Each September, the hand of nature paints the Kinzua Gorge with a brush of vibrant color. The leaves will be in fine form for Kinzua Bridge State Park’s 25th Annual Fall Festival, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21 and 22.
This festival is particularly important because there is maintenance planned for the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk. The preservation and rehabilitation project is expected to cause closures to the Skywalk and Kinzua Creek Trail over the next few years.
“This is a milestone for us — a silver jubilee,” said Mary Anne Burggraf, executive director of the Kinzua Bridge Foundation. “We don’t know when the next festival will be with the work that needs done; only time will tell.”
This celebration will be free to the public. For those who would like to support the cause, the Kinzua Bridge Foundation will be selling special 25th anniversary merchandise at their tent.
There will be special edition T-shirts and sweatshirts, along with a limited run anniversary Zippo lighter. Foundation representatives will also sell cider made from their own apple press.
The festival typically pulls 10,000 to 14,000 visitors into the area over the course of its two days, according to Debbie Lunden, secretary of the Kinzua Bridge Foundation. That influx of people provides an important economic boost to Mount Jewett business owners and bolsters the foundation’s mission.
“Our purpose is to promote the state park so we just love to have people come and see how beautiful this area is,” said Lunden. “It also helps our local businesses when people come from outside the area they have to buy a tank of gas or purchase other necessities of traveling.”
“Without question this event has worked to raise public awareness and bring more people in to see the park,” said Burggraf.
“And of course, any profit that we get goes directly back into the state park.”
More than 70 arts and crafts vendors have booked spaces for the festival. They will be set up across from the Visitors Center in the wooded picnic area near the pavilion and playground. Types of arts and crafts will include wood turned bowls and utensils, specialty clothing, metal and wood signs, pottery, paintings, fishing lures, wreaths and leather products. More sellers are expected featuring alpaca products, canned goods, baked goods, books, painted rocks and feathers, spa products and kitchen accessories.
“The arts and crafts vendors are one of the things I am most excited for this year because we have such a great selection,” Lunden said. “About three-quarters of those vendors are returning from previous years here because they had such great experiences.”
In case you work up an appetite with all that shopping, a huge selection of food vendors will be on hand to tempt you. There will be everything from Italian and Polish sausages and Philly steak sandwiches to cotton candy and kettle corn. Hamlin Township Volunteer Fire Department will host their featured chicken barbecue at their tent on both days of the festival.
The air will be filled with the sound of music throughout the event, which will feature bands on both days. At noon Saturday, Cole Walker of Smethport will sing the national anthem during opening ceremonies. The opening act will be Jerry Melvin Cole, the Music Man, who will entertain guests with his picking and singing. Next, the Bob Hartle Band will play as the feature entertainers of the night. A jam session will fill the rest of the evening.
Sunday’s entertainment will feature Daniel Nordin. He will be followed by the Kane Guitar Band. Next the Dancing Witches from Kane will perform. Another jam session will close out the celebration.
“All of our entertainers are here on a volunteer basis and we are so thankful for their contribution to this festival,” said Burggraf.
Children are sure to be delighted by the horse rides and pony cart rides that will be hosted by Percy and Pals on both days.
Those who want to test their skills will find fun with Forest Carlson. He will host an ax throwing activity.
Members of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources State Park staff will also host activities for guests at the Visitors Center. Scott Morgan will return to exhibit his train setup in the center’s classroom.
“Scott came in and set up his trains for us one other time around Christmas and that was smashing,” said Burggraf. “It is a huge train setup — there are going to be lines out the door for this one.”
For those who need a hand getting around, the Area Transportation Authority will provide the trolley for shuttling guests to and from the parking areas. The trolley is free of charge.
