Aug 4, 2002 By Jenny L. Susa 4 min read

WEST MIFFLIN – For the past 89 years, Brownsville Day at Kennywood Park has brought together current and former local residents. This year was no different as the park was filled Thursday with Brownsville-area natives.

Edward “Tuck” Rohrer has helped to organize the sign-up table for Brownsville Alumni for many years, where people who are originally from the Brownsville area sign their names. This gives them and idea of how many people came for the trip. Rohrer said that on average, about 200 people sign the book.

“We seem to be down a little bit this year from the number of people we have had before, but not a lot,” said Rohrer. “Most people have been coming here since they were children, and we’ve had visitors from all over the world, even Japan and Germany. There are a lot of memories and it gives you the chance to meet a lot of old friends you grew up with.’

Rohrer also explained that Brownsville Day has become such a big event that most of the businesses in town that are able to close that day.

“Sheehan’s Market is only closed two days of the year – Kennywood day and Christmas,” he said. “Brownsville is a ghost town today. You won’t find many people there.”

It seems only logical that so many people want to take part in the tradition, since local residents say that more people come home for Brownsville Day than any of the holidays. Dan Brown, who has lived in Michigan for 14 years, said that he and his family never miss the event.

“We come back every year. I have four children from the ages of 10 to 29 and they always come, and I have nine brothers and sisters in my family and they are all here, too,” said Brown. “Every year we reserve vacation time for this week.”

Joe Trempus and his wife, Terry, said they have enjoyed the tradition of Brownsville Day for 35 years in a row.

“We have about 100 family members here and we just enjoy seeing everybody,” said Trempus. Like many families, they have children who love the experience of Kennywood as much as they always did growing up, including a 17-month-old boy who will most likely venture into Kiddy Land for the first time next year.

“You come to Kennywood as a small child, and you end up at Kennywood as an old grandparent,” he said. “It’s really an amazing thing to see adults that you watched grow up raising their own families.”

For most people who attend, it is an event that they seem to hold sacred and they only miss it under extenuating circumstances. Marilyn Cook said she has missed only one year out of 42.

“I have been here every year, and the only year I missed it I was in the hospital having a baby,” said Cook.

Now that her children are grown, she enjoys bringing her grandchildren to the park. Her 6-year-old grandson, Blake, said that while he likes the Kiddy Land rides, he’s not looking forward to riding the big rides in the years to come.

“I’m not riding the roller coasters until I’m 17,” he said.

For many residents of Brownsville, Kennywood Day provides an entire week of being together with loved ones. Rohrer said that they try to make all the class reunions in Brownsville during the same week.

Frank Ricco’s family plans its family reunion around it as well.

“I have been coming here for as long as I can remember,” said Ricco. “The only years I missed were when I was in the Army. Since everybody gets together for Kennywood every year, we make it part of out family reunion,” he said. The family also has a golf outing the day after Kennywood, and they added that during that week, they always have that long weekend to spend together.

According to Rohrer, Browns-ville also has a baseball game in which borough, police and anyone else who wants to play are pitted against what’s called the “Old Timers” team.

“They were a championship team many years ago, and they all get together every year to play,” said Rohrer.

So whether the residents of Brownsville love the old wooden rollers coasters, or the new, high-speed ones, they are all in agreement that Brownsville Day at Kennywood is really about family.

Elizabeth Fowler of Maryland said she would always return home for the event.

“We all come back just to see everyone. It’s a great tradition.”