Murrysville area: Apple'n Arts, homecoming bonfire and more

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com.

Apple’n Arts Festival

The 2025 Apple’n Arts Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 4 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 5 at Shields Farm in Delmont.

It is at Contact Place. Parking is $10 per car. No dogs, alcohol or bicycles are permitted.

The festival includes live music, children’s entertainment, an apple baking contest, the “Baby Apple Cheeks” contest, art, craft and food vendors, ceramic pumpkin painting, freshly pressed apple cider, a daily antique tractor parade at 1 p.m., antique equipment demonstrations, tractor pulls and more.

For more, see DelmontApplenArts.com.

AI talk at AAUW meeting

The Murrysville branch of the American Association of University Women will welcome guest speaker and Carnegie Mellon computer science professor Kathleen Carley at its Oct. 9 meeting.

Carley will discuss the nature of artificial intelligence, or AI, the technologies it can enable and their role in the information environment. Carley will touch on how AI is being used to influence individuals, increase and decrease the impact of opinion leaders and create groups.

Carley is a recipient of the Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sociological Association’s Sociology & Computers section.

There is no cost to attend the talk, which will be at 10 a.m. at the Murrysville Community Library, 4130 Sardis Road in Murrysville. Registration is not required.

For more, email MurrysvilleAAUW@gmail.com.

Community outdoor band show

The Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band will host a community outdoor show at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at Panther Stadium.

The evening will include food trucks, a 50/50 raffle, raffle baskets and performances by the marching band and the Steel City Drumline.

The stadium is at 3200 School Road in Murrysville.

For more, see FRband.com.

ESAL features art-show judge speaker

Patricia Majcher, who will jury the upcoming Murrysville Woman’s Club art show, will be the featured speaker at the East Suburban Artist League’s Oct. 2 meeting.

Majcher will discuss the language for art that transcends time, style and medium, touching on why certain pieces have endured over centuries. She is a practicing artist and has taught art for more than three decades at Hempfield Area and other local school districts.

The presentation will be at 7 p.m., with social time at 6:15 p.m. and a brief artist show-and-tell at 6:45 p.m. It will be at Christ’s Lutheran Church, 5330 Old Logan Ferry Road in Murrysville.

For more, see ESALart.org.

Homecoming bonfire

Franklin Regional students and staff invite the community to join them for a pre-homecoming bonfire from 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, Thursday, at FR Senior High School, 3200 School Road in Murrysville.

The free community night will include games and activities for families, booths from school clubs, club and sports merchandise and performances by the marching band and cheerleaders.

Corn maze opens

The corn maze at Gearhard Farms in Murrysville has opened for the season. The maze is open from 5-9 p.m. Monday, 12-9 p.m. on Saturdays and 12-7 p.m. on Sundays.

The cost is $8 per person for the corn maze, and hayrides are also available at $6 per person. Children 4 years old and younger are admitted to both free.

Check the farm’s Facebook page for details and updates on hayride availability by calling 330-428-1563 or email maze@gearhardfarms.com.

Ethics talk

Franklin Regional Senior High School Auditorium will host an Oct. 9 presentation by University of Notre Dame associate professor Jessica McManus Warnell.

Warnell will present “Ethical Leadership: Why Integrity Matters,” at 7 p.m. at the high school, 3200 School Road in Murrysville.

The talk is presented by the Greensburg/Uniontown Notre Dame Club. There is no cost to attend, however the Westmoreland Food Bank will be collecting non-perishable food at the event.

CROP Walk at Duff Park

The 46th annual Church World Service CROP Walk will take place on Oct. 12 at Murrysville’s Duff Park.

The goal of the walk is to raise money to fight hunger worldwide. The route will run along 3.5 miles of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, beginning and ending at the Duff Park shelter with a water stop mid-way at the Murrysville Community Center.

Sign-in will begin at the shelter at 1 p.m., with the walk stepping off at 1:30 p.m. To be a walker, sponsor a walker or donate to the walk, call 724-327-0061. Register online at CropHungerWalk.org/murrysvillepa.

Blessing of the Pets

St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Murrysville invites the community to take part in its backyard “Blessing of the Pets” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11.

In addition to pet blessings, Animal Friends will also be on-site operating a vaccine clinic for dogs and cats. Vaccines are $20. Tiny Cause will also be on hand with adoptable dogs and offering $25 micro-chipping and free nail trims. Finally, Rainbow Bridge Raina will be providing pet-loss support to those who’ve recently lost a pet.

Inside the church, a “Makers Mart” sale will be happening along with a bake sale and lunch available at the church kitchen.

The church is at 4920 Cline Hollow Road in Murrysville. For more, email jepkap13@gmail.com or call 724-516-9078.

Trail trick-or-treat vendors sought

The Murrysville Recreation Department is seeking vendors for its annual “Trick or Treat on the Trail” event, which will take place this year in a new location, Murrysville Community Park, from 12-2 p.m. Oct. 25.

There is no cost to volunteer as a vendor. Vendors will pass out treats during the event.

Register online at MurrysvillePArecreation.com/186/Events.

For more, call 724-327-2100, ext. 131 or email momrecreation@murrysville.com.

CPR, AED classes

Murrysville Medic One will host CPR and AED training classes open to the public at 2 p.m. Sept. 28.

Learn the life-saving skills of CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator during a cardiac emergency.

The cost is $40 per person. Classes will be held at Medic One, 3237 Sardis Road in Murrysville. For more, or to register, call 724-327-1222.

Trunk or treat

The Miracle League of Western Pennsylvania will host a Trunk or Treat event from 12-2 p.m. Oct. 11 at Murrysville Community Park.

For more, see MLWPA.org.

Art submissions sought

The Murrysville Woman’s Club is seeking entries for its annual art show, set for Oct. 10-11 at Redstone Highlands in Murrysville.

Experienced, amateur and student artists are invited to enter. Pieces can be paint, fiber, mixed media, sculpture and photography. Entrants are permitted three pieces. All work must be original (no molds, kits or copies) and must be ready to hang.

Student work does not have to be framed but must be able to hang or be displayed on panels or tables.

The fee is $5 per entry for adults and $2 for students. Awards will be announced at 3 p.m. Oct. 11.

Entry forms are available at the Murrysville and Delmont libraries and by calling 724-309-8428 or emailing nefflaner@gmail.com.

Upcoming public meetings

• Murrysville council, 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Murrysville municipal building, 4100 Sardis Road. Meetings are broadcast live on Comcast local access Channel 21, and streamed live at Murrysville.com — enter “Channel 21” in the search box.

• Export council, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the borough building, 5821 Washington Avenue. An agenda is available in advance at ExportPennsylvania.com.

• Delmont council, 7 p.m. Oct 8 at the borough building, 77 Greensburg Street. An agenda is available in advance at DelmontBoro.com.

Blood drives

Murrysville recreation officials will partner with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on Nov. 11. It will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Ave.

To register and schedule an appointment, see RedCrossBlood.org.