EAST BRADY — Organizers of the annual East Brady Riverfest said the future of the event is in jeopardy due to a lack of volunteers.

Borough resident Sally Snow said about half of the festival's dozen main organizers wanted to cancel next year's event at a meeting Tuesday.

Snow, along with about half of the other members, convinced the committee to wait another month before making its decision.

“We need to get more help,” Snow said. “We're desperate.”

The event has been a summertime fixture in the small community along the Allegheny River for decades — celebrating its 30th anniversary this past July.

Snow said the event has continued to grow.

“I was told by several people how they thought this year was better than recent years,” she said.

That's why committee member Adeline Miller said she was surprised when three key committee members resigned at the meeting last week.

“It really caught me off guard,” she said. “We didn't know that was going to happen.”

Miller said she has been volunteering at the festival since its inception.

“I've been there since Day 1,” she said, adding she started by helping out with the volunteer fire company.

Miller said the committee needs to attract the next generation of volunteers, but said its tough for many people to find time to help.

“I understand that young people are so busy,” she said.

Snow said it's difficult for many of the longtime volunteers to continue donating time as well.

“People get burned out after so many years and don't want to do it anymore,” she said.

She said volunteers do not need to be from East Brady, adding some of their key members come from Butler, Chicora and Clarion.

Volunteers are needed to help plan the event and raise money — both yearlong processes.

They are also needed to show up at the event to help set everything up.

She said more volunteers are needed to help tackle a variety tasks.

“We all work together and help each other out,” she said of the committee.

Riverfest attracts about 5,000 spectators to the borough for the three-day weekend.

The festival includes live music, games, auctions and food vendors.

Snow said the borough greatly benefits from the festival.

“If we don't have this, it would really hurt East Brady,” she said. “It's the only thing we have to draw people in.”

She said she gets telephone calls from people all around Western Pennsylvania and Ohio asking about the event.

“A lot of people take their vacations that week,” she said.

Miller agreed it's a big draw for the community.

“I live about five minutes from the football field, and it took me a half-hour to get back after the fireworks (this year),” she said. “It was wall-to-wall people.”

While Miller said it's a popular event, she wonders if borough residents are supportive of it.

“We get a lot of out-of-towners,” she said. “But it seems a lot of people in town don't really care and wouldn't be upset if we didn't have it.”

Snow said she hopes to increase interest.

“I don't want to see this end,” she said. “We need to do anything we can do to keep it from ending.”

While some members thought they should take a year off to regroup, Snow said she wouldn't feel comfortable with that.

“If we take a year off, I don't think we'd ever see it again,” she said.

The committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Allegheny Hills Retirement Residence, 421 Kellys Way, East Brady. Snow encouraged anyone interested in helping to attend. For information, call 724-526-5174.