Eight & 322/Eight & 27
8and322@gmail.com
  • Eight & 322
  • News From You
  • Sports
  • The Nature of Things
  • Arts
  • Purchase Photos
  • Eight & 27
  • The Photo Dude
  • Editorial
  • About

Looking Back on 40 Years of Applefest

10/1/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
“The splash that Applefest has had on the area is what has been most remarkable over the years,” Jim Williams, Applefest chairperson, said when thinking about how the festival has changed and grown since its humble beginnings in 1983.

That was the year Lee Chapman came into the chamber office raving about the beauty of the Franklin area. “She just started going on and on about the beauty of the area and why don’t you have a celebration,” recalled then-chamber administrative assistant Teresa Russell.
​

They matched her ideas with the long-range committee’s focus on the economy and invited her to present to the group. “She had many good ideas that day, but one grew,” Russell noted of the Aug. 29 meeting.
That one would become known as Applefest.
The committee decided to put on a three-hour event in connection with homecoming, which meant putting together the first Applefest in just a little over a month. The first year featured an apple pie baking contest, a performance by the Franklin High School marching band and Chapman’s son, Michael John Chapman, not to be confused with Johnny Appleseed Chapman, handing out apples among the crowd.
Picture
The next year it had already been expanded to three days. It was also the first year for the recipe contest, cook demonstrations, a small number of crafters, a new car show, food offerings, and the Franklin Civic Operetta Association production, that year called “The Big Apple.”

And it just continued to grow.

“I’m just amazed at what Applefest has become,” Venango County commissioner Mike Dulaney said. He has experienced the festival from nearly all sides – chamber employee, small business employee, volunteer, event co-chair, local leader, and elementary school student.

​“I remember in elementary school thinking ‘I don’t know what Applefest is, but I love it’,’ Dulaney recalled on growing up in the 1990s and getting Friday of the festival off from classes. “It shows you what an effect it was already having in just 10 years.”

Picture
Picture
That was the intention of the original chamber committee that gave the green light for the festival – to create an economic impact that engaged the community, Russell said, noting that the second part was just as important as the first.

As the festival grew in the early years, the chamber reached out to schools, churches, service organizations, businesses and other groups to assist with needs and host events. Among those early efforts were the dance, BBQ dinners, wooden apple decorating contest, pie and dumpling sales, and, of course, the pancake breakfast.

Russell remembers the first breakfast was in 1986 and drew a crowd of 600 people. “It was a very, very big deal.”

It was the very next year that Williams joined the volunteer group that would later be known as the CORE committee.

“The year I got involved was the year we moved the festival from the feed mill,” Williams said of one of his earliest Applefest memories. “It (Applefest) was small enough at the time that we could move it… indoors, if you could imagine that.”​
Picture
Picture
Williams says it was the decision and ability to close down Liberty Street and create a “full town festival atmosphere” that was a notable turning point in the growth of the festival over the past 40 years.

He recalled the times when the Kiwanis would grill chicken in the park and the car show was about new instead of vintage and class vehicles. “As it has gotten bigger, some of these events had to go away.”

That openness to change and flex from year to year has helped the festival stay relevant, Dulaney said. “We know what’s at stake with this festival and we all care about it deeply,” he said of the planning process, which takes thousands of manhours each year.

They consider each year what needs to stay on the schedule, what should be changed or modified and what should be replaced. This attitude has led to things such as a pogo stunt show on 12th Street, a wedding on Liberty Street, and draft horse rides.

That attitude, along with an army of volunteers to implement whatever is needed, is what has kept Applefest as the Best Three Days of the Year as it approaches four decades of success in downtown Franklin.
Picture
“I’ve run into people out West who ask where I am from and then say ‘Isn’t that where Applefest is?’,” Dulaney said. His favorite part of Applefest is Sunday morning watching the cars rolling into the show just as the fog is lifting and the sun is rising.

For Williams it is “The two years we were able to score the Budweiser Clydesdales – that was confirmation that this (Applefest) was a big deal.”
 ​
Picture
Russell says her favorite memory is seeing the festival over the years. “It’s been my baby since 1983 and I’ve watched it grow and it's just been so rewarding.”

