Community Days focuses on youth
CRANBERRY TWP — Residents and visitors coming to this year's Community Days celebration will be treated to an expanded midway carnival, along with traditional events such as the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, the Rotary Club Chicken BBQ and, of course, fireworks.
The three-day festival will be July 8 to 10 in Community Park off Route 19. It is a celebration of the township's nonprofit and civic organizations.
The event is in its second year under the direction of the Cranberry Township Community Chest, which helps fund community projects. In 2008, Community Day was moved from its traditional Fourth of July date to the following weekend and expanded to two days, and the Community Chest again expanded the event last year to its current three-day celebration.
"Community Days is constantly undergoing changes to better serve our community," said Jerry Andree, township manager. "This year's events reflect the successes from last year, along with new attractions and activities our residents said they would like to see."
Bruce Mazzoni, president of the Community Chest, said the group wanted the event to become more child-oriented, and that has been done with the expansion of the carnival and by locating many of the children's activities in the upper area of the park.
"When we first took over Community Day, we only had a handful of volunteers. Last year, it grew to 120. This year, we have more than 200 who have volunteered their time," Mazzoni said. "It's a community event more than it has ever been before."
Park Road in the middle of the park will be closed for the first time to give the event a more festival-like feel, he said. There also will be a nonprofit midway where nonprofit groups will hold activities to help raise money for their particular cause.
The growth of the number of booths has more than doubled from last year's total of 83 to more than 70 scheduled for all three days this year and another 130 scheduled just for July 10.
Mazzoni said 50 nonprofit groups, the highest number ever, are involved in the event.
This year's car cruise has been expanded to include a motorcycle cruise on the evening of July 8.
Also, the winner of the inaugural recycled art contest will be chosen July 9. Mazzoni said there are 13 pieces to be judged for what is expected to become an annual event.
Traditional favorites will return, including THE CHAMBER's annual 5K Chase, the pancake breakfast, the chicken barbecue, children's games, musical entertainment and the fireworks display.
