SKYDIVING 13th festival will honor inventor of parachute

GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The 13th annual Stefan Banic Skydiving Festival will be next weekend at Greenville Municipal Airport on Jamestown Road.
The fifth annual Pennsylvania State Parachuting Championships will be held in conjunction with the festival.
Banic, a Slovak immigrant, was living in Greenville when he received the first U.S. patent for the parachute. There is a Banic display at the Greenville Railroad Museum Park on Main Street.
Sky divers, exhibitors and even dignitaries from the Slovak Embassy will attend the event.
Skydive PA of Grove City will coordinate all of the sky-diving competitions that will occur both days.
Chance to jump
The public will get a chance to do tandem parachute jumps with experienced sky divers all day Saturday.
There will be activities for children and military displays and demonstrations.
Parking passes are available at $3 per vehicle and are good for both days. Local nonprofit groups will sell food and beverages throughout the event.
The schedule
Highlights of the "Banic Boogie" include:
Next Saturday
9 a.m.: Opening.
2 p.m.: Caribbean Connection Steel Drum Band.
5 p.m.: Ansambl'Karavan, an ethnic dance troupe, performs.
6 p.m.: Ceremony presenting a copy of the patent for Banic's original parachute design.
July 18
9 a.m.-3 p.m.: Vintage car cruise.
6 p.m. Sky-diving award presentations.