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11th annual Yellow Tie Gala to kick off Great American Banana Split Festival in Latrobe
Ice cream fans looking for a sweet way to support a local nonprofit won’t need to look far in Latrobe this summer.
The Robindale Great American Banana Split Celebration will be held the weekend of Aug. 24 and 25. The annual event honors the momentous 1904 invention of the banana split at a drugstore in Latrobe.
Great American Banana Split Celebration The Yellow Tie Gala in the Great American Banana Split Celebration supports the Latrobe Art Center.The weekend party commemorating Pennsylvania’s official state dessert will kick off with the 11th annual Yellow Tie Gala at the Latrobe Art Center, a charity gathering that brings residents and visitors together to spotlight and uplift the arts in style. Running from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 23, the by-reservation gala invites visitors to brighten up their best business casual and formal attire with some yellow or banana-themed accessories, all while enjoying food, sweets, drinks and music inside and outside.
“It’s pretty well attended. We typically have anywhere from 200 people to 250 people in attendance,” said executive director Michael Tusay. “It’s definitely an event I would say that people look forward to each year, who support the art center or who like to attend the Great American Banana Split Celebration. We have a lot of people who look forward to this event, including us.”
Great American Banana Split Celebration A scene from the Yellow Tie Gala during the Great American Banana Split CelebrationLive music by Mike Urick and the Modelaires will be provided during the event, along with catering from Ricolita’s Cafe and a delicious banana split bar. A banana-flavored cocktail drink, a staple of the gala since its first year, also will be available for guests.
Tickets for the gala are on sale now. Proceeds support the art center year-round.
The Latrobe Art Center, founded in 2002 by Nancy Rogers Crozier, Fred Rogers’ sister, and Elizabeth Hazlett, offers workshops, classes, talks, demonstrations and events to make local original art accessible to Latrobe residents and visitors. The center’s goal is to improve the quality of life in the area through the visual arts.
“This is one of the events we host each year as a fundraiser event for us to support our general operations and programs we offer to the public,” Tusay said. “All of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to supporting the art center’s operations and programming that we offer.”
For more information, see bananasplitfest.com.
Great American Banana Split Celebration A scene from the Great American Banana Split Celebration in Latrobe.Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)