St. Joseph’s 76th Annual 4th of July Celebration Set for Today

| July 4, 2015

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LUCINDA, Pa. (EYT) – St. Joseph Parish will host its 76th Annual 4th of July Celebration on July 4 on the Parish grounds from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in Lucinda, Pa.

As a pre-festival kick-off, St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K Run/Walk will take place on July 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lucinda Antler Club. The schedule of events on July 4 includes:

10 a.m. – Dinner ticket sales will open.

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Traditional all-you-can-eat chicken and ham dinners will be served, featuring homemade pie & soup with their famous homemade noodles. Takeouts will be available from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dinner prices are Adults: $8.00 Children 6 – 12: $3.50 Children under 6: Free. Nearly 2,000 dinners are served each year.

11 a.m. – Grounds will open featuring diverse games of skill and chance for adults and children, a concessions stand, an extensive Chinese auction, prize drawings and children’s features. A cornerstone attraction is the quilt tent where 20 handmade quilts are slated to be awarded in drawings held throughout the day, with an additional quilt offered at the Rosary Society booth. With each quilt averaging 200 hours to complete and holding an estimated value of between $750 and $950, the event is one of the largest quilt giveaways in Clarion’s tri-county area.

11 a.m. – Live entertainment will kick-off featuring regional musicians. Wheels & Heels of Marienville will start the day on the main grounds featuring a variety of music on keyboard and vocals. Jazz keyboardist Carl Olson of Pleasantville will head the live performances at the outdoor dining area by playing easy listening jazz, pop and country selections.

Noon – Called-number games will begin in the lower level of the social hall and will continue throughout the afternoon.

Noon – Singer/songwriter Robyn Young of Crown will perform country and variety selections, including her own original music, at the outdoor dining area.

12:30 p.m. – Keep Off The Grass, from West Sunbury, will begin the afternoon’s performances with traditional bluegrass music on the main grounds.

1 p.m. – Acoustic indie singer/songwriter Samantha Sears of Clarion will perform bluesy/folk alternative rock selections and some of her own originals at the outdoor dining area.

2 p.m. – Stuck In The Grass, from Knox, will play Gospel bluegrass music on the main grounds.

3 p.m. – Picks & Hammers of Edinboro will cap the afternoon’s performances by playing Americana and traditional Appalachian Mountain music on the main grounds.

4 p.m. – Grand Prize drawing, worth over $10,000, will be held. Awards include a $5,000 cash prize, gift certificates, outdoor items, other major cash awards and a Samsung SMART TV.

Visitors should note that the Saturday evening Mass on July 4th will be at 7 PM instead of 5 PM.

Known for its generous home-cooked meal and handmade quilts, this annual celebration has become a Lucinda tradition that dates back to the early 1900’s, and certainly back to 1939, having its roots in the Church’s original summertime picnics that were held near Groner Spring in Huefner. Last year saw attendants from nine different states and Ireland. This year will be no exception when visitors from across the state and all parts of the country are expected to head to the parish grounds to celebrate the holiday with the customary dinner, games, prizes and entertainment in what is now the community’s largest event of the season.

The public is encouraged to arrive hungry, as members of the St. Joseph Rosary Society will once again be at the helm in the kitchen to oversee the all-you-can-eat dinner. The bill of fare for the day includes the chicken and ham entrée, a bowl of the Parish’s signature noodle soup, mashed potatoes/gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, bread, beverage, and a slice of homemade pie for dessert. Each year, the Society’s members and their families and friends combine 400 pounds of flour and 180 dozen eggs into enough noodles to fill the nearly 2,000 bowls of soup served during the festival. Visitors can opt to eat in the social hall dining room or purchase take-out dinners to eat on sheltered picnic tables located on the grounds. For a quick snack or lighter fare, a concession stand featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks and beverages will also be available.

Another major attraction of the day is the quilt tent. The ladies of the Parish also spearhead this effort each fall and winter when they gather in the social hall to craft up to two dozen handmade quilts. On the following 4th of July, visitors surround the tent hoping to take home one of these beautiful hand-stitched pieces. This year’s handiwork will include an outstanding variety of cross-stitched, pieced, embroidered and appliquéd quilts. A limited number will be available for purchase and a preview of the quilts is available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org.

The entertainment schedule is filled with a variety of musicians from around the region.

Wheels and Heels, featuring the husband and wife team of Dick and Joni Sharrow, brings a mix of music to every event they play. With Dick on keyboard and Joni on vocals this duo uses their wealth of experience to delight audiences of every age with music from Billy Joel to Patsy Cline. They frequently perform at Iron Mountain Grille near Cook Forest.

