Things are starting to heat up as plans for Bradford’s
Summerfest 2006, sponsored by the Bradford Area Small Business
Association, were finalized.
Summerfest will be held July 20 through July 22, and this year,
the Bradford Area Small Business Association will be organizing
events for Friday and Saturday with participation from the Bradford
Area Business Group and the Downtown Bradford Business District
Authority, who is in charge of organizing the opening ceremony and
events on Thursday.
On July 20, the opening ceremony conducted by the Bradford Area
Business Group will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in Veterans Square
with music by the Twin Tiers Community Band from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
and some concessions.
Main Street Manager Diane DeWalt, also of the Downtown Business
District Authority, said lighters will be for sale Thursday night
during opening ceremonies. DeWalt said the lighters will include
the Bradford Area Business Group’s new lighter that came out this
year.
DeWalt added that on the night of July 20, there will be a
Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center reception – by
invitation only – for a Fine Arts Show. The show will then be open
to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 21-22 at 57 Main St.
On July 21, there will be a Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show on
Main Street from 5 to 9 p.m. with the Bradford Township Lions with
entertainment provided by Street Dreams Car Club. Gary Akers, one
of the people organizing the Summerfest, said there’s a big name
band that will provide entertainment during the car show Friday
night but couldn’t release the name of the band just yet.
The Zippo/Case Fireworks Display will also be held July 21 at 9
p.m.
“I heard people should be able to see it from downtown if I
understand correctly,” Akers said.
Also July 21, there will be craft vendors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
on Congress Street, sidewalk sales all day downtown, and food
vendors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Chambers Street.
Akers said there’s a lot of new activities planned for Saturday,
which used to hold only the parade and food and craft vendors.
“This year, there’s a lot planned around Saturday,” Akers said.
“There’s a lot of new stuff for people to see and do.”
Two of the new events will be bed races at 1:30 p.m. on Main
Street, sponsored by WESB/Cool 100, and a Battle of the Bands at 3
p.m. at County National Bank.
July 22 will also feature a parade at noon on Main Street with
the Motorcycle Dice Run to benefit Kids and Cancer, Shriners and
Zem Zems, all-terrain vehicles, the Outhouse March and the parade
of beds. Akers said all the outhouse participants from StinkFest
have been invited to be a part of the parade, and Zippo will be
taking pictures of the participants and/or their outhouses to put
on T-shirts for a fee. The money raised will go to benefit the
SPCA.
Veterans Square will host the Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to
noon along with Art in the Park with Action Art at 11 a.m. with a
chainsaw carver, glass blowers and bead-making. Akers said one
event for Action Art will be scheduled every hour, “hopefully
drawing people to that area.”
“Part of that, though not right in that area, will be Bottorf’s
Embroidery, who will be taking pictures (of people and) put that
picture right on a T-shirt for them right on the spot,” Akers
said.
A 30-foot climbing wall sponsored by the U.S. Army will be set
up near the Bradford City Fire Hall, who will have a fire truck
available “so that kids can experience it,” Akers said.
Kiddie Land supported by the Blaisdell Foundation will be held
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Chestnut Street.
“Kiddie Land will be much expanded,” Akers said. “It should be a
little better this year.”
Craft vendors will be available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Congress Street along with food vendors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on
Chambers Street. The downtown sidewalk sales will also be held all
day, and the Summerfest Princess Contest will be held at 2:30 p.m.
July 22.
Akers said if there are vendors looking to get involved, there
are forms available at Between Four Wall, Smith’s and Buck’s
Pizza.
