Schuylkill Haven Borough Day is back

Borough Day is back! Following a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, organizers are at the helm once again to bring fun festivities back to The Little Town That Could ® on Saturday, Sept. 25.

This year is tagged Borough Day 33* understanding that in 33 years, 32 Borough Day celebrations were held. Schuylkill Haven residents and businesses willingly offer their time, storefronts, and generous donations to allow this incredible event to take place.

Schuylkill Haven Borough Day is an all-day celebration of small-town hospitality. Committed to providing a day that is fun, entertaining and affordable for the family, the Borough Day committee has lined up a full schedule of entertainment, food and activities for all ages.

Family fun

Featuring returning favorites, Borough Day events span a distance of about 2 miles from Dock Street to Columbia and all the streets in between and welcomes everyone to what has been named as “the greatest street fair in Schuylkill County.”

Event highlights include Reading & Northern Railroad steam train excursions, mini-train rides, Victorian Highwheelers and Mark’s interactive Lego table. You will be delighted to find a host of clowns, magicians, and roaming street performers. Support the Schuylkill Hose Company’s Dunk-A-Diver Tank (benefiting the Schuylkill Haven water rescue team) and the many local churches, youth and service organizations offering food and other goods.

Be sure to catch Belvedere Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps performance at noon and Hawk Mountain Highlanders from 2 to 3 p.m. on Brok Sel’s lot as well as the amazing Give and Take Jugglers show on Parkway from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. You don’t want to miss FrankenClaus’ Holiday Bazaar (a handmade and vintage décor market) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Walk In Art Center, 220 Parkway.

The day includes a R&J Big Yellow Shuttle and Pottsville Trolley for everyone’s convenience which freely transport visitors to where they want to go as well as clean restrooms, hand sanitizing stations and a first aid station if needed.

Exciting events

Breakfast: Breakfast on Borough Day will be hosted again this year by Schuylkill Hose Company #2 at the corner of Union and St. Peter streets. An affordable platter of pancakes, scrambled eggs, beverage and a meat is one choice on the menu that offers something for everyone. Breakfast is available from 7 to 10 a.m., eat in or take out. The Borough Day committee thanks all the hardworking volunteers at Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2 for their dedication to our community.

All aboard: Reading & Northern Railroad Company will run three passenger steam train excursions for all ages. Each 70-minute tour will board early for departures at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. from the Schuylkill Haven Train Station. The trains will travel on a scenic round-trip route to Kernsville Dam, south of Port Clinton.

Pulling the Borough Day trains is steam engine No. 425, a Pacific-type steam locomotive built in 1928 for the Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad. The enormity and power of a steam engine train is an experience not to be missed. Each ride will have appearances by Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger, too. Thanks to SHAHS Honor Society. For information about train rides, call 610-562-2102.

Tickets are nonrefundable, but transfers are possible with the help of a ticket agent. To get tickets for the memory of a lifetime stop by Schuylkill Haven’s train station or call 610-562-2102. Sales are on a first come, first serve basis. Adult tickets are $17; children ages 3-12 are $9; children 2 and under ride for free, but a parent must carry a free ticket for them.

Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended because the trains sell out every year. Tickets can be purchased by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

Historical Society open house: The Schuylkill Haven Area Historical Society will once again host an open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Houck Hall. The theme this year will be mid-20th century American fashion and culture, featuring a display supervised by Jane Ulsh, former Schuylkill Haven High School social studies teacher. Take a stroll through history and enjoy the Society’s vast holdings. Houck Hall is within easy walking distance at 10 West Columbia St. Thank you, Mrs. Ulsh.

Colossal Book Sale: The Schuylkill Haven Free Public Library hosts its annual Colossal Used Book Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and offers a preview on Friday afternoon prior to Borough Day from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The sale offers great books in good condition at fantastic prices. The library is on the corner of Union and St. John streets.

South Schuylkill Garden Club: Each year the club donates time and services to decorate the area around the train station with fall flowers, cornstalks, and hay bales. The club’s generosity welcomes the autumn season in a bountiful way and spruces up the landscape of the town. Stop by and say hello to these great group of “green thumbs” at their stand on East Main Street.

Lions Club: One of the community’s most visible service organizations is the Schuylkill Haven Lions Club. Every year the Lions reside at the M&T Bank lot, where they serve food and hold a Chinese auction. The Lions Club invites people to join and give back to the community.

Down memory lane

Mummers: The Mummers All Star String Band is comprised of members from various string bands and known for bright and colorful costumes. Look for the Mummers to perform an impromptu parade about 1 p.m. in the Main Street area.

St. John’s UCC: St. John’s UCC (corner of Dock and Main streets) once again hosts its very popular Gift and Basket Raffle from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Want an early peek? Stop in on Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m to make your bids. Organizers urge all to stop by and help St. John’s with this fun fundraiser.

Student Recitals at Jerusalem Church: Students from area music teachers will be showcasing their talent at the Better Together Recitals which are open to the public free of charge. Performances begin at 11 a.m. and end at 2:50. The performances are 50 minutes in length with a new performance beginning every hour. Instruments of all types will be featured.

The recitals are called “Better Together” because the music will be performed in ensembles where the students learn to cooperate with each other, and this is a unique skill for the music soloists who spend the majority of their practice time playing alone. The students are not only cooperating to perform music together but are also helping the community with a fundraiser for the Schuylkill Haven Food Pantry. There will be an opportunity during the recitals for the public to donate to the food pantry by bringing nonperishable food items (check those expiration dates) or a cash donation.

Kid’s Entertainment World!

