Coal, coke festival set for Sept. 11
Local musicians and dance troupes, ethnic food, arts and crafts vendors and fireworks will all be featured at the third annual Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. Held this year on Sept. 11, the rain-or-shine festival highlights the history of mining in the Fayette County area.
“Southwestern Pennsylvania’s history of immigrant and migrant miners who settled the area many years ago in search of a better life really contributed to the rich tapestry of cultures that are a hallmark of this region today,” said festival co-chair Gina Jones. “It is truly something to celebrate as a community and we expect this year’s festival will bring hundreds more to the campus for the day.”
Among the musical acts appearing this year are Harold Betters, The Clarks, Augsburg German Band, Brass Knuckles Band, Bon-Journey, Chris Higbee Project, Jerry Onesi-Jack Nicolette Trio, Joe Grushecky and NewLanders.
“We’re thrilled to have all these great acts,” said co-chair Susan Brimo-Cox said.
While some acts are returning, Brimo-Cox said that the festival committee tries to bring in new groups each year.
One such returning act is Betters, a legendary jazz musician from Connellsville. While he’s played concerts across the nation for many years, Betters has always lived in Connellsville. He’s also played numerous concerts locally, performing for many community events over the years.
“I don’t know what the festival would be without Harold Betters. He’s such a local icon,” Brimo-Cox said.
Aware of the Sept. 11 date of the festival, Brimo-Cox said the committee is planning a special recognition ceremony for first responders.
The festival was one of the initiatives of the campus’ chancellor Dr. Emmanuel Osagie, who died in March. Osagie hoped to bring together both the campus community and the community as a whole through an affordable, fun festival that honored the area’s heritage, Brimo-Cox said.
“He really wanted something that would bring the community together, much like when he lived in Louisiana and went to the New Orleans Jazz Festival,” she said. “One of the primary goals of Dr. Osagie was that it would be affordable, and that people would have the opportunity to see acts they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.”
The Coal and Coke Heritage Center on campus will be open for tours during the festival, and there will be activities in the center, along with miners there to talk about how things have changed in the industry.
“The center has such a collection of documents and oral histories that it’s a wonderful resource for the area,” Brimo-Cox said.
Because there is so much information in the center, people from across the country and abroad have been known to use it as a resource, Brimo-Cox said.
In addition to musicians, the festival also features a variety of ethnic food vendors and arts and crafts for sale. The Kiddie Koal Mine, a play area for young children, and petting zoo will also be there this year, Brimo-Cox said.
The festival starts at noon, and goes until dark. For ticket information, or additional details, call 724-430-4101 or visit www.coalandcokemusicfest.org
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Tickets can be purchased online.