BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT) – Every year, 100 people come together to make sure the Brockway Old Fashioned 4th of July goes off without a hitch. The 53rd annual event is no exception.
(PICTURED ABOVE: The Tour de Brockway begins during the 2016 Old Fashioned Fourth.)
“Somehow, it works,” said General Chairman Jeff Gankosky. “We have chairs, each of them have people working for them, and they do what needs to be done. They know what they can and can’t do, and it works out really well. They don’t have to work on every aspect, just their own committees.”
Brockway Volunteer Fire Department Donut Sale
Gankosky started with the committee in 1989. After a few years as co-chair, he took over as general chairman around 1996. Even before that, the Old Fashioned 4th was part of his life.
“As a little kid, I always thought it was fun,” he said. “When I became an adult, I thought I could be a small part of it. Now, I need to make sure it takes place, and people want to do it. It amazes me how people want to do it every year.”
Gankosky calls himself a coordinator more than a chairman. His job is to take every little piece of the 4th puzzle and put it together. Thanks to the committees, there is always something fresh mixed in with the traditions.
“The entertainment changes every year,” he said. “The person in charge of that committee gets different activities for different age groups. The things that we traditionally have – like the bike race, 10K, patriotic program, parade, and fireworks – all stay the same. They’re the anchors.”
The All-Star Big Band plays at the Brockway Old Fashioned Fourth.
The Brockway Old Fashioned 4th of July has a series of events that encompass more than Independence Day.
The celebrations kick off on Friday, June 28, with the Frank Varischetti All-Star Football Game at Varischetti Field.
On Sunday, June 30, the traditional vespers will be held at the Presbyterian Church.
On Monday, July 1, the quilt show is held at the Brockway Area Elementary School Multipurpose Building, as well as the art show at the Brockwayville Depot.
Wednesday, July 3, is busy with more quilt and art shows, the crowning of Miss Brockway Old Fashioned 4th, and then the Cavaliers Italian Band.
All of that leads up to the big day.
Firecracker 10K registration starts at 7:30 a.m. with a start at 8:30 a.m. Registration for the Tour de Brockway starts at 9:00 a.m. with an 11:00 a.m. start. The Patriotic Program will happen at the Legion Field at 10:30 a.m., and various sports competitions and other events continue throughout the day.
One small change the committee made after the 50th celebration was ending the booklet they printed for the event. Instead, they went for a brochure that folds up and fits into a pocket.
“The community responded favorably to the brochure,” Gankosky said. “People like it because they can put it in their pocket. There’s more information on the website, so you can get to it on your phone.”
The website has all the information that was once contained in the booklet, as well as links to the various events going on throughout the community. The pamphlet also has schedules listings for where the events take place.
“If you didn’t have community involvement, it would be too much,” Gankosky said. “The borough, businesses, individuals, step in and help out. They may only do something for one day, but without that, we couldn’t’ get it done. It makes it easy for us.”
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