East Brady Riverfest marks 40 years of tradition along the Allegheny
EAST BRADY — For Victoria Barto, the sights and sounds of her community’s largest annual celebration aren’t just nostalgic, but woven into the fabric of her childhood.
Now, decades later, Victoria and her sister, Vanessa, are creating new core memories by bringing their own children to the 40th anniversary of the East Brady Area Riverfest on Saturday, July 19.
The sisters are among many longtime residents passing down the tradition. It marks four decades of food, music and community bonding along the backdrop of the Allegheny River.
“There was a few years where it kind of died down a little bit,” Victoria Barto said, “but then my generation got involved and were like ‘We were remember this when we were kids.’ Every year, I feel like it gets better and there’s more for the kids to do.”
Some of the lore behind the festival, such as its title and the people who organized the first event, are lost to history, according to its organizers.
But that hasn’t stopped them from forging ahead, adding a mix of fresh activities such as the Bill Markel Memorial 5K Run and the first ever bike night.
“We have a lot of local support, and we appreciate it,” said Riverfest board president and treasurer Luanne McAnallen. “And that’s from both the businesses and the townsfolk who come here to make the event special year in and year out.”
The two-day festival typically kicks off with the Fireman’s Parade on Friday night. Saturday comes with a unique mix of kids’ games and bounce houses, craft vendors and food trucks along Kellys Way. A band, “1988,” took the stage for three hours in the evening before the event was capped off with a fireworks show.
Vanessa Norris noted that the event’s affordability is one reason it has remained a successful endeavor.
“I live in southern Armstrong County now and so taking the kids to local carnivals around that area can be very costly,” she said. “This is something that is very low cost that’s a lot of fun for them. And it’s not very crowded here, so as a parent that’s nice for a lot of different reasons.”
“There’s a lot more kid’s stuff and there’s a couple more vendors here this year,” volunteer Danielle Brink said. “We’re just trying to build it up and keep the community together, especially for the kids and everything.”
For as popular as the event is, however, organizers said they may have to adjust plans if they don’t receive the necessary help moving forward.
About 10 volunteers start planning in January, but that number needs to increase, McAnallen said.
“Everybody comes to Riverfest, but we definitely need more committee members,” she said. “But we’re going to make a decision on the future of the event this year.”
