monessne
As Monessen’s 125th anniversary year enters its second half and summer days start dwindling in number, a big party is planned for next Saturday.
Starting at 8 a.m. July 29 at the Herman Mihalich Memorial boat launch, Billy Hans will oversee a fishing derby that will run until 11 a.m.
Hans, president of the Charleroi Fishing Club, said there will be three age groups — 7 and younger, 8 to 11 and 12 and older.
There will be prizes for first and second place in each age category as well as biggest all around fish. Hans said he has items such as fishing poles and tackle boxes for prizes. Hans said he’ll have hot dogs and hamburgers and water for the kids, too.
The Mon Valley NAACP has partnered with Mayor Ron Mozer to sponsor the event.
At 11 a.m., the NAACP will reprise the city’s former Heritage Festival for the day.
“A long time ago, when I was a teenager, Monessen used to have a Heritage Festival,” said Linda Carson of the NAACP. “All the churches would bake and cook.”
Carson said that as groups in town were figuring out what they wanted to contribute to the 125th anniversary year,
MONESSEN • A2 FROM A1 she thought the NAACP should bring back the Heritage Festival.
After the fishing derby, the NAACP will set up a few booths and there will be food trucks, craft vendors, the Salvation Army and Mt. Calvary Baptist Church offering various items.
“I still have people calling and wanting to get in,” Carson said.
The Heritage Festival will run through 5 p.m., when people will start lining up for a parade.
This will be a different parade line-up situation than in previous years. Festival goers who are in the parade will meet on Wendell Ramey Lane, near the former city hall site, not far from Keystone Bakery.
The parade route will follow Route 906 to Donner Avenue, turn up Third Street to Schoonmaker, turn left and head back to the boat launch for music and fireworks.
Mozer said this parade route will be easier on the city’s first responders and require fewer roads to close. It will be a sort of tight loop and will lead everyone back for the grand finale.
“I want to remind everyone the fireworks will be at the end of town where the parade is going to be,” Mozer said. “I expect this to be a grand fireworks display, like the one we had last year.”