From staff reports
St. Joseph’s 78th annual Fourth of July celebration will be held from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 4, on the parish grounds in Lucinda. The event features their traditional all-you-can-eat chicken and ham dinners, games of skill and chance for all ages, quilt tent, called-number games, live entertainment and a grand prize drawing worth over $10,000 in cash and prizes.
St. Joseph’s Liberty 5K run/walk will take place at 9 a.m. July 1, at the historic Lucinda Train Station as a pre-festival kick-off.
Visitors from around the region and across the state are expected to head to the parish grounds to celebrate the holiday in anticipation of the customary dinner, games, prizes and entertainment – all for the express purpose of supporting St. Joseph Catholic School.
As they’ve done for over 75 years, members of the St. Joseph Rosary Society are the chief organizers of the Independence Day feast which includes the chicken and ham entre, a bowl of the parish’s signature soup with homemade noodles, hand-mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, bread, beverage, and a slice of homemade pie for dessert.
The dining room will serve meals from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.; take outs will be available from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dinner ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. and dinners are $9 for adults; $4.50 for children 6 to 12 years and free for children under 6. Sheltered picnic tables will be available for those who opt to eat outdoors.
The grounds will open at 11 a.m. and feature diverse games of skill and chance for adults and children, an extensive Chinese auction, prize drawings and a concessions stand. The Chinese auction will be held in the lower level of the pre-school building this year to better accommodate its size.
A cornerstone attraction is the handmade quilts with nearly 20 slated to be awarded throughout the day. Depending on size and design, each quilt averages 100 to 200 hours to complete and holds an estimated retail value of between $750 and $950, making this event one of the largest quilt giveaways in Clarion’s tri-county area.
A limited number will be available for purchase and three quilts will be featured in a silent auction. A preview of the quilts is available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org.
Entertainment will begin at 11 a.m. with artists located on the main grounds and at the outdoor dining area. Among the musicians scheduled to perform during the first half of the festival are Sawyer Stepp and The Crossroads Band featuring classic country, rock and oldies; Franklin Taste of Talent finalist Joni Zacherl singing smooth pop favorites and Bryan Phillips playing acoustic country and light rock tunes.
The afternoon hours will bring Keep off the Grass of West Sunbury featuring traditional bluegrass music and country music guitarist and singer Kiara Gabler of Leeper. The performances will conclude with keyboardist Dennis Geib playing smooth jazz and familiar show tune selections.
In addition to the scheduled performances, Prescott “Scotty” Greene will be on hand in the afternoon cranking one of the old-time street organs from DeBence Antique Music World in Franklin.
Called-number games will begin at noon in the lower level of the social hall and will continue throughout the afternoon. Three special games will be held at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The grand prize drawing is scheduled for 4 p.m. and features a $5,000 cash prize, gift certificates, other major cash awards and an Amazon Echo. New this year will be a junior grand prize ticket featuring prizes for children and tweens.
Altogether more than $40,000 in cash and prizes is to be awarded with proceeds from the day’s events benefiting St. Joseph Catholic School, one of the oldest Catholic schools in the Erie Diocese. The school was formally established in 1866 and observed its 150th anniversary during this past academic year.
The celebration will be held rain or shine on the canopy-covered parish grounds. The children’s playground is adjacent to the festivities and St. Joseph Church, erected in 1893, will be open to visitors.
The parish complex is located at 112 Rectory Lane along State Route 66 in Lucinda (Interstate-80 Exit 60, State Route 66 north 10 miles) and is a short drive from Cook Forest State Park.
The grounds are handicap accessible. Parking areas surround the grounds and a parking shuttle will be available. Reserved parking spaces will be available for those who cannot attend the festival but want to purchase a carry-out dinner. For more information, visit www.st-joseph-lucinda.org, access Facebook or call (814) 226-7288.
Registration for the Liberty 5K run/walk begins at 7:30 a.m. July 1, at the restored train station. The race will start nearby at 9 a.m. on a new course this year.
The Rail 66 Country Trail is a non-motorized, four-season trail that currently stretches 4.3 miles through the scenic countryside of northern Clarion County on the historic Knox-Kane railroad bed, which has been paved with a runner-friendly surface.
The run will be held rain or shine and entertainment will be provided by Absolute Clarion Disc Jockey Services. The Lucinda Train Station is located at 1040 Lander Drive in Lucinda and can be accessed via Maple Drive, which is to the left immediately following St. Joseph Church.
Pre-registration is encouraged and forms are available at www.st-joseph-lucinda.org/fourthofjuly, Facebook @StJoesLiberty5K, www.smileymiles.com or by calling (814) 226-7288. Proceeds benefit St. Joseph School.