Punxsutawney Phil, blown glass demo new features at Latrobe's banana split celebration

Furry weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil keeps his strength up by eating corn, kale, carrots — and his favorite, bananas.

So, the famous groundhog should be right at home on Saturday when he makes his first ever visit to Latrobe’s Great American Banana Split Celebration.

“Before any road trip, we like to get Phil fed and ready for the day,” said Jory Serrian, a member of the the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle, the group that’s in charge of Phil’s care and travel arrangements. “Phil is without a doubt the most traveled groundhog in the world, having been to the White House, numerous Pirates and Penguins games, Broadway, NCAA Men’s Final 4 and just recently AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Supercross at Acrisure Stadium.”

According to Serrian, there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to take photos of Phil at James Rogers Park between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday — the first full day of activities at the celebration.

When not in the arms of his handler, the groundhog will be taking up temporary residence in a clear cylinder, his custom travel container.

The Inner Circle will have free souvenir coins and bracelets for kids who come to see Phil.

Banana event committee member Andrew Lazarchik is credited with inviting the groundhog to travel to Latrobe from his permanent “burrow” habitat.

“A friend of mine lives in Punxsutawney, and she kind of volunteers there,” Lazarchik said. “She connected we with the (Inner Circle).

“Punxsutawney is only about an hour drive from us.”

Despite his fruit preference, Phil likely won’t be competing in the Latrobe celebration’s second annual banana-eating challenge, set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Lazarchik will be on hand to register people for the challenge. Replacing a previous banana cream pie-eating contest, it is sponsored by fruit producer Dole and is limited to 10 entrants.

Last year, recent Greater Latrobe Senior High graduate Leo Sun won the challenge, peeling and eating 11 bananas in 125 seconds.

Each year’s winner will have their name engraved on a championship belt produced by Lazarchik’s business and will receive an individual replica of the belt.

Latrobe’s annual banana-themed festival celebrates the city’s claim as the home of the banana split treat. According to local historians, the frosty dessert was invented in 1904 by David Strickler, a soda jerk at Tassel’s Pharmacy in Latrobe.

Lazarchik has a personal connection to the town’s banana split legacy. From 1965 to 2000, his father, Tom, operated the drug store started by the Strickler family.

“The soda fountain left the store in 1976, the year I was born,” Andrew Lazarchik said. Still, he recalls taking out the garbage and handling other chores at the drug store when he was a teenager.

He also remembers there were replicas made of the boat-shaped glass dishes for serving the splits, originally produced at the Jeannette Glass plant.

Crafters with the Pittsburgh Glass Center will be new presenters at this year’s Latrobe celebration, also recruited by Lazarchik. During their demonstration, from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, they’ll attempt to make a replica of the banana split dish.

Since they’ll be working in blown glass, the effort will be a “loose interpretation” of the pressed glass original, according to Jason Forck, director of creative projects for the glass center.

Forck said the center’s mobile demonstration unit uses a furnace and crucible that may hold up to 40 pounds of molten glass. While the center’s main furnaces have 25 times that capacity, the mobile version still will be cranked up to more than 2,000 degrees, he said.

“Our craft folks make it look pretty easy when, actually, working with hot glass is quite difficult,” Forck said. “You can feel the heat from the furnace when you’re a good ways away. That gives you some kind of indication what those folks are experiencing.

“It’s pretty surprising to a lot of people just how quickly the glass changes from molten to a solid. You have a pretty limited working window.”

Saturday’s celebration schedule kicks off with a 5K run, at 9 a.m., and also includes a car show and a banana baking contest. A corn hole tournament will be staged in an area reserved for those 21 or older, where beverages from area breweries and wineries will be available.

Goat yoga will be featured at 10 a.m. on Sunday, the final day of the festival.

On both days, youth groups and bands will offer entertainment across three performance areas.

Vendors and restaurants will serve a variety of menu items —including, of course, banana splits.

Visit bananasplitfest.com for additional details and a full schedule of activities.