King Coal Show events underway
CARMICHAELS – The 60th annual King Coal Show will continue in full swing through Saturday night in Carmichaels.
The popular Thomas Family Amusements carnival is set up on the fairgrounds of the Carmichaels Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department with 50 free ride-all-night wrist bands available nightly to children 12 and under, sponsored by area businesses. Ride-all-night wrist bands for others will be sold on the grounds for $12.
The traditional homemade foods, pies, pizza and funnel cakes provide an opportunity to grab dinner. Bingo, a cornhole competition and games of chance are also part of the event through the week. 2013 Coal Queen Marina Stefano of Connellsville Area High School will be on hand for the 42nd Annual Bill Gideon Decorated Bicycle Parade tonight at 6 p.m. in the town square. Lineup begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Yoskovich Funeral Home parking lot at the intersection of Route 88 and Ceylon Road. All are welcome to participate in this judged parade.
Hallow Lines will perform following the bike parade from 7 to 9 p.m. on the fairgrounds.
D.J. Dave Plavi has returned for a third year to provide music and announcements at the individual events throughout the week.
A historic mine safety poster exhibit can be seen in the fire hall, along with other coal mining related exhibits. Voting for the King Coal prince and princess will also continue inside the fire hall through Friday evening when the winner wll be announced at 8 p.m.
On Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dr. Evelyn Hovanec and Elaine DeFrank, the curator and oral historian of the Penn State Coal and Coke Heritage Center, will present and informational program in the fire hall.
Live music will be provided from 7 to 10 p.m. by the band Double Down at the fairgrounds. Admission is free.
The events Saturday will begin with the King Coal Charles Workman Memorial Car Show at Wana B Park, located on Ceylon Road. Plavi will be doing the announcing and providing music for the day. Food, drinks and a Chinese auction with car mufflers, hair care certificates, restaurant gift certificates, various gift baskets and more will be part of the car show. Motorcycles are welcome. Registration is held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with the cost to register set for $8 per vehicle. This is a judged show with trophies awarded for first, second and third place in multiple categories. Participants are encouraged to stay and show off their cars, bikes and trucks in the car parade at 3:50 p.m.
The 60th Annual King Coal Show Parade will follow immediately after the car parade at 4 p.m. Participants will line up at the Skyview Drive-In. Bands, floats, fire company units and specialty units will be judged. Those who would like to participate in the parade can do so by printing a parade enrty form from www.kingcoalshow.org and dropping it off at the Carmichaels Fire Hall kitchen by the end of the evening Friday.
Finishing off the Coal Show festivities will be a live performance by the Hit-N-Run band from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.