​Looking back at 40 years of festivals is quite a trip, but one thing is immediately undeniable - “How much impact our three-day festival has had on the town and the region in general,” Williams said. “That trickle-down effect that goes through the community… is like a second Christmas.”


That includes the not-for-profits just as much as the businesses, Russell said. “It’s just been such a wonderful thing for Franklin because so many people benefit from it.”
​

“I’m hoping for 40 more,” Dulaney said.
0 Comments

Journaling class offered in Franklin through Erie Arts and Culture Grant

9/19/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Writing a Self-Portrait,” touches on different journaling styles and how each can help strengthen self-expression and self-discovery skills, wrote Jill Harry, a local writer who will be teaching a free four-week class on journaling this fall in Franklin.

The class is made possible through an Erie Arts and Culture grant through the National Endowment for the Arts.


Classes will run from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, Oct. 14, 21 and 28, and Nov. 4 in the Barrow-Civic Little Theatre, in Franklin.
​
Earlier this year, Harry presented the topic as a guest speaker in the Community Conversation series at the Franklin Public Library. The expanded class offers a more in-depth look at four different styles of journaling and offers students a chance to try each. Students will also be given opportunities to share their writings with the class as they feel comfortable and receive verbal and written feedback as time allows.

Tuition to attend the class as well as the workbook written by Harry will be provided for free. The class size will be limited to ensure students have ample time to ask questions and share journal entries. The class is appropriate for those wanting to write for self-discovery (private journaling) as well as those wanting to write for self-expression (public or semi-public writing).
​
Harry designed the class and the workbook around her experiences journaling through life-changing experiences in 2021 and periodically throughout her lifetime.

Many of the 2021 entries were posted in a blog-style Facebook group called Love and Family Beyond DNA: My Journey as a Birthmother. The workbook includes several entries from that blog and examines how the voice or style of the writing helps convey a feeling, event or problem. 

Along with the blog, Harry has more than 20 years of professional writing experience but leans predominantly on the time she spends writing when discussing the positive effects of journaling.
​
To register for the class, email jharryconsulting@outlook.com.

0 Comments

Uncorked wine walk returns to Oil City's north side Friday

9/10/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Oil City’s north side business district will host Uncorked and Music on the Square featuring the Wyllis Street Band Friday.

The wine walk will run from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. with registration starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Oil Region Alliance at 217 Elm St. Advance tickets are $30 and are available through Wednesday at Baked Goods from Heaven, the Oil City Library and online. Tickets may also be purchased at the registration table for $35. 

Attendees must be 21 or older to participate and all proceeds benefit the revitalization efforts of the Oil City Main Street Program.


Participating vendors include Groundhog Winery, Allegheny Cellars, Starr Hill Vinyard & Winery, Happy Hour Winery, Black Dog Winery, Stick City Brewing, McLaughlin Distillery, MLH Distillery, Logyard Brewing, Side Hustle Brewing, Twisted Vine Winery, Creekside Cellars, and The Winery at Wilcox. Light refreshments are available at host businesses, plus downtown restaurants will be open for regular dining.
The Wyllis Street Band will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. in Town Square. No tickets are necessary to attend the all-ages concert, which is being supported by the Jack Rowley Charitable Trust. 

The Wyllis Street Band started about 10 years ago by Stephen Woods and Andy Young and has grown over the years to include Woods on finger-style rhythm guitar, Andy Young on lead guitar and vocals, Marc Rickar on percussion and vocals, Jess Rosen-Neely on vocals, and Tom McLaughlin on bass guitar. Their genre includes rock, blues, pop, and a variety of more obscure songs from the 60s to current-day tunes.
Picture
0 Comments

Applefest named one of the top craft shows in America

9/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce’s popular Applefest® event has been named to the list of the most profitable art and craft festivals in the country by an industry/trade magazine Sunshine Artist.
​
“When we started planning the 2023 festival, we knew it was going to be a big year because it’s our 40th event. Receiving this designation is another reason for the chamber members, CORE committee volunteers, and our entire community to celebrate,” Jodi Lewis, Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce executive director said. “We’ve always known Applefest was special. It gives us all a sense of pride to see that others recognize that too.”
Applefest was ranked 64 in Sunshine Artist’s 200 Best. The rankings are split into two categories – Fine Art & Design for events that focus on unique, fine-art pieces and Classic & Contemporary Craft for events that focus on traditional or modern craft and production work. Applefest’s ranking was in the Classic & Contemporary Craft Show category.

