LUCINDA, Pa. (EYT) — St. Joseph’s 79th Annual 4th of July Celebration will be held July 4 from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on the parish grounds in Lucinda.

As a post-festival finale, St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K Run/Walk will take place on July 7 at 9:00 a.m. at the Lucinda Train Station.

The schedule of events on July 4 is as follows:

• 10:00 a.m. – Dinner ticket sales will open.
• 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 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 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Dinner prices are Adults: $9.00 Children 6 — 12: $4.50 Children under 6: Free. Nearly 2,000 dinners are served each year.
• 11:00 a.m. – Grounds will open featuring diverse games of skill and chance for adults and children, a concessions stand, extensive Chinese Auction, prize drawings and children’s features. A cornerstone attraction are the handmade quilts with nearly 20 slated to be awarded throughout the day. A limited number will be available for purchase and three quilts will be featured in a silent auction. A preview of the quilts is available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org.
• 11:00 a.m. – Keep Off The Grass, from West Sunbury, will kick off the day’s live entertainment on the main grounds featuring traditional bluegrass music; world-renowned balafon, djembe, and kora player Tasana Camara of Oil City will be playing music from his homeland country of Guinea in West Africa at the outdoor dining area.
• Noon – Called-number games will begin in the lower level of the social hall and will continue throughout the afternoon. The first of 3 larger-prize games will kick off the games party.
• 12:30 p.m. – Cluricaun of Clarion will begin the afternoon’s performances with traditional Irish and Scottish folk music.
• 1:30 p.m. – The second of three larger-prize called-number games will be held in the lower level of the social hall.
• 2:00 p.m. – Picks & Hammers of Edinboro, featuring Americana and traditional Appalachian Mountain music, will perform on the main grounds.
• 3:00 p.m. – Gravel Lick, a bluegrass band with a non-traditional flair, will be featured on the main grounds.
• 3:30 p.m. – The last of three larger-prize called-number games will be held in the lower level of the social hall.
• 4:00 p.m. – Grand Prize drawing, worth over $10,000, will be held. Awards include a $5,000 cash prize, gift certificates, other major cash awards and a YETI Tundra cooler. A Junior Grand Prize ticket drawing, featuring prizes for children and tweens, will be held again this year.

In total, more than $40,000 in cash and prizes is to be awarded with proceeds from the day’s events benefiting St. Joseph Catholic School, one of the oldest Catholic schools in the Erie Diocese.

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, Facebook @stjoseph4thofjuly or call 814-226-7288.

Registration for the Liberty 5K Run/Walk begins at 7:30 a.m. on July 7 at the restored train station. Now in its 5th year, the race will start nearby at 9:00 a.m. on the Rail 66 Country Trail. The non-motorized 4-season trail currently stretches 4.3 miles through the scenic countryside of northern Clarion County on the historic Knox-Kane railroad bed and has been paved with a runner-friendly surface.

The run will be held rain or shine and entertainment will be provided by Absolute Clarion DJ Services. The Lucinda Train Station is located at 1040 Lander Drive in Lucinda and can be accessed via Maple Drive, which is the first left immediately following St. Joseph Church on Rt. 66 N. Pre-registration is encouraged and forms are available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org/fourthofjuly, Facebook @StJoesLiberty5K, www.smileymiles.com or by calling 814-226-7288.

Proceeds benefit St. Joseph School.