BACK TO THE 50’S WEEKEND

Photos & words by Joe Secka

Cascade Park in New Castle, PA was the location for this event. The park drive follows rolling hills which weave through a wooded area that boasts large grassy areas with an abundance of shade. This was my first trip to Cruz’n the Decades presented by Back to the 50’s Weekend and I have nothing but good things to say. It is a three day weekend with two live bands for entertainment on each of those days with a DJ filling in any empty airspace. Several food vendors were providing a nice variety of tasty offerings and picnic tables were nearby. A portion of the proceeds from the event went to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

As I walked the loop through the park, there were cars, trucks and bikes on both sides. Even though the sun was bright, the huge shade trees made it easy to take my time to check out plenty of rides. This was about 40-50 miles from home and that is sufficient distance where I usually get to see something new. And there were plenty of new rides there! The Shenango Valley Corvette Club was set up near the entrance and the first hill took you down to a level where the cruisers were parked along with the food vendors, a bandstand and several veterans’ memorials. This space, and the entire park for that matter, was extremely well manicured. The backdrops for photos were outstanding! The road then headed further downhill where more cruisers were parked along the water.

Cascade Park is a nature park and former amusement park in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The park was originally known as Big Run Falls when the area on which the park sits was purchased by Col. Levi Brinton in 1892. Developers created an amusement park on the property which opened in May of 1897. Big Run is the waterway that runs through the middle of the park with Big Run Falls taking advantage of the natural elevation changes the park has. Yep, if you want to see everything, you will eventually have to head back up the hill on the other side! LOL! It wasn’t that bad!

This was the 35th Annual event which should give you some idea of the established history this show has. If you haven’t been, then maybe you need to put this one on your list for 2023. Additional information is available on the event Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ Backtothe50sWeekendInc

That’s all I have - Joe