Scottdale Fall Festival to kick off 150th birthday celebrations

The Scottdale Fall Festival is a 49-year tradition in the borough.

And because 2024 is the sesquicentennial of the borough’s founding, this weekend’s festival has a second purpose — to kick start a year of birthday celebrations for the borough.

This year’s festival is also slated to be one of the biggest yet, said Tom Szczygiel, head chair of the festival planning committee.

“We’re kicking it off with a bang,” he said.

The festival typically draws between 10,000 and 15,000 people, Szczygiel said. He hopes for the same turnout this year while maintaining the event’s “hometown festival feel.”

“When you’re standing at the festival and you see people that haven’t seen each other in years … that, to me — that and the kids running around with marshmallow shooters — is why I do this every year,” said Szczygiel, who has been a planning committee member since 2007.

The festival planning committee and the community has already shown support for the borough’s birthday celebrations, said Tom Zwierzelewski, chair for the Scottdale 150 committee.

“There’s a lot of positive excitement,” Zwierzelewski said. “It’s just so much hometown pride.”

A birthday party for the borough is slated for Feb. 4 at West Overton Museums, just outside the borough limits.

An interactive display in the former Scottdale Savings and Trust Bank, located on 161 Pittsburgh St., highlights the history of the bank and other facets of the borough.

The display includes bank teller equipment, scrapbooks and a hallway display of more than 250 photos of Scottdale through the decades.

At the festival, the Scottdale 150 committee will join the traditional Saturday parade in a vintage Model T.

What’s new?

To accompany the festival’s traditional children’s area, there will be a new teen area, Szczygiel said. It will feature mini golf from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, knocker ball from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday and ax throwing all day Saturday and Sunday.

A dunk tank will also be open in the teen area from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Proceeds will benefit the Red and Black Football Booster Club at Southmoreland High School.

There is also a variety of entertainment scheduled for the weekend, including a country stage that will host Pennsylvania music artists Friday and Saturday.

Singer-songwriter Allison Borek will take the stage with The Laurel band from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, and Part Time Cowboys will take over for two sets on Saturday — from 7 to 8 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m.

Festival rundown — Saturday

The festival will feature a variety of food and craft vendors, activities for all ages and entertainment.

A 5K run and walk and a 10K run will kick off Saturday’s activity. All races — the 5K and 10K run, as well as the 5K walk — will start at 9 a.m. by the downtown gazebo. Registration can be completed online at scottdalefallfestival.org by selecting the activities tab and scrolling down to the race option. In-person registration will be available Friday evening at the festival information booth or between 7:30 and 9 a.m. Saturday.

The annual parade will follow from noon to 1 p.m.

It will start at the corner of North Chestnut Street and Arthur Avenue, go through the intersection of Chestnut and Pittsburgh streets and end near the intersection of Pittsburgh and Broadway streets.

A hot dog eating contest will be at 2 p.m.

Flashes of color will fly through the air for the Color Run in Loucks Park, set for 3 p.m. Those interested can register at the park between 2 and 2:30 p.m. the day of the race.

Registration is $30. Proceeds will benefit the Southmoreland School District Parent Teacher Association.

Those seeking a bit of competition can partake in the cornhole tournament at 3:45 p.m. on Pittsburgh Street in front of the Elks building. It costs $20 per adult team and $5 per youth team. Register ahead of time by emailing colebankc@gmail.com.

Festival rundown — Sunday

An array of antique cars will fill the Rite Aid parking lot and extend onto Pittsburgh Street for the car show, slated for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Registration will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.

Donations will be accepted in place of a formal admission cost, and trophies for “Best in Show” and “People’s Choice” will be awarded at 3 p.m.

Young artists can take to the sidewalk on Pittsburgh Street in front of the Elks building to show off their best chalk art between 1 and 3 p.m. Two prizes will be awarded per age group, which include kindergarten to third grade, grades 4 to 8 and grades 9 to 12.

The festival will close with a performance by Pittsburgh blues and soul singer Billy Price from 6 to 8 p.m.