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Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 348-9185 Fax: (570) 207-3448
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July 1, 2016
thevalleyadvantage.com
Familiar Festivals
ON THE INSIDE The latest happenings in our area Page 2
valley
A pair of gatherings for host summer nights by Christopher Cornell
ADVANTAGE EDITOR
A pair of small-town festivals that have become summertime family favorites are coming around again. The Jessup 21st Century Association will hold its 21st annual Family Day celebration Tuesday, July 5, at Jessup Veterans Memorial Stadium on Hill Street. The program will begin at 6:45 p.m. and will feature a performance by students of the Kelly Patrick Studio of Dance, Rob the Juggler, a demonstraton by students at AMR Gymnastics and fireworks at dusk. Music will be provided by Jus4Fun DJs. There will also be face painting for kids by the Valley View High School cheerleaders, a bounce house and food vendors. The festival was one of the first projects of the newly formed 21st Century Association. That first year, in 1995, Lupini said, she and Gene Varzaly and the late John Cardoni “went to all the local businesses and to the industrial park in Jessup to seek donations. In three hours we collected $875, and we then asked the borough officials to help us with the rest of the cost.” The rest is history. This year there are several new food offerings, including pizza baked on the premises, Caverna’s popular Geroulo’s subs, grilled hot dogs and mini pies from Ginger’s Bakery. There will also be a candy stand and Scoop’s Ice cream. Lupini said Rob the Juggler, who has performed at every Family Night since 2004, will be back again. “Rob has been a favorite crowd pleaser through the years and been juggling for more than 25 years,” she said. Lupini said there is lots to do behind the scenes. “We all join in sharing the workload, because we care enough for our community.” Remember to bring blankets and/or lawn chairs. Donations will be accepted at the gates. Also coming up this weekend is the eighth annual Queen City Nights in Olyphant on Thursday, July 7, 5-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, 5-11 p.m. both nights,
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Queen City Nights organizers include, from left: Nicole Shaller, Mike Glinsky, Christine Powell, Bob Powell, Bob Sembrat, Ryan Frisbie, Phil Ferrese, Bob Hudak, Bryan Finegan, Missie Finegan, Jay Keyasko, Eric Myers and Erin Myers.
sponsored by Olyphant Hose Co. No. 2 and Queen City Hose Co. No. 8. Organizers promise a variety of food, activities and games for children, a beer tent, bingo, clams, basket raffles, novelty items, a firefighter’s parade Saturday at 7 p.m. and musical entertainment every night: Velvet Soul on Thursday, The Tommy Guns Band on Friday and Farmer’s Daughter on Saturday. “We have a few new food items to choose from,” said organizer Christine Powell. “We will be offering porketta sandwiches, potato tornado on a stick and some other new food items.” Powell said the organizing committee begins planning for the next year’s event immediately after the current year’s event is over. “We work hard throughout the year, coordinating with vendors, entertainment personnel and also our generous basket raffle donations. It really is a year-round planning event.”
Both Lupini and Powell acknowledge that the biggest challenge in planning events like this is the one thing they can’t control — the weather. “We hope for beautiful weather and still encourage our patrons to come to downtown Olyphant even if the weather isn’t perfect, because we still remain open if it rains, and we have plenty of tents to sit under,” Powell said. Powell stressed that this is the two hose companies’ biggest fundraiser of the year. “We depend on this event for our yearly operating expenses, which include maintenance and repairs to our fire apparatus, building upkeep, operating expenses, insurance costs, utilities and more,” she said. “It costs nearly $12,000 to fully equip a firefighter, including their training. It is essential to keep our men and women safe with the most-up-to date equipment and training.”