Lumberjacks draw big crowds
CONNELLSVILLE – Saws and axes were the tools of choice Saturday as professional cutters from around the world traveled to the Yough River Park to compete in the eight annual Connellsville Timber Days festival. The male and female competitors came from as far away as New Zealand and Australia to compete in a variety of timber sport competitions.
According to June Newell, office manager for the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and one of the event’s organizers, the festival is designed to spotlight Pennsylvania’s timber industry.
“This is a lumber area. We wanted to honor the timber industry. That’s a big thing this area is about,” Newell said.
The timber sport competition consisted of seven events, including the Jack and Jill Crosscut, in which a male and a female competitor (called a lumberjill) work together to slice through a block of wood with 6-foot saw.
The timber sport competition is the festival’s most popular event, drawing large crowds. Newell said that last year the festival drew nearly 2,000 people, but she wasn’t sure how many to expect this year.
“Each year it is growing. We have more people. We have more and more vendors. We have a lot more than last year,” Newell said. “It’s been crowded where the lumber events are going on. It’s really busy down there.”
The lumber events were so popular that vendors experienced an afternoon lull that worried a few of the first-timers.
“It’s a little slow, but we’re hopeful,” said Susan Miller, owner of the Pittsburgh Candle Co. “It’s still early.”
Miller was selling her company’s candles and had materials on hand for children to make their own candles.
Although this was her first year at the festival, Miller said she sells her wares at about 90 festivals and shows each year. She added that events like the Timber Days are a good opportunity for businesses like hers to get the word out.
“It’s a good form of advertising and marketing,” she said.
Mary Garrity, owner of Suitable for Framing, another first-timer at Timber Days, was optimistic, as well. “I haven’t done well here yet,” said Garrity, a professional photographer of 20 years who was selling pictures of the day’s events. “We have this beautiful river back here to use as a background for the pictures. I hope more people come by to take advantage of it.”
But members of the East Community United Methodist Church had no shortage of customers for their baked goods.
“We’re working hard, but not realizing it because it’s fun,” the Rev. Patty Comini-Miller said at the church booth. “It’s been busy, but they said it’ll get even busier in the evening.”
The church has participated in other events with the chamber, and knew that they’d do well at Timber Days.
Comini-Miller said she appreciated the amount of work the chamber put into organizing the festival, which contributed to their successful day.
“They’ve done everything. All we had to do was show up,” she said.
The chamber credits its volunteers and sponsors for the success of the weekend.
“We have a lot of volunteers. Without the volunteers and the sponsors, all this would not be possible. … We have some major sponsors that give a lot to the weekend,” Newell said.
With the help of the sponsors and the volunteers, Newell said, organizers were able to add several new events to this year’s lineup, including a hot-dog-eating contest and a Little Miss Timber Days Pageant.
The festival kicked off with a parade through downtown Saturday afternoon, and the day concluded with a concert by the Crazy Cowboy Band and fireworks in the evening.
The festival will continue today with the timber sport finals at 1 p.m., a car cruise from 1 to 4 p.m., the hot-dog-eating contest finals and the Little Miss Timber Days Pageant. Admission is free.