Claysburg to Celebrate 48th Community Days

Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11, 2024, will mark the 48th Claysburg Community Days. Saturday’s events kick off at 10:30 a.m. and will continue to 10 p.m. Sunday’s events begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue to 6:00 p.m.

There will be food, games, crafts and entertainment on both days.

Saturday, August 10, line-up of special entertainment is: 11:45 – Little Miss Claysburg Pageant; 1:00 - 5:00 – Petting Zoo (sponsored by West Central Equipment/John Deere); 1:30 – FREE Children’s Games, Ages 1-6 & 7-12 (sponsored by Central States Manufacturing); 2:00 - 4:00 – Balloon Legends (sponsored by Knisely Audiology); 2:30 - 3:30 – Mt. City Grass (sponsored by First Commonwealth Bank); 3:45 - 4: 45 – Ryan Smith (sponsored by First Commonwealth Bank); 5:30 - 6:30 – Shining Starz Twirl & Dance Academy; 7:00 - 10:00 – Felix and the Hurricanes (sponsored by Mile Level Physical Therapy and T&L Enterprises).

Sunday, August 11, events will begin at 10:30 with a community worship service. The Claysburg Community Chorus will perform under the direction of Danny Crist. The proceeds of the offering will benefit the ongoing needs of the Claysburg community.

Beginning at 12:00 – The Joy Drummers will perform; 12:00 – Corn Hole Tournament (register in advance by calling 814-327-0100; 35 team maximum) and 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament; 1:00 - 5:00 – Petting Zoo (sponsored by Hometown Bank); 1:00 - 2:00 – Claysburg American Legion Band; 2:00 - 4:00 – Balloon Legends (sponsored by Dr. Bethany Claar); 2:30 - 5:30 – Laura & Joe’s Acoustic Jukebox (sponsored by Mile Level Physical Therapy).

On Saturday, a softball tournament at the Little League Field will be held.

As with other prior Community Days there will be a large selection of foods on both days as well as games, crafts and other events.

Here is a little history on Claysburg’s Community Days. The first Claysburg Street Fair took place in 1975. It was basically a flea market to help raise money for the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. Starting in 1976, the Street Fair was moved to August and became a grander event each year.

For many years, Bedford Street was blocked off from Catherine to Arden Streets, and the event was held right on the street. Each year a trucking company would donate a trailer that would be placed in front of the old Bennett Recapping building and used as a makeshift stage. Churches and other organizations in town would line Bedford Street with booths offering a great variety of food, crafts, and other items for sale. These booths were mostly on the east side of the street with the community’s booth and a pizza booth on the opposite side near the firehall. A BBQ chicken booth was located next to Geraldine Gordon’s, and games for kids were held near the General Refractories Co. shipping gate at the northern end of the event.

This tradition continued on Bedford Street until 1995 when it was moved to the high school softball field. In 2001, the Claysburg Community Park was developed. Following the park’s completion, the event moved there.

Today, the weekend event is referred to as Claysburg Area Community Days.