BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – The Western Pennsylvania Laurel Festival started out before World War II. A local tradition, it ran in Brookville for decades. And then, it vanished. That was until last week when the event was reborn as the 1st Annual Brookville Laurel Festival.
“It’s kind of a phoenix,” said Festival Board Member Randy Bartley. “The Western Pennsylvania Laurel Festival ran into difficult times in recent years. Then, a group of locals formed a new board. We’re continuing a local tradition with a different name.”
This photo from the Laurel Festival Facebook page shows the crowds on Main Street (used with permission).
Old and new events filled up the days of the Festival. As expected, they had the laurel pageant, the festival queens pageant, a car show, the annual sidewalk sale, and C.R.E.A.T.E. Brookville had their art show as part of the festival.
“Every day was a theme day: family fun day, hometown heroes, senior citizens, parade,” Bartley said, giving examples of the schedule. “We combined new events and traditional events.”
The new Brookville Laurel Festival Corporation got going too late in the year to really fundraise. However, Bartley said that’s “in the rear view” and they are in full swing for next year’s event.
“The credit goes to a dynamic board,” Bartley added. “They were a group of hard workers, not a group of people who liked to manage. They got out there and got their hands dirty. Plus, C.R.E.A.T.E. Brookville, the Eagles, the borough, and our corporate sponsors were very kind to us. You can’t do these things unless you have money to do it.”
One surprise for Bartley was little pinewood derby card donated by the Masons. Each child paid a dollar to participate and they raced the little wooden cars. The kids got to keep their cars.
In this picture from the festival’s Facebook page, children race their cars (used with permission).
“We had 225 kids involved with that!” Bartley said. “That’s a lot of kids on a Tuesday night in Brookville.”
Bartley said that the sidewalk sale was well-received and the resurrected parade was a hit.
“The parade had dwindled over the years,” he said. “This one was an hour long and wonderful. I’m pleasantly surprised how the community embraced the festival.”
Bartley said that planning is underway for 2019’s event. The food court, which was a success, will be improved and the popular acts and events will return with new experiences to entertain the community.
“We believe we have a solid foundation,” Bartley said. “But we welcome any comments — good or bad. We want to make this better every year.”
Bartley said more information and pictures can be found at the Laurel Festival Facebook Page. He said comments can be left there as well.
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