BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. - The Burgettstown Community Days will be held Friday and Saturday in the borough building and volunteer fire department parking lot, located at 1507 Main St., and along the 1500 block of Main Street.
"We're looking forward to another great year," said organizer Jim Reedy.
The event will begin with an opening ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, during which the Burgettstown Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion will present the flag. Several local politician have been invited to participate in the ceremony. Friday's entertainment will include Spinning Jennys and U.S. Kids, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until midnight.
"It's good, wholesome entertainment," said Reedy. "We're encouraging everyone to come out, visit with their neighbors and enjoy the entertainment. Bring your kids, it's what Community Days is all about - have a great day in your neighborhood."
For the past three years, TNT Pizza has hosted a pizza-eating contest, but this year, the contest will be a chicken wing-eating contest and it will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday.
"Tony (TNT owner) asked if we wanted to do it," said Reedy.
There will be 10 participants each in two categories - one barbecue wings for children 18 and under and an adult category for hot wings. The top eater in each group will receive a trophy and participants will receive T-shirts. The contest has proved popular with the Community Days crowd, according to Reedy.
Those interested in participating in the contest can sign up at the Kids Center until the contest begins.
Saturday's entertainment will include a magic show with Rainbow the Clown from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Wild World of Animals from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"Wild World of Animals had a great show last year and we look forward to it," said Reedy. "They're bringing another show this year and they will have a petting zoo set up all weekend."
Entertainment also will include square dancing and polka from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Center Stage Dance from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., additional square dancing and polka from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the Mansfield Five from 8 p.m. to midnight, all Saturday.
"We're getting some years under our belt, and we just feel that every year we are growing and I encourage whole-heartedly that anyone who sees this, please come down, meet up with some old friends and have a good time - that's what's it's designed to do," said Reedy. "We've always wanted to have as many groups involved as possible. We're proud of our community."
Throughout both days, games will be available, operated by volunteers from local businesses, churches and organizations. Games include pick-a-ticket, instant bingo, birthday wheel and duck pond. The event also will have drawings and Chinese Auctions.
Games are set up by volunteers of Community Days and run by entities in exchange for a sign advertising their business or group. Workers are encouraged to wear their company shirts and hats as well as pass out business cards, literature or flyers promoting their business in exchange for running the booth.
Also, nearly 40 booths offering a variety of novelties, entertainments and food will be available. Rainbow the Clown will be offering face-painting and balloon animals; 25-cent bingo will be available; and the Burgettstown Fire Department will have fries and adult beverages.
Several food booths will feature a variety of items, including hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, kielbasa, hot sausage, pulled pork, roast beef, chicken, cabbage and noodles, oriental food, Mexican food, ziti, ribs, pierogies, pizza, meatballs, brisket, chicken fingers, French fries, funnel cakes, sno-cones, deep-fried Oreos and popcorn.
In the past, vendors featured fortune telling, beeswax teddy bears, computer art, ceramics, antiques and informational booths for different groups, businesses and organizations.
The event is funded through the advertising banner program, in which area businesses, organizations, families and charitable groups "purchase" banners on which their names are displayed. The banners are hung throughout the downtown area for approximately six to eight weeks.
"We're very happy that, in these trying times, people have stayed involved and we have picked up a few new sponsors," said Reedy. "It makes community days a big success because it helps fund it. I want to thank all involved and tell them how important it is that they stay involved."
(Wallace-Minger can be contacted at swallace@pafocus.com)
