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Lower Burrell pays homage to changing season with annual Harvest Festival | TribLIVE.com
Valley News Dispatch

Lower Burrell pays homage to changing season with annual Harvest Festival

Tony LaRussa
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Cooper McLaughlin, 6, of Leechburg gets the full artistic treatment by Christy Callen at the face-painting booth set up for kids during Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
A bouncy house and more than a dozen free activity and game booths gave kids plenty to do during Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
A competitive corn hole tournament drew teams competing against each other for cash prizes during Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Lower Burrell residents celebrated the changing of the seasons from summer to fall with its annual Harvest Festival on Saturday. The event kicked off with a farmers market at Bon Air Elementary School, which also was the site of a car show later in the day.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Lower Burrell residents celebrated the changing of the seasons from summer to fall with its annual Harvest Festival on Saturday. The event kicked off with a farmers market at Bon Air Elementary School, which also was the site of a car show later in the day.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Anna Richner, 5, of Lower Burrell puts the finishing touches on her painted pumpkin during the community’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday. The event featured free activities for children, live entertainment, food and other activities.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Caramel apples and other seasonal treats — including apple cider, decorated sugar cookies and sweets — were available at Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday at the high school.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Lower Burrell police Chief John Marhefka donned a padded mitt to help demonstrate how his department’s police dog, Bu,c can detain a suspect during the community’s Harvest Festival on Saturday. Buc and his handler, Officer Aaron Rodgers, were at the daylong festival doing demonstrations and greeting visitors.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Lower Burrell police Chief John Marhefka donned a padded mitt to help demonstrate how his department’s police dog, Buc, can detain a suspect during the community’s Harvest Festival on Saturday. Buc and his handler, Officer Aaron Rodgers, were at the daylong festival doing demonstrations and greeting visitors.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
More than a dozen local crafters and small businesses were set up during Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday. Pictured are some of the hand-crafted items available from the Kindred Spirits Soap Co.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
A variety of crafts and seasonal decorations were available from vendors Saturday as Lower Burrell residents celebrated the changing of the seasons with the annual Harvest Festival. The event featured free activities for children, live entertainment, food and other activities.
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Tony LaRussa | Tribune-Review
Brightly colored ceramic ware made by craft artist Africa Herrera were among the more than dozen booths featuring the work of local businesses and artisans at Lower Burrell’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday.

Organizers of Lower Burrell’s harvest festival couldn’t have asked for a better day than Saturday to hold their annual community event.

After a week of summer-like temperatures that peaked into the 80s, the crisp autumn breeze and bright sunny sky was the perfect accompaniment for a day of festivities that kicked off at 9 a.m. with the season’s final farmers market at Bon Air Elementary School along with a morning yoga session.

The grade school also was the site of a car show from 1 to 8 p.m. featuring a selection of antique, collectible and high-performance vehicles from across the decades. The competitive event featured awards in four categories.

The main event was held at Burrell High School, where nearly a dozen free activity and game booths were set up — including junior ax throwing, pumpkin painting, art projects, face painting and a bounce house. Live music was provided throughout the day by Derrick Beattie and Let’s Duet.

“I think it’s a great festival, especially for the children,” said Christy Callen of Leechburg, who said she learned about the event from a friend. “We’re always trying to support things happening in our community, so when we heard about this we decided to attend.”

Several food booths and trucks offered deep-fried Oreos and funnel cake, Hawaiian-style shaved ice, barbecue, caramel apples, decorated sugar cookies and apple cider.

A corn hole tournament also drew a steady string of teams showing off their bean-bag tossing skills to best their opponents for cash prizes.

One highlight was a visit by Lower Burrell’s police dog, Buc, and his handler, Officer Aaron Rodgers, who put on a demonstration showcasing the K-9’s keen ability to follow commands. Police Chief John Marhefka joined in by donning a large padded glove to help demonstrate how Buc can be used to subdue a suspect.

Aaron and Amanda Cunningham, who took their 3-year-old daughter, Ava, to Saturday’s festival, said one of the things that attracted them to Lower Burrell seven years ago was the small-town feel and friendliness.

“I’m from Monroeville, so it was kind of a big change moving here, but I really like the community and the school district is great,” Amanda said.

Aaron, who was raised in Kittanning, said “little things” like the harvest festival make Lower Burrell an attractive place for families.

Destiny Gray said she drove her six children — ages 14, 13, 10, 9, 7 and 6 — to Saturday’s festival from Clarion because she is always on the lookout for family-oriented activities.

“Kids can’t just sit at home, they need to get out and have some fun and socialize with other kids,” she said as her daughter, Ava Zourelias, 9, tried her skill at the junior ax throwing stand. “We love taking road trips to things like this where there’s so much for the kids to do.”

Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.

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Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch
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