CranFest celebrates diversity
The third annual CranFest is bringing color, music and activity to the Cranberry Municipal Center next weekend.
The free event combines an international folk and food festival and a look at Cranberry’s municipal services called Cranberry at Your Service. It will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8 at the township municipal center, 2525 Rochester Road.
“It’s like a big carnival,” said Charles Hawkins, coordinator for Cranberry Area Diversity Network, which hosts the event in conjunction with the township.
The event began in 2015 as a way to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion for people of all cultures, ages, abilities and sexual orientations, said Gary Winterhalter, coordinator for Cranberry Area Diversity Network.
Learning about and appreciating the differences in other cultures and groups, while finding similarities is what helps people connect, Hawkins said. And CranFest is all about bringing people together, which is more important than ever.
“This really matters now in the current climate,” said event organizer Sonia Jaiswal.
Guests can expect around-the-clock entertainment at two stages, one in the gymnasium and the other in the town square outside the library entrance.
Cultural groups representing China, Ukraine, the Philippines, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, India, Austria, Bulgaria, Native American, Japan and South Korea will perform dances, songs and do other demonstrations, Jaiswal said.
The Seneca Valley Brass Quintet and Melvin Steals, former principal at Seneca Valley’s Haine School, also will be performing. Steals co-wrote the hit song “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” made famous by The Spinners.
Food booths featuring international fare from 13 countries will sell ethnic food. Informational booths from local cultural and advocacy groups allow visitors to learn and participate in activities like henna tattoos, origami and Scherenschnitte, a form of German paper-cutting.
Through the Cranberry at Your Service portion of the event, visitors can learn about how the township’s various departments operate and how they keep the municipality running smoothly. Representatives from public works, public safety, parks and recreations, Cranberry Highlands, communications, finance, engineering, code and customer service will be on hand to talk, answer questions and give demonstrations.
In the back parking lot, a Touch-a-Truck event will explore some of Cranberry’s fleet of vehicles and equipment, like a 20-ton dump truck, police squad cars, an aerial fire truck, an ambulance and a front loader.
The event drew about 2,000 people its first year and less last year due to a late-season snow storm on the day of the event, Winterhalter said. But they hope it continues to grow and reach more people each year.
“This helps the community where they have a lack of understanding,” Winterhalter said. “We all have something to bring to the table.”
For more information on the event, visit the township website at www.cranberrytownship.org.
