Clear Skies Welcome Visitors to Folk Festival
The Fort Armstrong Folk Festival welcomes vendors - local, regional, and national to sell their wares along the Allegheny River. Among the new vendors in Kittanning Riverfront Park this weekend is “Rub-n-Tug BBQ” - with barbecue cooked by Rick Girt, of Clarion.
by Jonathan Weaver
North Water Street in Kittanning was filled last night with gifted crafters, hungry patrons and delighted hometown alumni during the opening night of the 45th annual Fort Armstrong Folk Festival.
After 65 crafters and officially opened their booths at 5PM, Kittanning Fireman’s Band musicians introduced Festival President Keith Livengood and the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner.
“There’s a lot of new vendors this year. We had that turnover, but we have a lot of new ones, so if a vendor you are used to seeing every year is not here, they just decided to take a year off or a break,” Livengood said. “But, be sure if you find something good, you tell the vendors so they keep coming back to us.
“Over 25 percent are new this year - so all kinds of new stuff.”
Fireman’s Band Colorguard Captain Frank White and Members Robert Shick and Mike Snyder - both from Kittanning - carried the American and Pennsylvania flags in front of the main stage.
New crafting and food vendors filled Kittanning Riverfront Park.
Trena Hartzell, of Rural Valley, debuted her “Recycled and Reused” booth in Kittanning last night. For 12 years, Hartzell has made tea kettles, bird houses and bird feeders “out of junk” as a solution to a household problem.
“It’s close to home, and I wanted to try it,” Hartzell said. “I had squirrels that were getting in the bird feeder and I had birds that were getting stuck in the squirrel feeder so I needed to make something that would accommodate both.
Hartzell will sell bird houses next in three weeks near California University of Pennsylvania.
On the other side of the path was a first-time food vendor -Rub-n-Tug BBQ.
Chef Rick Girt, of Clarion, has been cooking for seven years, but is debuting this year at the folk festival after some Kittanning influence.
“My wife (Megan (maiden name Rupert)) is from Kittanning and we just kind-of got in the mix,” Girt said.
The business catered a wedding last weekend.
Fort Armstrong Folk Festival President Keith Livengood welcomes people to the 45th annual event last night during opening ceremonies of the four day event along North Water Street in Kittanning.
Livengood also thanked two original festival organizers (Jerry Cable and Frank McKinney), festival sponsors with t-shirts and recognition onstage, and local dignitaries.
Along with the food and craft booths, spectators were also able to watch an even number of musical performances either at the Main Stage or the North Stage, check out the vehicle display or compete in the Festiv-Idol Competition later yesterday evening before the festival closed for the night.
The festival doesn’t officially open until 6PM, but sidewalk sales in downtown Kittanning are also hoping to attract visitors and hometown residents.
Local News | admin August 5, 2016
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