Revelers pack the streets for Slippery Rock’s 22nd annual VillageFest celebration
SLIPPERY ROCK — Hundreds of revelers filled the streets and alleyways around Gateway Park as the community hosted the 22nd annual VillageFest on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The town’s signature celebration showcased more than 100 craft vendors alongside live music, food, games and family-friendly activities.
“It was a slow start, but it started to get busy quickly,” said Tom McPherson, executive director for Slippery Rock Development, about the crowd. “Main Street always gets packed, and it’s great for our community.”
Over the last decade, McPherson helped to coordinate the event with Slippery Rock University’s football program, which holds its annual Hall of Fame Game an hour after the celebration concludes. This year, the Rock played host to Shepherd University.
Two of the newer features McPherson added this year was miniature golf and a petting zoo, complete with llamas, goats, piglets, rabbits and a camel.
“The petting zoo is probably the biggest hit this time,” he said. “The kids are loving that, and it’s just a fun activity that we haven’t had here before.”
Several of the people hired to put on children’s activities said they have seen the event’s steady growth.
“It’s always seemingly well received,” said Clint McMaster, a magician who was preparing for his show. “I’ve seen it grow since I started coming here. If you go up on Main Street, you usually can’t even get through because of how many people are walking along the streets.”
VillageFest is largely made possible by the dozens of volunteers that support the children's’ games and activities.
A significant portion of those volunteers are students who are settling into the fall semester at Slippery Rock University.
“Throughout high school and community college before I transferred here, I’ve always been interested in volunteering,” said Slippery Rock junior Austyn Emann, who was supervising children on the inflatable slide with freshman Sydney Hawranko. “It’s always been really fun for me. I love helping out, and if I find something that I think I would enjoy, then I sign up.”
All of it comes together to make an enticing event for those all across Western Pennsylvania, but especially those who live nearby.
“They always do a really good job of it,” said John Stalnaker, a Slippery Rock Township resident. “It’s a little bit more packed this year, which is really cool to see. The rides are always fun, and the kids love it. They’re always very generous with the games. It’s just wholesome fun. It almost hearkens back to an older time when you could let your kids just run free and not be worried about it. They also do a great job of making sure it’s safe.”
