St. Joseph Church to Host 77th Annual 4th of July Event

EYT Media

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Published July 1, 2016 3:59 am
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LUCINDA, Pa. (EYT) – St. Joseph’s 77th Annual 4th of July Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 4 on the parish grounds in Lucinda.

(Photo above: Water splashes and onlookers cheer as Mason Bauer (in the tank) drops underwater at last year’s 4th of July Celebration. Over $40,000 in cash and prizes, including over 15 handmade quilts, will be awarded during the daylong event which features an all-you-can-eat home-cooked dinner, games of skill and chance, live entertainment and more.)

The event features their traditional all-you-can-eat chicken and ham dinners, games of skill and chance for all ages, quilt tent, called-number games, live entertainment and a grand prize drawing worth over $10,000 in cash and prizes. St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K Run/Walk will take place on July 3 at 7 p.m. at the Antler Club in Lucinda as a pre-festival kick-off.

Known since before 1939 for its delicious chicken dinners, nearly 2,000 home-cooked meals are served each year at the festival and include homemade pie and soup with their famous homemade noodles. The dining room will be serving from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.; take outs will be available from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dinner ticket sales will begin at 10 AM. Dinner prices are Adults: $8.50 Children 6 to 12: $4.00 and Children under 6: Free. Sheltered picnic tables will be available for those who opt to eat outdoors.

The grounds will open at 11 a.m. and feature diverse games of skill and chance for adults and children, an extensive Chinese auction, prize drawings, and a concessions stand.

A cornerstone attraction is the quilt tent where over 15 handmade quilts are slated to be awarded in drawings held throughout the day, with an additional quilt offered at the Rosary Society booth. With each quilt averaging 200 hours to complete and holding an estimated value of between $750 and $950, the event is one of the largest quilt giveaways in Clarion’s tri-county area. A limited number will be available for purchase and, new this year; two quilts will be featured in a silent auction. A preview of the quilts is available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org.

Entertainment will begin at 11 a.m. with artists located on the main grounds and at the outdoor dining area. Among the musicians scheduled to perform during the first half of the festival are Dave & Laurie featuring Dave Winger and Laurie Winger of the Windy River Band playing country, oldies and classic rock; Cluricaun playing traditional Irish and Scottish folk music; and acoustic guitar and banjo player Daniel Stockwell of Titusville performing folk tunes. The afternoon hours will bring Keep Off The Grass of West Sunbury featuring traditional bluegrass music; country music guitarist/singer Kiara Gabler of Leeper; and Picks & Hammers of Edinboro featuring Americana and traditional Appalachian Mountain music. The performances will conclude with acoustic indie singer/songwriter Samantha Sears of Clarion performing eclectic acoustic rock selections. In addition to the scheduled performances, Prescott (Scotty) Greene will be on hand in the afternoon cranking one of the old-time street organs from DeBence Antique Music World in Franklin.

Called-number games will begin at noon in the lower level of the social hall and will continue throughout the afternoon. Two special games will be held at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The grand prize drawing is scheduled for 4 p.m. and features a $5,000 cash prize, gift certificates, outdoor items, other major cash awards and a Phantom 3 Drone.

Altogether more than $40,000 in cash and prizes is to be awarded proceeds from the day’s events benefiting St. Joseph Catholic School, one of the oldest Catholic schools in the Erie Diocese. The school was formally established in 1866 and will observe its 150th anniversary during the 2016-17 academic year.

The celebration will be held rain or shine on the canopy-covered parish grounds. The children’s playground is adjacent to the festivities and St. Joseph Church, erected in 1893, will be open to visitors. The parish complex is located at 112 Rectory Lane along Rt. 66 in Lucinda (I-80 Exit 60, Rt. 66 north 10 miles) and is a short drive from Cook Forest State Park. The grounds are handicap accessible. Parking areas surround the grounds, and a parking shuttle will be available. Reserved parking spaces will be available for those who cannot attend the festival but want to purchase a carry-out dinner. For more information visit www.st-joseph-lucinda.org, access Facebook or call 814-226-7288.

Registration for the Liberty 5K Run/Walk begins at 5:30 p.m. on July 3 with the race starting at 7 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine. The Antler Club is located at 231 Sunset Drive in Lucinda (Sunset Drive is located off Rt. 66 N immediately following the parish grounds). Pre-registration is encouraged and forms are available at www.st-joseph lucinda.org/fourthofjuly.

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