Rosedale Fall Festival set to return Sept. 16-18

The Rosedale Beach Club is looking forward to its Rosedale Fall Festival after having to cancel last year’s event.

The multiday event will be Sept. 16-18 from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is free with the exception of rides and food. The festival normally averages 600-800 attendees a night.

“There were a lot of people we didn’t get to see all of last year, so this is for people looking to have fun again, and hopefully they see that with this festival,” said Daryl Saltzman, director of the Rosedale Fall Festival.

The festival got its start in Verona when it was called the “Verona Fall Festival” but in 2017 it was relocated to the Rosedale Beach Club, who took over the festival to keep it alive.

After their biggest festival in 2019, the Club hopes to keep the momentum going this year.

“We are proud of it, and we are hoping to keep this up for as many years as we can,” Saltzman said.

The festival will feature amusement rides, homemade food, live performances and games. Attendees will be able to bid on auction baskets and play games to win prizes. Children will have the opportunity to play in the “Kidz Zone,” where there will be candy, toys and a contest to find candy in a hay stack.

Live performances include Norm Nardini as well as many other local musicians, and The Penn Hills Big Red marching band will kick off the festival’s first night.

In addition to the amusement attractions, attendees will be able to let out their frustrations from the past year. Saltzman said Twilight Towing, one of the sponsors, will bring an old car for attendees to hit with a hammer for $1. The words “covid-19” and “2020” will be on each side of the car.

“It was a horrible year. This is a way for you to get your bad feelings out on this. It’s a fun gag,” he said.

All the proceeds earned from the festival will go back to the Rosedale community.

“There is no Rosedale festival without the people and our sponsors,” Saltzman said.