Annual Clarksville street festival is under way
The fourth annual Clarksville Festival began Friday night and will continue through Sunday with live music, games, activities and plenty of food.
The street fair continues today with face painting, motorcycle games, live entertainment and a flea market before culminating with the Bad Mother Truckers band playing late into the night. Street magician Joey Nuzim will also entertain during the day.
There will be food and craft vendors selling all day on Saturday and Sunday.
A car show will be held Sunday with prizes for the winners.
Jim Hoyle, one of the festival’s committee members, said the concept began in 2009 when Clarksville celebrated its centennial. The committee built on that idea for “just a weekend of fun” that is growing every year, Hoyle said.
“We had a centennial, and we kept talking about it and just decided to have a festival every year,” Hoyle said. “It’s growing every year. We’ve been trying some different things.”
The growing street festival, though, has come with one unintended consequence. John Dilts, who lives at Green and North streets, said the side roads are not able to handle large truck traffic that is rolling past his home as the unmarked detour with Center Street closed.
“These side streets are very tight,” Dilts said. “It’s the principle that they don’t have anyone out here running traffic control or detour signs, and I think that’s irresponsible.”
A large truck making the sharp turn pulled down wires connected to his house last year, causing an “inconvenience” for his family.
He suggested the festival be held instead on side streets or in the parking lot behind Clarksville Fire Department.
Hoyle said they will work to make motorists aware of the festival detours. He advised drivers who typically drive through the borough to find alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion.
“Naturally, you have to detour the cars around,” he said. “The streets are small, but people just have to watch when they get around.”