Founding Day Festival to be celebrated June 28-30 in Uniontown
Founding Day
Net proceeds from the Founding Day Festival, hosted by the 缅北禁地 will benefit Uniontown's Marshall Park rejuvenation project. The festival will be held June 28-30 in downtown Uniontown with the June 30 events taking place at Marshall Park.
Net proceeds from the Founding Day Festival, hosted by the 缅北禁地 will benefit Uniontown's Marshall Park rejuvenation project. The festival will be held June 28-30 in downtown Uniontown with the June 30 events taking place at Marshall Park.
Net proceeds from the Founding Day Festival, hosted by the 缅北禁地 will benefit Uniontown's Marshall Park rejuvenation project. The festival will be held June 28-30 in downtown Uniontown with the June 30 events taking place at Marshall Park.
The 缅北禁地 is hosting a celebration of Uniontown鈥檚 birthday with the first annual Founding Day Festival June 28-30.
鈥淥ur city was founded on the same day as our country 鈥� July 4, 1776 鈥� and I鈥檓 not sure how many other places can hang their hat on that,鈥� said Michael Scott, 缅北禁地 publisher.
The festival features entertainment but is also an opportunity to showcase local businesses and opportunities.
鈥淲e do have some vacant buildings that would be great for people to open up businesses in. We have some wonderful businesses down here already and new businesses that have recently moved in. The idea behind this festival is to get people to see what we have to offer,鈥� Scott said.
Admission is free to the festival that begins as Uniontown businesses participate in an all-day Be Local Citywide Sidewalk Sale June 28 and 29.
鈥淗opefully businesses will have specials,鈥� said Scott, including retail stores, restaurants and bars. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at this as a way to get people into your establishment.鈥�
Jacqueline鈥檚 Fine Jewelry Doors to History Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 29, featuring a self-guided walk through historic downtown Uniontown. Participants visit 15 doors that each have an information sign about the building and include one clue word, necessary to put together a 15-word sentence for a chance to win a gift basket.
Entries must be submitted by 3:45 p.m. June 29 to a box in Storey Square. Forms will be available there at Jacqueline鈥檚 booth as well as prior to the festival in the 缅北禁地 newspaper and at a rack in front of the 缅北禁地 building on East Church Street. The winning name will be drawn randomly and the winner will be notified by phone.
The event is a takeoff on a local poster made popular several years ago called 鈥淒oors of Uniontown鈥� and provides an opportunity for people to learn local history, shop and see what鈥檚 downtown.
鈥淎n Afternoon in Storey Square鈥� will be the setting for vendors and a performance by Blended Reality from 1 to 4 p.m. June 29 when the block of Main Street in front of Storey Square will be closed to traffic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like the old time central square in a town where people would come and picnic, and say hello to their neighbors,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淲e can have that atmosphere again.鈥�
The festival moves to 鈥淎n Afternoon in Marshall Park鈥� from 11:30 to 4 p.m. June 30, featuring a performance by Black Dog Hollow, food and merchandise vendors, games and an appearance by the Pirates Parrot.
An artist鈥檚 rendering of the Marshall Park rejuvenation project will be displayed with the festival set up to fit it: a stage where the new stage will be built and vendors lined up on what will be Vendor Row.
鈥淲e wanted people to see what this could be 鈥� that it鈥檚 a good project,鈥� said Scott, noting the festival鈥檚 net proceeds will be donated towards the Marshall Park project.
Scott said the festival will continue to donate net proceeds every year to something that benefits the city.
鈥淢arshall Park was perfect for that,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淲ill we be able to get everything done this year? Probably not. So next year when we hold it down there, we鈥檒l be able to, again, put the money towards Marshall Park but you鈥檒l be able to see the progress.鈥�
The 缅北禁地 has been working with Uniontown Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Mark Rafail and Fayette Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Muriel Nuttall on planning as Fireworks Over Fayette follows the Founding Day Festival on June 30.
鈥淲e are very excited and pleased that someone decided we should celebrate the city鈥檚 243rd birthday,鈥� said Rafail. 鈥淲e look forward to working with the 缅北禁地 and growing this into a larger event. My board is very pleased to see the 缅北禁地 step up to help us with the process of renovating Marshall Park.鈥�
Nuttall said, 鈥淭he Fayette Chamber was welcomed to be a part of the Founding Day event and we were equally excited to be able to partner with the Herald Standard on our annual Fireworks Over Fayette event. Tying the two together just makes perfect sense, for us, for our members, and the for the community-at-large. 鈥�
Fireworks Over Fayette takes place from 6 p.m. June 30 until the fireworks shoot at dusk in the front of the Uniontown Mall. Abacus Jones will perform at 7 p.m. Faith Assembly of God will provide family activities. Local businesses are offering support and the chamber will sell refreshments to offset costs.
Scott said the Founding Day Festival also complements the Connect Education/Career Fair hosted by the 缅北禁地 last winter at Uniontown Mall that will be held again in September. The career fair was designed to help students as well as the unemployed.
鈥淲e have opportunities for people in Uniontown to start businesses, to put in a second storefront or whatever they may want to do, and it鈥檚 so important they have a workforce to draw from,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why this is tied together. We want to have a workforce. We want to make sure it鈥檚 educated in the way they need to be in order to work for the different companies we have here. Having that spurs on more business. It鈥檚 a snowball effect.鈥�
Scott continued, 鈥淭his festival is for the city but it鈥檚 also designed to bring people in to see what this city has to offer. It鈥檚 a good place to do business. On top of that, being able to apply monies to the rejuvenation of Marshall Park 鈥� a part of this city we can all use 鈥� is the icing on the cake. We look forward to seeing that project come to fruition and we will work with the city to see what the next project will be.鈥