To determine the 200 Best, artists cast ballots from February through April to nominate their highest money-making shows from 2022.
Picture
“One of the unique aspects of this honor is that it came to us by way of the festival vendors,” Lewis said. “We work hard each year to balance the type and number of offerings at the festival to maximize the experience for visitors, food vendors, crafts, and other participants. This ranking lets us know we are doing something right.”

​As part of the nomination process, Sunshine Artist asks respondents to list the 10 most profitable art and/or craft shows they exhibited at during the previous year, indicate their level of gross sales at each event, and note whether they considered themselves fine artists or craftspeople for each event.


The results were tabulated using a weighted scale based on four sales levels to ensure all events competed against each other fairly, according to the magazine. Sunshine Artist’s 200 Best focuses solely on artists’ show revenue, because that is the most objective indicator of a show’s future success. Subjective attributes, such as artist treatment, amenities, attendance levels, management, and overall quality, can impact sales but are harder to gauge and therefore have no direct bearing on the rankings.

“We are headed into the busiest time of the year for Applefest preparations, and have some wonderful things planned to mark our 40th festival. We hope everyone marks their calendar for October 6, 7, and 8 and comes to Franklin for the ‘Best Three Days!’ There is so much to celebrate this year,” Lewis said.​
Picture
Picture
Applefest® is an annual festival organized by the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce through the work of the CORE committee, the best volunteers, and with the financial support of numerous area businesses. The festival includes more than 200 craft and food vendors, three days of live entertainment, the area’s largest car show, and other special tours and events. Find out more online at franklinapplefest.com or by following the festival on Facebook at @ApplefestFranklinPA.
0 Comments

Awareness event shines a light on the darkness

8/28/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
The 2023 "Shine a Light on Suicide Night Kayak" is an awareness event hosted by the Venango County Suicide Prevention Task Force.

Their mission is  to work in collaboration with communities to develop strategies that through education, advocacy, and support will help to reduce the risk, stigma, and occurrence of suicide in Venango County, the organizers said.

​Dr. Kathy Quick is the featured speaker. There'll be individual and group kayak decoration contests with prizes for best lighted kayak and best theme in both categories.

There are several prizes including a new kayak with paddle and life jacket.
​
​The event is 6:30 to 10 p.m. on September 2 at Two Mile Run County Park. 


The event, which includes, hot dogs, chips water and popcorn is free.
Also coming up: celebrating with folks who pulled themselves back together 
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Back open for foot and bicycle traffic only

8/26/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
PennDOT has reopened the Petroleum Center Bridge in Oil Creek State Park to pedestrians and bicyclists

The PennDOT press release stated "The 139-year-old bridge was closed in October 2022 due to advanced deterioration and structural concerns discovered during a routine inspection. In spring, 2023, further inspections were conducted, and plans were created that would allow the bridge to be reopened to non-motorized users."

 Parking lots are available on both side of the span so it can be accessed from either side.

"... the reopening will reconnect visitors to all the amenities at the heart of the park without the need to drive the detour, including access to and from the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad station, the park office, the bike trail, and the Egbert Farm Day Use Area," the release continued. "The bridge will remain closed to motorized vehicles until further repairs can be made. Preliminary design work for those repairs began in 2022 and continues in 2023. A construction contract for work needed to reopen the bridge to vehicles is tentatively scheduled to be awarded in 2026. 
A motorized vehicle detour is posted using Route 8, Route 227, State Park Road, and Petroleum Center Road. "

The single-lane steel through truss bridge was built in 1884 and was rehabilitated in 1984. The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering significance, which includes its distinct design and its standing as an example of work done by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio. 

