Group hopes to revive Monessen’s Cultural Heritage Festival tradition

The Mon Valley NAACP is organizing the event, which starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Anthony E. Madison Sr. Veterans Memorial Park in Monessen.

Mon Valley NAACP Unit 2274 is once again bringing back a beloved tradition to the City of Monessen this weekend.

The second revival of the Monessen Cultural Heritage Festival is set for 11 a.m. to dusk Saturday at the Anthony E. Madison Sr. Veterans Memorial Park, Ninth Street and Knox Avenue, in Monessen from 11 a.m. to dusk.

The celebration will wrap up with fireworks at the Herman J. Mihalich Memorial Boat Launch later that evening.

The festival, which was one of the oldest heritage events of its kind in the Mid-Mon Valley, was discontinued several years ago.

At one time, the festival attracted thousands to the community and many families often planned their vacations around the festival because the event would bring back many former residents who had moved away.

“When I was a teenager, the festival was held in Monessen and all the different churches would have different booths, selling their nationality food, different contests, when it first came out there would be breakdancing contests, and stuff like that,” said Mon Valley NAACP secretary Linda Carson, an event organizer.

According to Carson, the old Culture Heritage Festival used to close down Donner Avenue and Parente Boulevard and was an exciting sight to see.

Carson was inspired to resurrect the festival after being a part of the committee for Monessen’s 125th anniversary celebration last year. She proposed the festival to the committee and started its revival with the NAACP last year.

Carson hopes to bring the festival back for new generations to enjoy.

She said they are still looking for more vendors for the festival.

“I’m trying to get as many vendors as I can. I’ve sent it out to all the different churches in Monessen, hoping that they will come back and help revive it, but I haven’t gotten any responses. But hey, we’re trying the best we can,” Carson said.

Anyone interested in being a vendor can contact Carson at 724-929-0162. The vendor fee is $50.

Carson said there will live entertainment by DJ Dre, crafts, food and more.

“I would just tell people to come out and have fun and bring Monessen back to life,” Carson said.

For more information, email monvalley72@gmail. com or call 724-929-0172.