Melissa Fulton, executive director of the United Way of Clarion, was watching the weather radar very closely Saturday afternoon. Fulton, the organizer of the Clarion River Jam Bluegrass Festival still had an evening of entertainment on tap and rain would not help.
Fortunately, only a few drops fell in Clarion. “We held the rain off and had a nice crowd. The musicians have been fantastic,” said Fulton.
The Clarion River Jam Bluegrass Festival is an annual event dating back to 2009 that raises funds for United Way of Clarion County.
Usually, the event is held at the Ramada by Wyndham in Monroe Township but this year it was held in downtown Clarion. The main stage was on 6th Avenue and jam stations were at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Gazebo and The American Legion Post #66.
“There were some minor glitches but everyone was so understanding,” said Fulton. “We are happy with how things turned out.”
Pop-ups are a shop or store that is deliberately temporary for a limited period of time to sell unique products. They include everything from barbecue and baked goods to jewelry, fresh flowers, and repurposed interior items. The pop-ups were a collaborative effort of the United Way of Clarion, Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry, Destination Clarion Downtown, and the Clarion Blueprint Community.
“The pop-up events went very well,” said Fulton. “I saw lots of folks walking around with a lot of bags. The vendors seemed happy with it and I know the Main Street businesses were happy to have the extra people on the sidewalks.
“We are just happy to bring some free music back to Clarion,” said Fulton. “It’s been gone for too long.”