Carl Olson is a local musician and music teacher who taught for 32 years in the Titusville Area School District. Although he retired in 2008, he remains active as a keyboard player throughout northwestern Pennsylvania. He plays the piano, organ, and synthesizer as a soloist and accompanist, and plays in Big Bands and small jazz ensembles, including The Dixie Doodlers, The Haener Brothers and Jazz Lite.

Singer/songwriter Robyn Young of Crown has been performing on stage since she was 12 years old. While playing a wide variety of genres, her focus is country music. She has been a member of several local bands and has recorded her first CD of original songs, which will soon be available for purchase. She frequently performs at several local wineries and restaurants.
Wayne and Linda Hetzler of West Sunbury started a band in March, 1976 and a marriage in December of that same year. They have been performing together ever since. As members of Keep Off The Grass, the Hetzlers feature traditional bluegrass and gospel music with Linda on base and Wayne on banjo, mandolin, fiddle and guitar. Other members of the group include Tom McGarrity from Fairview on acoustic guitar and Julia Chorle of Hilliards on lead vocals. The band performs at festivals, churches and senior facilities in the tri-county area.

Indie singer/songwriter Samantha Sears of Clarion has been musical all her life. She frequently performs at local restaurants and wineries and plays a variety of instruments including guitar, ukulele, flute and kazoo. She is a member of the acoustic rock duo The Banned and performs as a vocalist with The Recliners. She entertains her audience with an eclectic acoustic rock style including some of her own originals.

Stuck In The Grass, from the Knox area, has been playing together for just over a year. Their bluegrass style features traditional melodies and the majority of their music favors gospel bluegrass. They perform for reunions, private parties, church services, nursing homes and shows. Among the band members are Larry Switzer of Knox on rhythm guitar; Tim Switzer of Elmo on bass and lead vocals, Rose Williams of Knox on lead and harmony vocals; Jeff Green of Knox on banjo, mandolin, harmonica and harmony vocals; Nancy Jeannerat of Marble on fiddle, mandolin and harmony vocals; and Colette Vickers of Knox on rhythm guitar.

The day’s entertainment concludes with Picks & Hammers of Edinboro. This string band is dedicated to keeping alive the traditional music of the Appalachian Mountains whose musical roots can be traced back to the fiddle of the British Isles. Members of the group include Larry Spencer from Bradleytown on dulciborn, mountain dulcimer, jaws harp and vocals; Gayle Sheets of Edinboro on fiddle, mandolin, spoons, and vocals; Clair Carlson from Jamestown NY on guitar and vocals; Carol Myers of Saegertown on hammered dulcimer; and Ken Myers of Saegertown on the washtub base. The group plays at various festivals and events in northwest Pennsylvania.

Games of skill and chance, a variety of booths, and a Chinese Auction round out the festivities. In addition to the traditional game booths, a few features will be offered this year. The day’s activities will conclude with the Grand Prize drawing. Altogether, over $40,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded throughout the day.

Proceeds from the day’s events help defray the operational costs of the Parish school, which was founded in the early 1860’s and is one of the oldest Catholic schools in the Erie Diocese. Quality educational programs, from pre-school through grade 6, are offered each year to over 100 students of all social and religious backgrounds, and the curriculum exceeds Pennsylvania state requirements. For more information and registration arrangements call the school at 814-226-8018 or visit https://sites.google.com/site/stjosephcslucinda.

The celebration will be held rain or shine on the canopy-covered parish grounds. The children’s playground is adjacent to the festivities and St. Joseph Church, erected in 1893, will be open to visitors. The parish complex is located at 112 Rectory Lane along Rt. 66 in Lucinda (I-80 Exit 60, Rt. 66 north 10 miles) and is a short drive from Cook Forest State Park. The grounds are handicap accessible. Parking areas surround the grounds and a parking shuttle will be available. Reserved parking spaces will be available for those who cannot attend the festival but want to purchase a carry-out dinner. For more information visit www.st-joseph-lucinda.org, access Facebook or call 814-226-7288.

Registration for the Liberty 5K Run/Walk begins at 5:30 pm on July 3 with the race starting at 7pm. The event will be held rain or shine. The Antler Club is located at 231 Sunset Drive in Lucinda (Sunset Drive is located off Rt. 66 N immediately following the parish grounds). Pre-registration is encouraged and forms are available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org/fourthofjuly.


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