0 Comments

Bridgefest is growing

8/14/2023

0 Comments

 
The Oil City Arts Council and the Oil City Main Street Program are gearing up again for another Bridgefest, though with a heavy heart. Oil City Main Street director Kathy Bailey passed away Monday after a long health struggle.

Bailey was instrumental getting the event started in 2017 when Main Street held a grand re-openning party on the newly refurbish Center Street Bridge.

The next year she teamed up with Kay Woods who had an even bigger idea to hold a festival on Veterans Bridge. They combined efforts and created a two day festival in Oil City featuring artisans , food and spirits and music.

This year the festival opens at 4 p.m Friday August 18 and concludes at 9 p.m.

Friday on Center Street Bridge, a family friendly event with plenty of activities for kids. Mitch Littler, HOLeY Jeans and the Oil City High School Marching Band will perform.
​
The the festival continues Saturday August 19 again beginning a 4 p.m. but will go an extra hour until 10 p.m.

​Uncle Ben's Remedy willl be the evening featured band  on Saturday night  on Veterans' Bridge beginning at 8 p.m. Warming up the crowd will be The Dogs of March beginning at 4 p.m. and the Time Keepers will play starting at 6 p.m.

​Both events are free and open to the public.
Picture
Advertising
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Grants available for heritage groups, projects

8/11/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
A scaled down replica of a historical panel marking the donation and sale of land that is now the Venango County Fairgrounds by the Runninger family was shown to the public at the fair this week. The final marker, which is expected to be permentantly placed outside Runninger Hall this fall, was made possible in part thanks to the first-round the Oil Region Alliance mini-grants awarded earlier this year.
​

The Oil Region Alliance is offering a second round of mini-grant
Up to $4,700 is available from the original $26,000 set aside for small grants for non-profits and municipalities working on heritage projects in the Oil Region National Heritage Area.

“The ORA received a great response to the first round of the ORNHA Heritage Mini-Grant Program earlier this year, but we have a small amount of funding remaining to potentially help a few more projects and programs,” said Jenn Burden, ORA heritage program manager.

The grants can be used for heritage-related sites and organizations, as well as municipalities and counties, to develop new programs, partnerships, exhibits, tours, and other initiatives. To be considered, projects must be consistent with the Interpretation goals in the 2021 Oil Region National Heritage Area Strategic Plan report.

​Pr
ojects could include the following:
  • Educational and/or media pieces that promote the heritage and/or history of the ORNHA
  • New or revised educational brochures
  • Videos highlighting the region’s history
  • Development of curriculum units for grades K-12
  • Creation of new wayside materials (interpretive panels, historical markers, etc.)
  • Enhancement, repair, or creation of historical exhibits
  • Materials to properly preserve/store historic artifacts for future use
  • Arrangement of public historical events (speakers, demonstrations, workshops, tours, etc.)

Non-profit 501(c)3 organizations currently registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations, municipalities, and counties are eligible to apply.

​Projects must have a significant connection to the heritage of the Oil Region, which includes all of Venango County and Titusville, Hydetown Borough, and Oil Creek Township in Crawford County. Funding is made available from the Pennsylvania Heritage Areas Program fund, managed by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Eligible entities may apply for more than one project as part of this grant application. These grants are specified only for small projects that are $25,000 or less, and grant requests cannot exceed $4,700, because that is all there is left in this fund.

Entities should list multiple projects in priority order in their application.

Applications are due September 1.

, which can be found online at OilRegion.org/the-alliance/rfps/,

Award announcements will be made by September 15.  

