Burrell community festival to be bigger and better this spring

A one-stop shop for all things community and school is returning to Burrell’s Charles A. Huston Middle School this spring.

The Community Connections event — which had nearly 64 organizations and businesses and 1,000 guests last year — will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 6.

“The middle school hallways will be lined with local organizations, businesses and vendors who will be available to share information about their services, and some may even have products to sell, job opportunities and activities for families to participate in,” said Autumn Turk, Burrell’s director of curriculum and development.

The event is put on by the school district, its Parents as Allies team and the city of Lower Burrell in an effort to boost communication and collaboration between the community and those bodies.

“Each year, we use the feedback we receive to make improvements to our family-school-community engagement events to best meet the needs of our Burrell community,” Turk said.

Admission is free. Vendors and volunteers can sign up online or on the district’s Facebook page.

“Community Connections is a great way for people to meet people and organizations that are active in the community,” said Mayor Chris Fabry. “The event gives residents direct access to city officials, school district personnel, businesses and community groups — all in one place.

“Lower Burrell has so many more active groups and businesses than people realize. This gives us an opportunity to spotlight some of them.”

New this year will be a STEAM playground, several student showcases and a book donation area where people can take books that are no longer being used in schools. Huston teacher Courtney Barbiaux said some activities will include flying drones, design challenges and using 3D pens to create charms and keychains.

“This event is more than just an opportunity to showcase student work — it’s about empowering young minds to take ownership of their learning and make a difference,” Barbiaux said. “When students engage in hands-on projects, they build confidence, creativity and the problem-solving skills they need for future success.”

Like last year, food trucks will be on hand as well as a free community clothes closet put on by the Huston student council. Turk said Pittsburgh Area Communities in Schools also will be on-site to offer services for families in need.

Fabry said he’s looking forward to the event.

“Last year we had such an overwhelming response, and this year certainly promises to be bigger and better,” he said.