Area Independence Day celebrations are already in full swing. Several fireworks displays are scheduled along with many other activities.
Fourth of July festivities week
Franklin’s Fourth of July festivities week began Sunday with Worship in the Park and a pet show on Monday. The activities continue today with a children’s penny carnival will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Fountain Park. The Libertyfest Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday in downtown Franklin. A “Celebration of American Music” presented by the Barrow-Civic Theatre will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bandstand Park. The Libertyfest Outhouse Races will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday. Nightlife will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at Bandstand Park. The Thunder Over Franklin fireworks and music by Rachael Mellor and Gary Bickerstaff are scheduled to begin at dusk Monday at Riverfront Park.
Cranberry Fireworks Spectacular
The 10th anniversary Cranberry Fireworks Spectacular will be held at dusk Saturday. Fireworks will be set off from behind the Cranberry Mall.
A carnival will be set up in mall’s front parking lot and will run from 1 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Face painting and balloon animals will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the mall’s center court.
Music will be provided by Coston Cross at the east entrance, DJ Bo Entertainment at the south entrance and Mitch Littler at the north entrance. Food will be available for purchase. The carnival also runs from 5 to 10 p.m. today. The rain date for the fireworks is July 9.
‘I Love Clarion’
The annual “I Love Clarion” celebration is scheduled for Sunday at Clarion University Memorial Stadium.
Gates open at 5 p.m. for this event presented by the Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry.
Local country singer Coston Cross will kicks things off from 5 to 7 p.m.
Also beginning at 5 p.m., there will be local businesses and vendors selling food and refreshments. There will be a dunking tank and other activities. The Wrangler Band will perform at 7 p.m. The fireworks display will take place at dusk.
Donations will be accepted for military personnel at the event. In addition to a collection table, donations may be dropped off at the Clarion chamber office at 650 Main St., Clarion.
Jolly July 3rd
Oil City’s Jolly July 3rd event which includes a fireworks display for Independence Day will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday Justus Park. This free annual community event is sponsored and arranged by the Oil City Arts Council.
There will be children’s activities, food and trinket vendors, and two music concerts, rounded up by a fireworks display. Activities include a petting zoo, face painting, caricaturists, clowns, inflatable toys and a giant slingshot.
Music will be provided by Mostly Brass from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Rock and ’60s style band, Endless Summer of Pittsburgh will play from 7 to 10 p.m.
New this year will be a special display called alfombra. This is an ephemeral design made on the ground created with colored sawdust in the South American tradition. It will be created by George Cooley. Cooley is an artist who came to live and work here from Chicago, through the Artist Relocation Program conducted under the City of Oil City.
This temporary display is made possible with support from the arts council, and with a Project Stream grant. It matches the Latin American theme for this year selected by the council due to the Summer Olympics in South America.
St. Joseph Church Fourth of July Celebration
LUCINDA – St. Joseph’s 77th annual Fourth of July Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday on the parish grounds in Lucinda. The event features the traditional chicken and ham dinners, games of skill and chance for all ages, quilt tent, called-number games, live entertainment and a grand prize drawing with loads of cash and prizes.
St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K Run/Walk will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at the Antler Club in Lucinda as a pre-festival kick-off. Registration for the run/walk begins at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with ticket sales beginning at 10 a.m. Diners can eat indoors or opt to dine outside at sheltered picnic tables.
The grounds will open at 11 a.m. and feature games of skill and chance for adults and children, a large Chinese auction, prize drawings and a concessions stand. A quilt tent featuring several quilts to be raffled off is a cornerstone attraction.
Entertainment will begin at 11 a.m. with artists located on the main grounds and at the outdoor dining area. Musicians slated to play throughout the day include Dave Winger and Laurie Winger of the Windy River Band; Cluricaun, Daniel Stockwell, Keep Off The Grass, Kiara Gabler, Picks & Hammers, Samantha Sears and Prescott “Scotty” Greene playing a street organ.
Called-number games will begin at noon. Two special games will be held at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. The grand prize drawing is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The celebration will be held rain or shine. The parish complex is located at 112 Rectory Lane along Route 66 in Lucinda.
More information is available online at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org, by accessing Facebook or calling (814) 226-7288.
Other events happening in the area that include fireworks include Wolf’s Corners Fair and a celebration in Utica.
Wolf’s Corners Fair
The 76th annual Wolf’s Corners Fair continues through Monday. The fair includes agricultural exhibits, musical entertainment, demolition derbies and more.
Admission is $7 and includes parking, admissions, midway rides and shows.
Grounds and gate open at 4 p.m. today; at 10 a.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. Sunday and at noon on Monday. The carnival opens at 5 p.m. today. It opens at 11 a.m. Saturday and at noon on Sunday and Monday. Today’s schedule includes a performance by Robyn Young at 5 p.m.; a full size car demo derby and mid-size car demo derby at 7 p.m. and two Wild World of Animals shows. Saturday’s events include the Keystone V8 Mini Mods at noon; a livestock auction at 3 p.m., a “Hot” farm tractor and four-wheel drive truck pull at 7 p.m. and three Wild World of Animals shows. Sunday’s events include the Lake Erie Lawn & Garden Tractor pull at 11 a.m. and an antique tractor pull at 3 p.m. Monday’s events include performances by the Windy River Band, various horse pulls starting at 1 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m.
A complete schedule is available online at www.wolfscornersfair.com.
Utica Festival
UTICA – The 2016 Utica Festival will take place today through Monday.
The event kicks off today with registration for the Big Bass Tournament from 4 to 8 p.m. at the French Creek Farms Barn, 1976 Grant Street, Utica. A karaoke contest will be held from 8 to midnight.
Final registration for the tournament will be held from 6 to 8 a.m. Saturday. Craft and yard sales will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday throughout Utica. Medieval Tournament Fighting is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Children’s activities will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at French Creek Farm. The Pine Valley Boys will perform from 7 to midnight. Fireworks will start at 9 p.m.
Sunday’s events include a cornhole tournament. Registration for the tournament will be held from 9 to 11:45 a.m. The tournament begins at noon. Ranger Rick Miller Guided Snipe Hunt will be held at approximately 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Monday’s events include a canoe and kayak race. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m.
More information is available by calling (814) 425-1252 or online at www.frenchcreekfarms.net.
