Aspinwall's Big Night Out not a small feat

What appeared to be little light blue clouds covering part of Aspinwall’s recreation site along Field Avenue were just bundles of a sweet treat.

Cotton candy was cranked out nonstop for several hours as about 1,000 people took to the ball fields for Aspinwall’s Big Night out celebration on Aug. 7.

It is the largest event for the small borough near Pittsburgh’s Waterworks shopping complex.

The annual gathering is organized by Aspinwall Neighbors, which had about 30 volunteers assisting in various roles.

“It’s really a big community effort,” said Aspinwall Neighbors co-president Andy Collins. “The idea is to showcase all the great things in Aspinwall and adjacent areas. We have nonprofit organizations here. We have local food vendors, local drink vendors and we try to showcase a local band, too.”

Collins said the group starts seeking sponsors at the start of the year and begins lining up vendors in May. The other Aspinwall Neighbors co-president is Jonnett Mauer.

More than 30 charities and local businesses participated in the event this year.

Organizations included Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scout Troop 380, North Hills Community Outreach, Allegheny RiverTrail Park, Veterans Place and more.

Major sponsors were UPMC St. Margaret and PrintTech of Western PA.

Aspinwall Tee Ball volunteers worked the concession stands, serving giant hot dogs and large portions of nachos among other festival foods.

Foxwall EMS had one of its ambulances and some equipment for families to explore.

Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services had fire trucks from both its Aspinwall and Sharpsburg stations on hand.

SAVES secretary Glen Rockwall had a bird’s-eye view of the grounds. He climbed up the ladder truck and took a few photos.

Adults could take a break at the Neighborhood Lounge and sample beverages from local breweries and distilleries.

Local band Woodland Creatures performed a variety of Americana hits.

There were several recycling and trash stations throughout the grounds. It was part of a partnership with Pittsburgh Resource Council for the gathering to be a Zero Waste Event, with sponsors and participants encouraged to use recyclable and compostable materials.

Collins said the layout remained largely the same from previous years. What also remained was the excitement and enjoyment.

“Everyone walking in just has a big smile on their face, and it really brings a lot of pride to be able to see the community come together and really be able to highlight all the great things that this area has to offer,” Collins said.

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium educational volunteers brought Grace, a box turtle, and Stewart, a bearded dragon, as well as cheetah fur, snake skins and other things for attendees to see and feel.

Poppy Bookwalter, 2, of Oakmont was lifted by her mother, Sabrina, so that she could pet the turtle.

The mother said she and her husband, Will, are former zookeepers and were thrilled to see their little girl interact with the reptiles. Their son, Jack, 6, also attends Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall and the family is very familiar with the area.

“We’re always around Aspinwall,” Bookwalter said. “We just saw the banner (for Big Night Out). It’s amazing. I love it. We’re so impressed. It’s so nice to see everyone get together. (Jack) sees his friends and his teachers out here. It’s really good. … We love that our daughter had a chance to touch a turtle.”

Jack and Poppy said their favorite part about the event was the free candy.

Aspinwall police were raffling off various toys for children. They also had gun safety information for adults.

The department’s tent was a few feet away from a giant foam party provided by Camp Guyasuta.

“I think this is one of our biggest events of the year,” Police Chief Dave Nemec said. “Each year it keeps getting bigger and bigger. I think we even outdid what we had for last year so far.

“We try being a staple for the community and working with the kids. Having raffles (and) giving away toys and just interacting with everybody to show them police are approachable. We like getting out there and intermingling with everybody.”

He commended Aspinwall Neighbors for organizing the event and helping bring more people to the borough.

More information about the nonprofit dedicated to promoting Aspinwall is available at aspinwallneighbors.org.