More information: Contact Burden at 
jburden@oilregion.org or 814-677-3152.
First round winners are:

  • Venango Fair – interpretive panel.
  • Titusville Historical Society – oral history video and sound recording equipment.
  • Crawford County Historical Society – archival storage materials for the Titusville Herald collection.​
  • Benson Memorial Library – overhead scanner to digitize historical documents and artifacts.
  • Titusville Renaissance, Inc. – heritage-based wraps on utility boxes in Titusville.
  • Washington’s Trail 1753 – speaker costs for Annual Summit and design and printing of rack card.
  • Rotary Club of Franklin – redesign and printing of Walking Tours of Historic Franklin booklets.
  • Franklin Moving Forward – 4-sided informational kiosk.
0 Comments

Petroleum Center's bridge to be repaired for pedestrian/bike traffic soon

8/10/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Officials at PennDOT released this week that repairs to the Petroleum Center Bridge  that was closed last year due to safety concerns, will begin next week. It has been closed to all traffic, but the repairs will allow it to be reopened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic only, but will remain closed to motor vehicles.

The bridge is located near the Oil Creek State Park near the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad station, the park office, the bike trail parking lot, and the Egbert Farm Day Use Area.
​
“Safety is the first concern for all bridges, including historic structures. Our first steps were to ensure users would be safe, which meant initially closing the bridge,” said PennDOT District 1 executive Brian McNulty in a press release. “We also understand the significant connection the bridge serves in the Oil Creek State Park. Therefore, our team set out to develop a plan that would enable visitors to access different parts of the park more easily. We are working alongside industry experts to reinforce the structural integrity of the bridge so it can be reopened to light weight traffic, like hikers and cyclists.”

Work on the 139-year-old bridge will be done by PennDOT employees under the guidance of historic bridge consultant Gannett Fleming and the PennDOT engineering staff.

“Historical bridges come with unique challenges. Simply replacing this bridge with a new one is not an option. We are bound by state and federal regulations to coordinate the scopes and details of these projects with the State Historic Preservation Office, which takes more time than most simple bridge projects. Repairs and rehabilitation efforts must follow guidelines and preserve the historic nature of the structure,” McNulty said. “These factors require time to evaluate and design solutions that meet today’s structural and historical standards.”

PennDOT said once work is done a public notice will be issued, but until then it is an active work zone and pedestrians should not attempt to use the bridge. They said bollards or fixed posts to block larger motorized vehicles will be placed at each end.

Updates on the Petroleum Center Bridge will also be posted on the PennDOT website at www.penndot.pa.gov.

History
The single-lane steel through truss bridge was built in 1884 and was rehabilitated in 1984. Prior to being closed, it was posted with a weight limit of five tons and a height restriction of 11 feet. It is rated in poor condition. The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering significance, which includes its distinct design and its standing as an example of work done by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio.

Due to its condition, the bridge is on a six-month inspection cycle. Prior to the latest inspection, funding had been allocated for design and construction costs related to the bridge. Preliminary design work began in 2022 and continues in 2023. A construction contract for work needed to reopen the bridge to vehicles is tentatively scheduled to be awarded in 2026.  

The bridge was used by approximately 75 vehicles a day, on average. 
​
A motorized vehicle detour is posted using Route 8, Route 227, State Park Road, and Petroleum Center Road. Parking lots are available on both sides of the bridge.

0 Comments

Vote for the best of the best in the Oil Region

8/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Voting is open for the third annual Oil Region Tourism Awards and the contest has more nominations than previous years.
 
“There are so many unique features of the Oil Region, and this is a great way for residents and guests to share the ones they’re most passionate about with others,” said Emily Altomare, communications and tourism manager for the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism in a press release. Altomare said 2023 has the largest number of nominees received since the program's inception. 
 
Nominees, which were suggested by the public, are from throughout the Oil Region, which includes all of Venango County, plus Titusville, Oil Creek Township, and Hydetown in Crawford County. Categories are Best Dish, Best Drink, Best Room, Best Shop, Best Industry Advocate, Best Industry Partner, Must See/Do Activity/Attraction, and Best Landmark.

To see a complete list of nominees in each category and vote for your favorite, go online to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023OilRegionTourismAwards. Voting is open through Aug. 18. Winners will be announced on Sept. 1. 

0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly