Unveiling of New Kensington 'wings' to precede 3rd annual Restaurant Ramble

The 13th Wings Across Westmoreland about to be unveiled in New Kensington will be the first to feature color.

The wings are set to debut in a park at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street during a ceremony Saturday, March 23, just ahead of New Kensington’s third annual Restaurant Ramble.

The color comes from the flags of 17 nations incorporated into the tips of the wings’ feathers, which are meant to reflect the city’s melting pot of ethnicities, said Ari Burke, event and program specialist for the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, which has installed 12 other sets of wings throughout the county.

Olde Towne Overhaul, a business development and community revitalization company focusing on renovating and leasing commercial buildings to local business owners, and the New Kensington Downtown Partnership funded the city’s wings. It’s an effort that has been underway since 2021.

The New Kensington Arts Center helped to choose the images of buildings, businesses, organizations and people that artists Patrick and Riley Mahoney incorporated into the design.

In addition to being the first with color, New Kensington’s pair will be the third of the 13 to be freestanding, Burke said. They will be located next to a gazebo in the park, where the Liberty Theater once stood, and in front of a faded Coca-Cola sign on the side of a building.

“It’s a beautiful ghost mural backdrop,” said Daniel Stainer, director of marketing for the Westmoreland Cultural Trust. “It provides a great photo opportunity for anyone.”

The most recent wings installation was unveiled Feb. 21 at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in Hempfield.

Other locations of wings include Greensburg, Art in the Alley; Mt. Pleasant Township, Overly’s Country Christmas; Irwin, Lamp Theatre; Jeannette, Sobel’s Obscure Brewing; Ligonier Town Hall; Mt. Pleasant Public Library; Trafford Municipal Building; Vandergrift’s Casino Theatre; Youngwood’s Five Star Trail; Smithton Borough Building; and the West Newton Municipal Building.

Restaurant Ramble follows

Eleven restaurants are participating in the Restaurant Ramble, sponsored by Shop Small Shop New Ken, which will follow the wings unveiling. A VIP experience starts at 11 a.m. with the general event beginning at noon. It ends at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available online, with sales ending at midnight Saturday, March 17, and at Voodoo Brewing on Fifth Avenue in New Kensington during regular business hours until Saturday. No tickets will be sold the day of the event.

Tickets for the VIP experience cost $58, while general tickets are $38.

The participating restaurants offering small bites and beverages range from Farm House Fresh, in its second year, to Eazer’s Restaurant & Deli, a mainstay in New Kensington for more than 100 years. Many are in their third or fourth years in business.

“If you look at the stats, I think 50% of restaurants fold within the first year and most don’t make it to five years,” said Michelle Thom, operations manager of Olde Towne Overhaul and Voodoo Brewing in New Kensington. “This is a really difficult business to be in, and this event is geared toward the small restaurants downtown coming together to help each other out during a difficult time of year, and getting people familiarized with the food that is downtown and hopefully coming back after the event to eat at the restaurants.”

Added to this year’s event is Kimi’s Konfections, whose desserts are regularly carried at Ashley’s Kitchen, Thom said.

Participating restaurants and their offerings:

• Ashley’s Kitchen — A variety of mini stuffed breads and a beverage

• Eazer’s — Greek salad with grilled chicken

• Farm House Fresh — Small cheesecakes

• Fat Cat’s Fundraiser Subs — Hoagies and homemade wedding soup

• Fox’s Pizza Den — Buffalo chicken pizza, deluxe pizza and plain cheese pizza

• Kimi’s Konfections — Variety of cupcakes

• Panda Chinese — Crab Rangoon

• Steel Cup Coffee — Regular 8-ounce coffee

• Sweet Alchemy — A variety of soups

• Sweet Tillies — Chocolate peanut butter baklava

• Voodoo — Lamb and sweet potato wontons with lime crema and a beverage