Firefighters from Herman and Sarver battle it out during the annual Saxonburg Carnival on Main Street in Saxonburg in June 2025. Butler Eagle File Photo

From June 23 to June 27, Saxonburg and the surrounding community will once again have the opportunity to show up for its local fire company at a fundraiser that features parades, a water battle between area fire departments and other festivities.

The Saxonburg Carnival kicks off Tuesday, June 23, with the first of two parades planned for the week, and continues through Saturday, June 27, with festival favorites like the water battle on Wednesday, a car show on Friday and rides, food and vendors throughout the week.

In a show of community, area businesses are once again stepping up to make admission free for everyone to attend an event that has become one of the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company’s largest fundraisers. The company is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year.

“It’s one of our major fundraisers,” said Paul Donaldson, who plays a significant role in the planning of the event. “The cost of everything keeps going up ... We all know that, but our ladder truck, if we had to replace it this year, it’d be $2.5 million.”

Even the cost of simply outfitting a firefighter is high. The basics — including a coat, pants and boots — may cost up to $5,000 per firefighter. Radios alone are $8,000, Donaldson said. The total may near $25,000 per firefighter, Donaldson estimated in a Thursday, June 11, interview ahead of the event.

Friends and neighbors Kenzie, 9, and Nora, 9, brought an umbrella to the Saxonburg firefighters' water battle in June 2025. Butler Eagle File Photo

“The community’s support and backing for us is huge,” he said.

This year’s event will run from 6 p.m. to close Tuesday through Saturday. The carnival is set up at Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Co., 290 Horne Ave., Saxonburg; but some events, including the parades, happen along the borough’s Main Street.

The following events begin at 6:30 p.m. each night: The pet parade on Tuesday, the water battle on Wednesday, the fireman’s parade on Thursday and the classic cars on Friday.

Admission to the carnival is free. Ride tickets are available for purchase at $20 apiece. Rides are provided by C & L Shows.