Kennywood presenting music, parade
WEST MIFFLIN – For the 53rd year, Kennywood is presenting its annual Festival of Music and Fall Fantasy parade. The festival started Wednesday and continues nightly through Friday, Aug. 30.
The festival features nine or 10 bands marching nightly for a total of over 140 high school and college bands. Kenny Kangaroo serves as grand marshall of the parade, with the energetic Kennywood Band and Garfield and Odie joining in the fun.
This year’s parade, Holidays on Parade, includes floats depicting such holidays as Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day and many more.
Kennywood Team Members, dressing in costumes of all kinds, bring both the floats and walking characters to “life” as the parade winds through the midway. As usual, Santa Claus ends the parade, this year on the North Pole Toy Factory float.
Fall Fantasy dates back to 1950, when “Alice in Wonderland on Parade” began this end-of-season tradition. The six-night festival made use of floats from Riverview Park in Chicago, Ill., as well as local marching bands. After two years of transporting floats from Chicago to West Mifflin, Kennywood decided to produce its own floats. Today’s master float crafter, Mary Ann Spanagel of Pittsburgh, began as a teen-age assistant to artist Frank Ross (her art teacher) in 1961. She took over the reigns in 1979 and has shared her talent with Kennywood Fall Fantasy audiences ever since.
Every evening of Fall Fantasy, the park will offer a special Ride-All-Evening ticket (good 5 p.m. to close) for $15.
As in the past, Kennywood will open at 5 p.m. from Monday, Aug. 26 through Friday, Aug. 30.
For the first time, Kennywood’s summer season does not end Labor Day night. The park will be open for two bonus days: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8.
Kennywood’s 53rd annual Fall Fantasy Parade list with local bands:
Saturday
Belle Vernon
Bethlehem-Center
Brownsville
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Uniontown
Wednesday, Aug. 21
California
Thursday, Aug. 22
Laurel Highlands
Friday, Aug. 23
Frazier