Residents of Fox Township in Elk County are gearing up for their Bicentennial celebration, which will be held Friday through Sunday at multiple locations in the town of Kersey.
Festivities are set to begin on Friday evening and will include fireworks, a parade, displays, vendors and fun-filled activities for any age.
Throughout the weekend, buses will run two routes to transport visitors between activities and parking. Buses leave the Community Park every 20 minutes and stop at the Elk County Fairgrounds, the Sinter Fire Soccer Field, the Community Building and the Fox Township Firehall.
Shuttles are being provided by Muccio Transportation and are provided free of charge to all festival-goers.
Buses begin running at 3:30 p.m. Friday, and activities will begin at 4 p.m.
The event kicks off with a cruise-in at the firehall, and at the Community Building historical displays and an art and photography show will be displayed.
The art show, historical displays and a Bicentennial store will occupy the Community Building throughout the event.
A number of Bicentennial and Fox Township items will be available at the Bicentennial store, including autographed copies of the new book “Images of America: Fox Township, Elk County” by Rob Schreiber Jr.
Also at 4 p.m., bone-in pork chop sandwiches will be available courtesy of the Knights of Columbus organization in memory of Theresa and Tommy Emmert.
At the Community Park, carnival rides and children’s games will be available from 5 to 9 p.m., and throughout the day on Saturday.
Also at the park, the band “Denny and the Twisters” will perform from 6 to 9 p.m., and the opening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m..
At 8 p.m., DJ Mookie Carlson will perform behind the firehall. Adult beverages are available at this location from 3 p.m. through midnight.
Also from 3 p.m. until midnight, a number of vendors’ booths will be open, located at the Community Park and firehall. Booths will also be open from noon to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday.
When the sun finally dips behind the horizon, the grand fireworks display is set to begin with the best vantage points expected from Community Park.
On Saturday, a craft show will be held at St. Boniface School on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The school will also host a children’s festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..
The Fox Township Senior Center will host a “Company Store” from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
From noon to 2 p.m., tours will be offered of the Fox Township Elementary School featuring photographs of students enrolled there in years past. Tours will also be offered from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Festivities begin at the Community Park at 11 a.m. when carnival rides and games open and “Romey and Friends” begin their performance.
At 3 p.m., there will be a break in the festivities for the Bicentennial parade on Main Street, which will run from Green Road to Dagus Mines Road in Kersey.
After the parade, children’s activities will resume once again, and at 5 p.m., ribs and chicken barbecues will be offered at the firehall.
Musical acts will perform at the firehall throughout the evening, beginning with Travis Unplugged at 5 p.m. and the band “XIII” performing live 80’s, 90’s and current rock classics from 9 p.m. to midnight.
At dusk, a small fireworks display will be launched from the firehall.
On Sunday, an ecumenical church service will be held at 9 a.m. at the Community Park. All denominations are welcome. In case of rain, services will be held at the Elk County Fairgrounds.
Registration for a dart run will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the firehall. All participants must return to the hall by 5 p.m.
A number of contests are being held throughout the day on Sunday. The Firemen’s Smoke on the Mountain barbecue contest will kick-off in the morning. At 2 p.m., a talent show will be held at the firehall.
Awards will be given out at 6 p.m.. At that time, a closing ceremony will be held and residents will seal the Fox Township Bicentennial time capsule.
Cultural and historical displays will be set up on and around Main Street throughout the event, and many organizations and businesses will have displays, vending and specials available throughout the celebration.
A number of items will be given away throughout the weekend, including a highly-anticipated handmade Fox Township pictorial quilt.
Keepsake books are available for a nominal cost and include a ticket worth up to $1,500, maps, brochures, pictures of the area and information on the event. The books can be purchased at the Fox Township Municipal Building during regular business hours or during the Bicentennial celebration.
More information on the event is available on the Fox Township website or the Bicentennial Celebration Facebook page.
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