surprise until dusk when the candles were lighted.
In 25 years, there have been a lot of highlights.
Mr. Carrigan especially liked the events of July 4, 1976, the bicentennial year. “Almost everyone was in costume,” he said. “Ben Franklin and George Washington spoke to the crowd, using direct selections from their timeless writings.”
There have been hot-air balloons on two occasions, and the Rappahannock Hunt has been on hand several times, with its well-trained hounds.
Another exciting event was the arrival of a gigantic Army helicopter, a machine large enough to carry two jeeps or many soldiers. “It flew in here over the trees from the west,” Mr. Carrigan remembers. “No one expected it — I couldn’t announce it, because the man it transported, General Vetter, might have been needed in an emergency. It scared people to see such a gigantic helicopter fly so low, but it was a thrill. In fact, I never got to inspect it, there were so many people anxious to see it.”
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