Stoneboro celebrating sesquicentennial

Staff report

STONEBORO, PA.

An array of activities from Thursday through Sunday will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Stoneboro, founded in 1866. The town is home to the Great Stoneboro Fair, which began in 1868 and is Mercer County’s biggest.

Opening ceremonies will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with the unveiling of a sculpture and dedication of the pavilion in Stoneboro Memorial Park, where there will be free birthday cake and movies at dusk.

Stoneboro Garden Club will sponsor a tour of six homes and three churches from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Cost is $10 and participants get a boxed lunch and pamphlet outlining stops. Call Polly Kimes at 724-376-7070 for tickets. There also will be food vendors from 5 to 11 p.m. and a street dance from 5:30 to 10:30, concluding with fireworks sponsored by Mercer County State Bank.

Saturday events will include an arts and crafts show at 9 a.m. in OK Corral Banquet Hall, food vendors at 11 a.m., wine tasting by Volant Winery from 11 a.m to 4 p.m., free ice cream from noon to 2 p.m. by Mercer County Dairy Princess, parade at 2 with free root beer floats following, free train and pony rides from 3:30 to 7:30, and musical entertainment from 4 to 10:30 concluding with fireworks.

On Sunday there will be a community church service at 10 a.m., face painting and corn hole tournament from noon to 2 p.m., antique and classic car show and an art show from 1 to 5 in the fire hall.

Stoneboro artifacts will be shown at the former Henry’s grocery store from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Parking will be available in the fairgrounds off Route 62 and there will be a bus shuttle service running continuously from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.