LUCINDA, Pa. (EYT) — St. Joseph’s 84th Annual 4th of July Celebration, Clarion County’s oldest Independence Day event, will be held on Tuesday, July 4, on the Parish grounds in Lucinda, Pa.
(Pictured above: Jax Carroll of Pittsburgh takes aim at the “big buck” safari prize at last year’s annual 4th of July Celebration.)
The event will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
It features their traditional all-you-can-eat chicken and ham dinners, games of skill and chance for all ages, quilt tent, called-number games, live entertainment, and a grand prize drawing worth over $10,000.00 in cash and prizes.
Two pre-festival kick-off events will be held again this year: St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, July 1, at 8:00 a.m. at the historic Lucinda Train Station, and a handmade quilt auction and sale will take place online from June 15 through July 2.
Visitors from around the region and across the state are expected to head to the parish grounds to celebrate the holiday in anticipation of the customary dinner, games, prizes and entertainment – all for the express purpose of supporting St. Joseph Catholic School.
As they’ve done for over eighty years, members of the St. Joseph Rosary Society are the chief organizers of the Independence Day feast which includes the chicken and ham entrée, a bowl of the Parish’s signature soup with homemade noodles, hand-mashed potatoes/gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, bread, beverage, and a slice of homemade pie for dessert.
The dining room will be serving from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.; take outs will be available from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Dinner ticket sales will begin at 10:00 a.m.
Dinner prices:
Adults – $13.00
Children 6 to 12 – $6.00
Children under 6 – Free
Sheltered picnic tables, which can seat 150 to 200, will be available for those who opt to eat outdoors.
The grounds will open at 11:00 a.m. and feature diverse games of skill and chance for adults and children, an extensive Chinese auction, prize drawings, and a concessions stand.
A cornerstone attraction is the quilt tent where many handmade quilts are slated to be awarded in drawings held throughout the day, with additional quilts offered at the Rosary Society booth and in the online auction/sale. Depending on size and design, each quilt averages 100 to 200 hours to complete and holds an estimated retail value of between $750.00 and $950.00, making this event one of the largest quilt giveaways in Clarion’s tri-county area.
A limited number of quilts will be available for direct purchase and a preview of the quilts is available at www.stjoseph-stmichaelparishes.org.
Entertainment will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Among the musicians scheduled to perform are Clarion area band Gravel Lick featuring bluegrass music with a non-traditional flair; guitarist and Clarion native Jeremy Earnhardt playing a variety of familiar and patriotic tunes; Clarion duo Jackson Danger and the Golden Boy showcasing a jukebox variety of tunes from oldies to modern rock; Zero to One of Wellsboro, Pa., featuring electronic/EDM music; solo fingerstyle guitarist Rob Gardner of Sigel playing acoustic favorites from the 60’s to the 90’s; Sean Carey & The Transit Band of Oil City performing a variety of classic hits, oldies, folk tunes and originals; and country singer/songwriter Kaleb Beichner of Shippenville featuring country hits and originals.
In addition to the musical groups, balloon artist Desiree Davis of Girard will be on hand during the afternoon hours with custom-made designs for kids of all ages, and Oil City resident Greg Wilson and his dragons will meet and greet visitors and share amusing anecdotes.
Called-number games will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the lower level of the social hall and will continue throughout the afternoon. Four special games will be held at 12:00 p.m, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
The grand prize drawing is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and features a $5,000 cash prize, pop up movie theater kit, gift certificates, and other major cash awards.
Altogether 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 school provides quality educational programs to children enrolled in Pre-K through sixth grade each year.
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.stjoseph-stmichaelparishes.org, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stjoseph4thofjuly or call 814-226-7288.
Registration for the Liberty 5K Run/Walk begins at 7:00 a.m. on July 1 at the restored train station. Now in its 9th year, the race will start nearby at 8:00 a.m. on the Rail 66 Country Trail. The non-motorized 4-season trail currently stretches 20 miles through the scenic countryside of northern Clarion County on the paved historic Knox-Kane railroad bed.
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.stjoseph-stmichaelparishes.org, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stjoseph4thofjuly, https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Lucinda/StJosephsLiberty5k or by calling 814-226-7288.
Proceeds benefit St. Joseph School.
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