This new venue is for kids 12 and under is on Parkway. In addition to Grace EC Church, Frontier Girls, Haven’s Rec Center, and SHAHS Spanish Club offering activities, there will be a non-stop stream of live entertainment for the younger crowd. It’s free so be sure and stop by to catch a show or two!

Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing: Don’t miss out on the fast and fun NASCAR-style remote control car racing on the M&T Bank lot. For a small charge, children and adults will find it difficult to walk away from the excitement.

Items to purchase

Stop by the Borough Day Committee’s stand in front of the post office to check out the brand-new cozy fleece blankets which are 59″ X 60″, fully hemmed and with embroidered corners. The blankets are blue and gray, and would make a great gift idea or comfy addition to your home. Other gift ideas include limited edition K-Line passenger train cars with Alco double diesel engines (sold separately or as a set) and limited-edition Starlight Express prints.

Match the Evening Daily Number: Buy a chance to win $1,000 cash by matching the evening daily number drawn on Borough Day evening. Tickets are $10 each and only 200 are sold so your chances of winning are pretty good. Proceeds benefit Schuylkill Haven Borough Day Committee.

Tickets are available from any Borough Day Committee member and will be sold at the Information Booth (near the flag pole at the train station) on Borough Day. Watch your local TV station for the drawing on Borough Day evening and if you are the lucky winner, call the phone number on your winning ticket to claim your prize.

Starlight Express: The Borough Day Committee commissioned nationally renowned artist/illustrator Angela Trotta Thomas to paint an original work depicting downtown Schuylkill Haven during the 1940s and ‘50s. The print, entitled “Starlight Express,” is a nostalgic scene with rosy-cheeked children playing in the snow near the train station, a steam engine and the community Christmas tree. The numbered and signed 15- by 21-inch print is available for $50 at the official Borough Day table in front of the Post office.

Train Set: The K-Line ALCO, double diesel engine set is available for purchase at a reduced price. Passenger train cars are priced at $35. Cars are 0-27 gauge. This commemorative set consists of two A Unit ALCO diesel engines, one baggage car, one dining car, one Vista-Dome and one observation car. Each features fast angle wheels, needle point axles, diaphragms and underside detailing.

The entire set measures 6 feet 2 inches in length and features the classic Reading railroad colors of yellow and green. In addition, each car is named honoring landmark streets – Dock, Columbia, Parkway and St. John – in the historical canal and railroad town of Schuylkill Haven, and all bear the borough’s seal. This set was commissioned in support of Borough Day and can be purchased at the Borough Day memorabilia stand.

Special mention

Support services: Each year as planning begins for Borough Day, the committee knows that the staging will run smoothly. The dependability and helpfulness of the Schuylkill Haven Police Department and the highway and electric crews are always a given. Schuylkill Haven volunteer fire police are on hand from early morning until the event closes to ensure safety and to keep things on track. The Committee would just like to say a huge thanks a bunch to all these great guys.

The Borough Day Committee acknowledges the support of Haven’s borough council, borough administrator Scott Graver and Mayor Michael Devlin and the help of borough employees and secretary Kaitlyn Tinari, South Schuylkill News and South Schuylkill Printing & Publishing also lend their time and resources. Local businesses and the residents offer their sidewalks. Without such dedicated organizations and individuals, the day would not be possible.

Recycle: The Borough Day Committee is excited to reduce the event’s carbon footprint again this year, so look for special blue recycling receptacles to throw away cans and plastic materials only. Help by pitching in.

VIPs: To ensure the streets are maintained, a special group of community volunteers police the streets and sweep up bits of litter and keep the sidewalks clean all day. It’s more a social task than work duty. The committee applauds their willingness to lend a hand. No job is too small for Borough Day volunteers. Please say yes when called and asked if you will donate an hour of your time.

Getting around town

Detours will be in effect at 7 a.m. until about 4:30 p.m. and parking will be scarce. Organizers recommend that visitors park at the high school or Island Park and take the shuttle downtown.

Loop and shuttles: For many years now, R&J Transportation has generously provided big yellow buses as a shuttle service, running free shuttles all day until 4:30 p.m. on the continuous Borough Day Loop. They will be running again this year along with the Pottsville Trolley, thanks to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill. Stops include the high school lot, Island Park, the corner of Dock and Main streets, train station lot, High Rise, the library and Schuylkill Hose Co during their breakfast hours.

For everyone’s safety, the Borough Day Committee asks that drivers please observe the one-way traffic detour/loop while in place and to be patient. The detour/loop (including Main Street) will continue to be one-way until all the vendors are safely packed up and on their way.

Parking: Parking is precious on Borough Day. Free parking will be available at all municipal lots (except for Railroad Street which is for vendors only), Island Park (shuttle stop), and Schuylkill Haven Area High School and Elementary Center (shuttle stop). Many thanks to Evans Delivery for opening up their lot off Columbia Street for the day to visitors. All parking is within comfortable walking distance to all festivities or is on the shuttle loop.

What if it rains?

As the saying goes, “the show must go on,” and on Saturday, Sept 25, Borough Day will go on, rain or shine.

A note

And one final important note from Borough Day Committee: As we all do our best to remain safe during COVID-19, especially now during the rise of cases related to the delta variant, we urge everyone to please be considerate of fellow Borough Day visitors, shopkeepers and vendors. Follow current CDC guidelines throughout the day, be courteous and be kind. Please mask when appropriate, distance when you can and sanitize hands often. The Committee wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable Borough Day 2021.

For more information including detour maps, complete entertainment schedule, visitor and vendor information visit shboroughday.com and like the official Facebook page.